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  • Oak Park Weekly - January 21, 2022

     Oak Park Weekly - January 21, 2022 Oak Park Weekly is a newsletter that helps connect families, staff, students, and the community to all the wonderful things taking place in our schools. We will share information on events, successes, reminders, and content to help keep you in the loop and excited about what's to come. We hope you enjoy exploring the information and links below, and we look forward to staying connected with you. DR. DAVIS LOVES VISITING OUR SCHOOLS AND MEETING OUR STUDENTS  Dr. Davis visited the 4th Grade classes at Oak Hills today! Dr. Davis at Medea enjoying a game of Ping Pong!   N95 MASKS FOR STUDENTS Districts across the state have received N95 masks for staff and students. These masks have been delivered to school sites by our staff. Each school will send specific information on how your student can request the masks.  Distribution for students will take place beginning Monday, Jan. 24th. We have received a shipment of approximately 2 masks per student in the District. At this time we do not know if we will receive an additional supply. Our schools had already been stocked with N95 masks for our staff.N95 masks fit snugly to the face and provide a higher level of protection from the coronavirus than the more common surgical masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says N95 masks filter out at least 95% of airborne particles. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that people “ wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently. ”   The use of N95 masks is completely voluntary.  State regulations require school staff and students ages 2 and older to wear face coverings indoors on school campuses. However, families and employees may decide what type of mask they prefer; well-fitted multilayer non-cloth masks are highly recommended. Prior to use, the N95 Usage Guide and Instructions should be reviewed for the proper use and fit. (Instructions and video by BYD Care ).   AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS RESUME NEXT WEEK   Growing Outdoors and Upstage afterschool programs will be resuming next week with the following additional safety protocols in place. Rosters will be submitted to the school office manager and principal prior to the start date of the session.  The staff of Growing Outdoors/Upstage will take attendance and submit digital attendance lists to the school office manager and principal after each class.   Growing Outdoors/Upstage instructors and staff will ensure  that  classes will take place outdoors as much as possible.  Singing will take place outdoors (or six feet apart with masks) until further notice.   Mask-wearing will be monitored and enforced:   Indoor mask-wearing is required; staff will regularly and consistently remind students to properly wear their masks indoors Outdoor mask-wearing is not required but is strongly encouraged; staff will regularly and consistently remind students to properly wear their masks even when outdoors. Whether indoors or outdoors, students will be spaced out as much as possible (6 feet is the rule of thumb). If an outdoor class must move indoors due to rain, students must maintain 6 feet of space between them. Growing Outdoors/Upstage will send a notification to the students who were potentially exposed to a positive staff or student.   VACCINE CLINIC OPUSD hosted an all-day Covid vaccination clinic on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.  This clinic was run by CDPH (our previous clinics were by VCPH) and offered pediatric vaccinations (5+) as well as boosters.  There were 73 vaccinations delivered, with about half of them to students, and many pediatric.  We are hoping to continue to host clinics, though the next one has not been scheduled.   STUDENT VOICES AFTER COVID The Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) is accepting submissions for the May/June edition of Leadership magazine titled Student Voices After COVID .   This powerful edition is written solely by California public school students of all ages and grades. Suggested topics include: Experiences in distance learning Mental health Returning to campus/in-person instruction Student athletics Missing out and making it work What the pandemic has taught you Being at home/family dynamics. The deadline for submissions is February 14 . Send submissions to Naj Alikhan, ACSA Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, at nalikhan@acsa.org . Please contact Naj if you have any questions.                                   DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR FREE COVID-19 RAPID ANTIGEN TEST   Reminder: Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home Rapid Antigen COVID-19 tests from the U.S. government? Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Order your tests at:   http://covidtests.gov . SAVE THE DATE - DISCOVERY KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT Parents of incoming Discovery  Kindergarten  (DK) and  Kindergarten  students are invited to OPUSD's  Kindergarten  Information Night to be held on March 30, 2022, from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm at Red Oak Elementary School Multipurpose Room. School and District staff will share information related to  Kindergarten  Readiness,  Kindergarten  Curriculum, and what it's like to be a student and parent in our elementary schools.   This event is reserved for parents of 2022-2023 Oak Park USD Discovery Kindergarten (DK) and traditional Kindergarten students.   Please make child care arrangements. For Q uestions Contact Dr. Jay Greenlinger, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at  JGreenlinger@opusd.org . CONTACT US? The Communications Coordinator, Ragini Aggarwal, acts as a trusted resource for schools, students, families, staff, and community members. If you want to share a story of interest or have a question or suggestion, we want to hear from you! Please contact Ragini at raggarwal@opusd.org . In case you missed the past Oak Park Weekly's, you can read them below or on this page on our website : Follow us on social media  @OakParkUSD         

