Q: I’ve looked through this list of questions and can’t find an answer to my question. Who can I contact?
Email RiskResponse@gds.org and we’ll do our best to get back to you within about 3 business days. 

Q: Under which circumstances does GDS choose between distance and in-person instruction? 
Depending on where we are in our Decision Making Matrix, we might experience learning in any of our operating statuses, with families being able to opt-in or out of on-campus activities.

Q: Are visitors allowed on campus?
Until we are in Operating Status 3, the full GDS experience, we are not allowing non-essential visitors on campus while students are present.

Q: Has the Parent-Student Handbook been updated?
Yes, GDS distributed an addendum to our Parent-Student Handbook to families electronically before the start of the school year. It did not require new signatures; by attending school (whether in-person or distance), families agree to the updated policies indicated in the new addendum. Log into MyGDS to view the handbook and addendum on your child's division resource board.

Q: Are gatherings taking place?
Most of our gatherings are taking place virtually under we are in Operating Status 3, the full GDS experience.

Q. If my family is planning to travel, what is required for my child's return to school?
Please review information related to travel and required quarantines and/or testing.

Q: What is HyFlex?
HyFlex is in-person learning with streaming capabilities for students at home.

Q: How quickly can GDS pivot between distance learning and in-person/HyFlex?
If individual cohorts are required to move to GDS Virtual Campus for quarantine, distance learning will begin on the next school day and students will be able to return to HyFlex programming on the first day they are permitted to return. If the whole school moves to GDS Virtual Campus mode from a HyFlex mode, we will allow at most two school days to complete the transition.

Q: How are you making sure substitutes are trained in the various protocols and that they are healthy when they come in?
During in-person schooling, all members of the GDS community are asked to complete daily health screenings prior to arrival at school and each evening before bed, including potential substitutes. In addition, GDS is making all of its pre-service trainings a requirement for all staff, including substitutes.

Q: Are students using lockers?
Students do not have access to lockers or locker rooms until we enter operating status 3. This is in an effort to reduce crowding and ensure distancing in shared spaces.

Distance Learning Schooling Questions

Q: What did you do to plan for GDS’s Virtual Campus (i.e., distance learning)?
Our amazing teachers delivered a successful emergency distance learning experience in the spring of 2020. As we planned for an online GDS experience this year, we used the lessons learned from that experience and many more to inform our work. Schedules include a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Synchronous experiences focus on those activities that we do best socially—relationship-building, discussion, debate, providing real-time feedback to redirect misunderstandings, etc. Asynchronous learning allows for content acquisition, creative exploration, and independent practice and application of concepts and skills. We continue to schedule regular individual touchpoints between teachers and students across the school, as these sessions proved invaluable to supporting students in their learning and continued connection to the school. 

Our Teaching and Learning committee focused on how to build on and advance our distance learning programming as well as our HyFlex model. Our HS and MS faculty participated in the study of online and project-based learning at The Global Online Academy and PBL World, respectively. In order to further develop skills to engage and assess our youngest learners online, Lower School teachers attended Fountas & Pinnell workshops for literacy and reading and workshops with Shelly DuBose for mathematics, with a specific focus on teaching young children in these areas through a virtual platform. 

Q: How are you ensuring that in-person and distance-learning activities are complementary and building on each other?
Knowing to expect the reality of pivoting between different approaches to instruction, GDS teachers have planned for that possibility and will ensure a smooth continuity of learning. In their planning this year, teachers are being mindful of what's essential to student learning versus “worth being familiar with” in order to make sure that the essential through lines in student learning are maintained no matter where students are.

Q: Will classes take place outside? Will GDS create outdoor classroom spaces?
GDS has reviewed which outdoor spaces may be used as learning spaces. When we invited small groups on campus for relationship-first activities in September and October, we used our fields, playground, LMS terrace, and our LMS garage for all outdoor programming. The most useful outdoor spaces in this environment can be used regardless of the weather and can accommodate distancing within our cohorts. As an urban school, we’re not blessed with land, so when we’re in a HyFlex model, we’re also looking at options like keeping windows open in the HS, whether we can retrofit screens to doors in the new LMS, and ensuring that we have efficient ventilation and HVAC systems in place.

HyFlex Instruction Questions

Q: What safety considerations are being given around performing arts for in-person learning during COVID-19?
Our performing and visual arts committees are looking at a number of studies around singing, drama, and instruments and the aerosols they produce. Our Leadership Team is weighing these considerations and studies with the public health and OSSE (Office of State Superintendent of Education) guidance around performing arts classes. There are currently no final decisions for in-person performing arts. Our schedule, access to outdoor space, and the need to cohort students will determine the degree to which the instrumental courses can happen live versus virtually. 

Q. What is being done about field trips?
We are sorry to say that all overnight and indoor field trips are cancelled for the time being. Select outdoor field trips may run.

General Questions

Q: Which guidance is GDS following?
GDS is primarily following the guidance and recommendations of the DC Department of Health and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). These guidelines are heavily tied to those from the CDC, tend to be more conservative and detailed, and are mandated only for public and public charter schools. In addition, should Mayor Bowser issue any decisions about schools, we will follow her guidance as it applies. Our regional associations, AIMS and AISGW, as well as national associations, NAIS and NBOA, have all issued guidance on a number of fronts as well. Lastly, over the summer, a GDS Parent Public Health Panel provided input to support our decision-making process.