    Saturday, Jan 22 2022

  • Applicants for OPUSD Board Member Vacancy

    Background:  On November 16, 2021, OPUSD Board Member Allen Rosen announced that he will be relocating from his residence out of Oak Park and will resign his seat on the OPUSD Board of Education. Mr. Rosen submitted his letter of resignation to the Superintendent of the Ventura County Office of Education effective January 19, 2022. On December 14, 2021, the Board voted to fill the vacancy by making a provisional appointment and selected Board President Drew Hazelton and Clerk of the Board Denise Helfstein to form a board subcommittee to work with the Superintendent’s office on the process of advertising and screening candidates who are interested in serving on the Board. On December 17, 2021, OPUSD posted the vacancy notice and application packet and advertised it in the Acorn newspaper, on OPUSD social media outlets, and Nextdoor. The written application process to fill Mr. Rosen’s vacancy closed on January 18, 2022 at 4:00 pm.   Board Vacancy Applicants: The four people identified below submitted applications for the Board vacancy. Per Education Code 35107, to be eligible for appointment, applicants had to certify that they are: 18 years of age or older. A citizen of the state of CA. A resident of Oak Park. A registered voter. Are not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state to hold a civil office. All four applicants met the above requirements, and all will move to the interview portion of the provisional appointment process. Carmen Rosenberg, Registered Nurse VCOE, 25-year resident, OPHS parent Deet Ezra (Yehudit Zucker), Interior Designer, Licensed GC/Electrical Contractor, 4.5-year resident, OHES parent  Nicholas Johnson, Planning and Development Consultant, 26-year resident, MCMS & OPHS parent Soyon Hardy, Attorney, 9-year resident, MCMS parent Selection:   The OPUSD Board will interview all four applicants during an open meeting at Oak Park High School, Presentation Room G9, 899 Kanan Road, Oak Park, California, on Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in a round-robin style process. The board will vote to select the provisional appointee at this meeting, and the new appointee will be sworn-in if selected. The public can attend this meeting in person or view it online at  www.opusd.org/livestream . Petition: The District will post a notice of the provisional appointment and publish it in the Acorn newspaper. Within 30 days of the appointment, registered voters may file a petition for a special election with the County Superintendent of Schools in the manner specified in Education Code section 5091, subdivision (c). If you have any questions, please contact me or Ragini Aggarwal, Communications Coordinator and Executive Assistant to the Superintendent/Board at raggarwal@opusd.org . Drew Hazelton President, Board of Education, Oak Park Unified School District DHazelton@opusd.org

    Friday, Jan 21 2022

  • Free Test Kits Available Through the Federal Governm...

    Dear Staff and Families, As part of its ongoing efforts to expand access to free testing, the federal government has implemented two ways in which families/individuals can get free rapid antigen home tests for COVID-19. We are sharing this information with our staff and families so that you can order free home tests for yourself and your family. Here's how you can get free, or reimbursed, COVID-19 tests in-person or sent straight to your door. TEST KITS INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT - EFFECTIVE JANUARY 15, 2022 According to a new federal law, private insurers are now required to cover the cost of up to eight at-home rapid tests per month per insured person . People have the option of buying tests at a store or online, then seeking reimbursement from their health insurance provider. Those with public health insurance through Medicare or without insurance will be directed to covidtests.gov to order tests or to community health centers in their area offering free testing. Insurers are not expected to reimburse the cost of prior purchased tests. If you have any questions, please contact your insurance carrier for clarifications. Where can I buy at-home COVID-19 tests? At-home rapid COVID-19 tests are usually available at pharmacies like Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS, as well as via online retailers like Amazon. The White House allows insurers to establish a roster of in-network pharmacies and cap coverage of kits bought at out-of-network retailers. Check with your insurance company to see which stores are in your network. How do I get reimbursed?  If you purchase an over-the-counter COVID-19 test from a pharmacy, store, or online retailer and are charged for your test, keep your receipt and submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement. If your plan has not set up a network of preferred stores, pharmacies, and online retailers at which you can obtain a test with no out-of-pocket expense, you will be reimbursed the amount of the cost of the test. For example, if you buy a two-pack of tests for $34, the plan or insurer would reimburse $34. If your plan has set up a network of preferred stores, pharmacies, and online retailers at which you can obtain a test with no out-of-pocket expense, you can still get tests from other retailers if you buy them outside of that network. Your plan is required to reimburse you at a rate of up to $12 per individual test (or the cost of the test, if less than $12). Save your receipt(s) to submit to your plan for reimbursement at a rate of at least $12 per individual test (or the cost of the test, if less than $12). FREE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TESTING KITS - EFFECTIVE JANUARY 19, 2022 Because of expected high demand, each household can only have four tests shipped to their residence. People can sign up at covidtests.gov . The website to order free home COVID tests launches Wednesday, January 19, 2022, but the site went live in a "beta phase" this morning, allowing people to start ordering. The White House expects tests to ship within 7-12 days of ordering through the U.S. Postal Service. The following website: https://special.usps.com/testkits is currently open and accepting requests for free home COVID tests. Once on the website, click "order free at-home tests," which will take you to a  U.S. Postal Service website where they can place an order. The only information needed to place an order is your name and address. If desired, you can add an email address to get updates on the order. Please see these Frequently Asked Questions released by the Federal Government for more information.   ADDITIONAL TESTING SITES IN VENTURA AND LA COUNTY   Ventura County - More information here  LA County - More information here   Testing is critically important to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and quickly diagnose COVID-19 to limit the spread on our campuses. OPUSD offers on-site PCR testin g for staff and students at our sites. The state had provided limited free home tests to be distributed through the school districts. These were distributed to families via our drive-through test-kit distribution on January 7th and 10th. We are encouraging all our staff and families to please take this opportunity to get your free Rapid antigen tests through the federal program.     

    Wednesday, Jan 19 2022

  • Revised Contact Tracing and Notification Protocols

    Dear Families, This past week has been quite a unique and challenging return to school for our students, families, and staff as we navigate the current COVID-19 surge that our community has experienced since late December.  Just as communities across our county, state, and country are seeing a significant increase in the number of COVID cases as a result of the contagious nature of the Omicron variant, so too are we experiencing a sharp rise in the positive case rates among OPUSD students and staff. Through our free on-site testing before schools reopened, we conducted 2,209 tests from January 3 to 7, which resulted in 370 positive cases at a positivity rate of 16.7%.  We also distributed over 3,200 free antigen home test kits on January 7 and 10, from which 98 students reported positive test results. As you can see, due to our increased testing protocols, we were able to prevent 468 positive cases from potentially reaching our campuses upon return from winter break.   Since this past Monday, January 10, we have received reports of 71 positive cases of students who were on campus. As you can imagine, school districts across the state are experiencing difficulties in conducting contact tracing to very high numbers of individuals.  For this reason, among others, this past Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) revised the guidelines related to contact tracing, isolation, and quarantining in K-12 schools.  These guidelines are designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep students and staff safe while considering the limited capacity of school districts to manage the number of cases. Noting “the shorter incubation period and increased transmissibility of variants” in California, the CDPH has stated that an alternative approach known as the “ Group-Tracing Approach to Students Exposed to COVID-19 in a K-12 setting ” may be warranted. Below we have summarized updated protocols and changes to our notification process as a result of the revised guidance from Public Health. We also have provided links to additional information for those who seek further details. Please keep in mind that guidance from state and local agencies remains very fluid and is subject to change in response to public health conditions. We will keep you informed as we receive new information or if our protocols are revised.   NOTIFICATION PROCESS FOR IN-SCHOOL EXPOSURE Schools will notify the parents of students who spent more than a cumulative total of 15 minutes (within a 24-hour time period) in shared indoor airspace (e.g., classroom) with someone with COVID-19 during their period of infectiousness. Notification will occur to "groups" of exposed students (e.g., classmates, teammates, cohorts, Club Oak Park Cohorts etc.).  This “group tracing” approach is a departure from the previous practice of identifying individual school-based close contacts.   These “group notifications” will be provided to all individuals considered exposed, including those who are vaccinated and/or recently infected.  At middle and high school we are notifying each of the classes where the student who tested positive was last on campus. Some classes may receive multiple notifications of different exposure dates in one day. Notifications will include specific details for possibly exposed students about recommended testing and other pertinent information. It is recommended that potentially exposed students, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status or prior infection, get tested for COVID-19 with at least one diagnostic test obtained within 1-2 days after the last exposure. Subsequent testing is also recommended on day 5 after exposure.   If exposed to COVID, your child may remain in school unless they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.  If your child develops symptoms please have them stay home and get tested right away.  Being potentially exposed to somebody with COVID-19 does not necessarily mean that your child will become infected. The multi-layered approach to COVID-19 mitigation has effectively curbed in-school transmission to date. These other layers – such as receiving COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, wearing high-quality well-fitting masks, staying home and testing if symptomatic, and improving indoor air quality – remain crucial to school-based mitigation efforts. PROTOCOL FOR EXPOSURE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL Unvaccinated Student: (Quarantine) The student is required to stay home in standard quarantine. The quarantine can end after day 5 following last exposure if they remain asymptomatic and test negative on or after day 5. Continue to monitor symptoms for 14 days.   If living in the same household as a person who tested positive, the unvaccinated student must quarantine for an additional 5 days beyond the clearance date of the positive individual.  For example, if the person who tested positive quarantines for 5 days and is cleared as a result of no symptoms and negative antigen test on day #6, the exposed student must continue to quarantine for 5 days longer. (Note: in most cases, these will be a total of 10 quarantine days). Students and staff in household quarantine must provide a negative test before returning to school or work if they choose the shortened additional 5-day quarantine. A refusal to test would mean they would be out 10 days from the household contact’s clearance day.   Vaccinated Student (No Quarantine) The student may attend school if they are asymptomatic and the positive case is isolated away.  Testing is recommended as soon as possible to determine infection status and test again 5 days after the exposure.  Please submit your student’s Covid-19 vaccination records to Covid@opusd.org . The vaccinated student may continue to attend school if they are not being re-exposed to the positive individual (for example, a household member who is not isolating separately). Reminder: all positive cases should isolate.  SCHOOL-WIDE NOTIFICATIONS/DASHBOARD  Only the parents of students in an exposed group (i.e. classroom) will receive a targeted notification. School principals will no longer send school-wide notifications with each new positive case.   In order to keep families updated with the latest numbers, we share information about positive cases on an ongoing basis via our COVID-19 Dashboard , which is updated every evening.  Here you will find information about daily cases by school and grade level. UPDATED FAQS Based on revised guidance from CDPH and VCPH we have updated our FAQs and they are available on our COVID Resources Website and linked HERE . COVID-19 TESTING We encourage the continued use of frequent testing protocols to help keep our campuses a safe place to learn.   OPUSD offers free daily on-site PCR testing at our school sites. Individuals previously infected with Covid-19 within the past 90 days are encouraged to use Antigen tests because a PCR test may remain persistently positive and may not be indicative of a new, active infection.  OPUSD has provided each student with a take-home test kit. If you have not already used both tests we encourage you to test your student on Monday, January 17, 2022, prior to returning to school on Tuesday.  Home tests are acceptable tests in all cases, however, we encourage the use of antigen or PCR test, if available, for confirmation of a positive at-home test. COVID-19 REPORTING TOOL Please continue to report any positive home test or positive test from an outside lab to our Covid Response Team through our   Covid Reporting Tool . The team has access to the results processed through Color Labs, you do not need to complete the reporting form for those positive cases. Remember, the best way to keep our community healthy is to stay home if sick with symptoms that are different from your norm. VACCINE CLINICS OPUSD will continue to host vaccine clinics as available: *Pfizer-BioNTeach boosters are now available for ages 12-15 years and can be given if the student has had their initial vaccination series at least five months prior. We have an upcoming pediatric vaccine clinic on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, at Oak Park Unified School District from 8:00 pm - 5:00 pm. By appointment only. More information forthcoming this weekend.  California school districts are not permitted to pivot to Distance Learning at this time as districts have done in previous years. Only the local public health agency has the authority to deem a COVID outbreak at a school or district and provide direction for school closure as a result. The available option is the long-term Independent Study Program. Parents interested in this option can speak with their school principal. We are committed to maximizing all of our support resources to assist us all in navigating this current situation. We truly appreciate your continued understanding, support, and patience. We also appreciate how diligently our OPUSD administration, staff, and families have prioritized health and safety. We truly appreciate your continued understanding, support, and patience. Oak Park USD COVID Safety Team  

    Saturday, Jan 15 2022

  • IMPORTANT RETURN TO SCHOOL COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS...

    Hello OPUSD Staff, Students, and Families, Thank you for your continued support as we move forward toward our first day back to school in 2022. The recent high demands on all testing labs (including COLOR lab used by OPUSD) has caused a significant backlog of tests to analyze and has extended the notification time to get results. Additionally, with the distribution of free antigen tests and knowing the current positivity rate of approximately 20% in the community and beyond, we anticipate a significant number of positive cases. Just last week we conducted 2209 on-site PCR tests, as of the posting of this message we are still awaiting the majority of the results from 1/7/2022. HOME TEST KIT DISTRIBUTION  We will be distributing free at-home rapid antigen test kits on Monday for students who are in secondary schools as well as kits for any elementary students who were unable to pick them up on Friday. At our drive-thru distribution on Friday, we distributed approximately 1335 test kits.   REMINDER : OPUSD is encouraging all families of elementary students to use one test on Sunday evening , January 9th, and secondary students to use one test on Monday evening, January 10th , before returning to school this week. This will help us identify positive cases before students return to campus. If your student receives a positive COVID test through the home-antigen tests or via external testing please let us know right away, by submitting this COVID Reporting Form and following the protocols for isolation and quarantine provided in the message below. WHERE : Oak Park High School, 899 Kanan Road WHEN : Monday, January 10, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Secondary Students or any elementary students who were unable to pick up on Friday) Drive-Through Directions (please follow carefully) :  Enter from the back of the OPHS campus off of Calle Rio Vista (cross street Oak Hills Drive) and drive up the hill beside the baseball field and football stadium. Follow the cones to the test pick-up zone by the Pavilion. You do not need to exit your vehicle. Please write your last name and the number of students you have in large dark letters on a piece of paper and place it near the driver’s side window or dashboard so it is visible clearly.  When you pull up to the test distribution tables, open the back window of your vehicle, and we will put your test kits in your car.  If your student receives a positive COVID test through the home-antigen tests or via external testing please let us know right away, by submitting this COVID Reporting Form . For more details please read this message which was sent on Thursday, January 6, 2022. IF YOUR STUDENT IS SICK OR HAS ANY SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESS   Please remember to use our home health screening checklist prior to coming to school. If your student feels unwell (especially headache, sore or scratchy throat, nausea, and/or fever), KEEP THEM HOME until they are cleared to return to school. If your student is suspected to have COVID-19, please keep them home and have them tested, and inform our COVID Safety Team at COVID@opusd.org If your student receives a positive COVID test through the home-antigen tests or via external testing please let us know right away, by submitting this COVID Reporting Form .  Test results that are received from COLOR labs do not need to be reported on the form. NO OPTION FOR DISTANCE OR HYBRID LEARNING FROM STATE As of June 30, 2021 school districts may no longer offer remote or virtual learning in lieu of in-person instruction. Students learn best when they are amongst their peers and have access to school resources. Our District is working with the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) and Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) to implement the latest California Department of Public Health school guidance and are practicing the best risk mitigation strategies. UPDATED ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS As you may have heard, there are a number of changes to isolation, quarantine, and masking guidance from the CDC. The VCPH updated the guidance on Friday, January 7, 2022. Our COVID Safety Team has been reviewing these protocols and would like to share our revised Isolation and Quarantine COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Please expect further updates as this is a fluid situation, but we wanted to provide you with key information as your students return to school. As more results become available from last week's testing and as you complete your family's home test kits, we are providing these FAQs to assist with a safe return to school for all at OPUSD: 1. My student has received a Positive Test Result, What should I do?   If your student has received a Positive covid test result they will need to stay home and isolate for 5 days from the date of the positive test  (the date of the positive test is considered day 0).  Example: If the positive test is taken on a Sunday, isolation day #1 would be Monday and isolation would be complete at the end of the day on Friday. Isolation can end after day 5 if your student is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, and other symptoms have improved.  Your student will also need to provide a negative test on or after Day 5 (antigen) to return to school. You may use the at-home antigen test provided to you from OPUSD.  Please submit your student’s follow-up results to covid@opusd.org .  Continued use of a well-fitting mask (N-95 is suggested) will be required for the next 5 days.  While in isolation, it is strongly recommended to stay in a separate room, use a separate bathroom, and avoid contact with other members of the household and pets. If your student is unable to test or is choosing not to test, then they will need to stay home and isolate for 10 days. Please notify your school site so they can arrange for a short-term independent study. A follow-up negative result will not be required to return to school. Please continue to keep your student home if a fever is still present or if symptoms are not resolving.  2. My student was exposed to a positive case OFF CAMPUS and my student is:  Unvaccinated OR vaccinated and booster-eligible , but has not yet received their booster dose: (Quarantine) The student is required to stay home in standard quarantine. The quarantine can end after day 7 following last exposure if they remain asymptomatic and test negative on or after day 5. Continue to monitor symptoms for 14 days.   Vaccinated and boosted or vaccinated and not yet booster eligible (No Quarantine) The student may attend school if they are asymptomatic and the positive case is isolated away. Testing is recommended as soon as possible to determine infection status and again 5 days after being exposed. If symptoms develop, test and stay home. NOTE :  Students who have a close contact exposure do not qualify for the new quarantine recommendations from CDPH as the CDPH school team has not yet provided updated guidance as it pertains to students who are exposed to COVID-19. We are expecting an update will be provided soon. Until then, students will follow current quarantine guidance as listed above for off-campus exposures. 3. My student has symptoms but no known exposure to a positive case of COVID-19, can they come to school? Any student with symptoms commonly or frequently found with COVID-19 that is a change from normal (e.g. allergies) MUST not return for in-person instruction until they have met the criteria to return to school:  No fever in the last 24 hours (without fever-reducing medications); and Improvement of symptoms; and A negative COVID-19 Antigen or PCR test OR note from a doctor confirming another underlying medical condition OR note from a doctor confirming another diagnosis at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset.  4. What should I do if my student received a Presumptive Positive test result from Color Labs (PCR test)?  Your student is required to test again with either a PCR or rapid antigen test and self-isolate until the result of the repeat test is known.  A presumptive test result provided by CDPH, Valencia lab branch indicates that your student had a marginal trace of the COVID-19 virus in their specimen. This may mean that your student is either very early in their COVID infection and the amount of virus is just beginning to rise, or your student is later in their COVID infection and the overall amount of virus is declining. It could also mean that your student is infected with COVID, but the sample that was taken for testing only captured a minimal amount of the virus when swabbing.  Please submit your student’s follow-up results to covid@opusd.org for clearance. 5.  What will happen if my student becomes exposed WHILE AT SCHOOL? If a close contact exposure (more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period within 0-6 feet) occurs with an unvaccinated student and both the positive case and the contact were wearing face coverings in an indoor or outdoor school setting, the close contact may continue to attend in-person instruction under Modified Quarantine (test to stay) if they met the following criteria: Are asymptomatic - Continue to wear a face-covering as required, AND Undergo at least twice weekly testing during the 10-day modified quarantine.  It is recommended to test as soon as a person is informed that they were in close contact with someone with COVID-19 and a subsequent test (can be an antigen or home test as well) should occur on or after Day 5 from the date of last exposure.  This modified quarantine is only for attending in-person classroom sessions. Students who are under this modified quarantine MAY NOT attend any extracurricular activities (e.g., school-related sports, conditioning, band practice). Attendance at Club Oak Park is allowed. Students may end modified quarantine after Day 7 if a test specimen (i.e.antigen, PCR, or over-the-counter test) is collected on or after Day 5 from the date of last exposure and tests negative and the student remains asymptomatic.                               6. My student was ill with Covid-19 over winter break and is still testing positive on the PCR tests. Do they have to isolate again?  PCR tests are the most sensitive tests in detecting Covid-19 and an individual may continue to test positive on these (or any) PCR test for up to 90-days after their initial infection even though they are recovered and no longer infectious.  Individuals who have a documented laboratory confirmed positive test result within 90 days from their test date and remain asymptomatic are exempt from testing and quarantining. Please provide OPUSD with the originally dated positive test results to covid@opusd.org .   7 . Are home tests accepted? We need a follow-up with an antigen or PCR Covid-19 test for confirmation after a positive result from a home test.  The use of Over-the-Counter tests is acceptable to end isolation or quarantine. Please write the students name and DOB on the test and send a picture of the test results to covid@opusd.org   * By reporting results of a home test for your student, you are declaring that the test specimen was obtained from the student represented on the test, on the date specified, and that the test was processed according to the instructions provided.            8. What are protocols for students who attend Club Oak Park?           Club Oak Park, our Extended Care program, functions under the umbrella of OPUSD.  As such, all of the above protocols apply also to attendance at Club Oak Park.  The simple rule of thumb is:   If a student is permitted to attend school, they are also permitted to attend Club Oak Park.  If a student is in quarantine or isolation at home, they are not permitted to attend Club Oak Park.  MASKING RECOMMENDATIONS It’s time to improve your masking game! During this time of higher transmission rates in our community, public health experts recommend wearing well-fitting, high-quality masks. Know which Masks Provide the Best Protection Against COVID-19: Most Effective More Effective Effective Least Effective N95 (also best for wildfire smoke) KF94 KN95 Double Mask Fitted Surgical Mask Surgical Mask (all schools have extra surgical masks for students and staff) Fabric mask with three or more cloth layers NOTE: NO VALVED MASKS OR GAITERS ARE PERMITTED.   No matter what kind of mask you wear, check the fit and eliminate gaps above the nose or on the sides. Gaps will significantly reduce the effectiveness of any mask. Review  “Get the Most out of Masking” from the CDPH for more recommendations.   An effective mask has both a good fit and good filtration. A well-fitted mask has no gaps between the face and mask, such as above the nose or at the sides. With gaps, air that has virus particles can easily leak in or out around the sides of the mask.      IN CLOSING      At this time, information is changing rapidly and guidance is reviewed accordingly. As we navigate Omicron, we will be providing updated information as soon as possible. The OPUSD COVID Safety Team is supporting the smooth return to school of our students and staff, and they ask for patience at this time when asking individual questions over email. We encourage all members of our community to be proactive and to follow all Department of Public Health recommendations, including getting vaccinated (and boosted), upgrading the type of mask you use daily (N95, KN95, KF94, or surgical), and getting tested regularly. (PCR tests are still considered the most accurate type of test, but because of the length of time it takes to get a result, public health officials also recommend antigen tests to get almost-immediate results and prevent spreading the virus to others.) We are grateful for your support and consideration as we move forward in welcoming everyone back to campus this coming week. It will take all of us working together to keep our students, staff members, families, and community safe and healthy. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding of this change, and your continued partnership as we work together to implement our multiple layers of COVID-19 mitigation. Sincerely, Jeff Davis, Superintendent Brad Benioff, Director of Student Support and School Safety   

    Sunday, Jan 09 2022