Please see the Office of the State Superintendent of Education's Return to School Criteria.

Q: Does the DC Government need to approve or accept the GDS reopening plan?
No, as a private school, the DC government does not have to approve the reopening plan. We do, however, have to follow any District mandates that explicitly apply to independent schools.

Q: Did you have public health professionals look at your reopening plan?
Yes, we are grateful to the 19 public health experts (who also happened to be GDS parents) who served on our Parent Public Health Panel, which made recommendations for the health and safety of our entire community. They come from a variety of backgrounds and include pediatricians, epidemiologists, and members of the public health community.

Screening

Q: What does health screening look like at GDS this year?
Any GDS community member who is coming to campus or riding on a GDS bus must submit the MyMedBot health screening questionnaire the night before and morning of their time on campus. We are administering on-site screening for contractors and anyone who doesn’t screen at home.

Q: Does an entire family have to stay home if our GDS student gets a headache, has a loose stool, or shows any of the other symptoms of COVID-19? What’s the policy? ^{Added 9/14/2020}
Yes, for the safety of our community, all students and faculty/staff employed at GDS should stay home if a family member is ill until COVID-19 is ruled out. One of the concerns with COVID-19 is that the symptoms mirror those of other illnesses, and we don't want to take any chances. If you have a positive screening on the MyMedBot app, either at night or in the morning, a member of GDS's health care team will call you to follow up. We will also ask you to contact your health care provider. Depending on the symptom(s) and other factors, testing may be appropriate or you may be advised to see your health care provider to rule out alternative causes.

Q: If someone is sent home sick or because they failed the screening, where will they wait? What will this process look like?
GDS has set aside an isolation room in each building for community members who may develop symptoms during the school day. For regular school attendees, screening is done at home, and should a community member fail the screening, they may not come to school and should follow up with both their doctor and the divisional nurse for next steps. Any essential visitors who fail the screening are asked to leave the premises immediately, and any individuals in contact with those visitors will be subject to further screening.

Q: How will people who report symptoms of COVID-19 be directed to report and manage? 
Per OSSE and DOH guidance, should a student or staff member fail a screening or begin to show signs of COVID-19, they will be expected to contact their personal physician for guidance and evaluation upon returning home (or before coming to school). Our health staff will follow-up within 24 hours to get an update. In order to return to school, the student must be cleared by their appropriate medical provider and meet all return to school requirements (specified by DOH and shared forward from the nurses). 

Should an individual receive a positive test result, ​the physician or DOH will notify the individual of the instructions around self-isolation, return to school parameters, etc. GDS’s COVID-19 "point of contact" will follow up with the student to answer questions about self-isolation and return to school guidance. At that point, the DC Department of Health will also provide guidance around contact tracing and further community quarantines.

Q. Who do I contact with questions about MyMedBot?
Please reach out to Erica DeMille with logistical questions about the MyMedBot app. For questions about your health status related to MyMedBot, please contact your division's school nurse.

Illness & Testing

What happens if a student has symptoms on campus? ^{Added 9/15/2020}
A student who shows signs or complains of symptoms while at school will be evaluated by an on-site health care professional. If it is determined that the student needs to go home, the student will wait in a safe place and a parent must pick up their child within one hour of being called. The parent will be given instructions for next steps, which may include seeing the child's health care provider.

What happens if a GDS student has COVID-19? ^{Added 9/15/2020}
If a GDS student tests positive, they will not be allowed on campus until cleared. We will work with the DC Department of Health to determine which other students/staff need to be quarantined based on their level of contact with the student. 

What happens if a student's family member has COVID-19? ^{Added 9/15/2020}
If a student's family member tests positive or is presumptive positive, the student must remain home. If the student can be completely separated from the family member, they will be quarantined for 14 days. If they can't remain completely separated, they will be quarantined for 14 days from when the family member is cleared. Read the DC Department of Health's guidance for close contacts of a person confirmed to have COVID-19.

Q. Why do I have to quarantine for 10–14 days after exposure even if I have a negative COVID-19 test?
There is an incubation period for the virus, and an infected person can test negative during the incubation period as viral levels are increasing. Your quarantine time period is determined by the Department of Health. Read the DC Department of Health's guidance for close contacts of a person confirmed to have COVID-19.

Q: If someone refuses to get a COVID-19 test, what are the protocols and how long does someone need to stay home?
Any community member showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 must not return to school until

• they completed the appropriate isolation period: 72 hours after the fever has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medication (e.g., Motrin, Tylenol) and respiratory symptoms have improved; AND at least ten days after symptoms first appeared, whichever is later; OR
• they have a negative COVID-19 test, and meet standard criteria to return to school after an illness; OR
• they have been cleared to return per their healthcare provider or DC Health instructions.

Individuals refusing to get tested or get cleared by a physician will be expected to wait out the isolation period before returning to school.

Routine COVID testing is a requirement for participation in in-person activities. Check out our testing information to learn more.

Q:  What are the symptoms that would mean a student or teacher has to stay home?
Please reference the most up-to-date list of COVID-19 symptoms on the CDC website. GDS requires students with temperatures of 100.0ºF or higher to remain at home.

Q: How will the community be notified if someone goes home with COVID-like symptoms but without a positive test result?
Because many of the symptoms of COVID-19 are also associated with the common cold, allergies, influenza, food poisoning, and other illnesses, GDS will follow its normal communications protocols and alert families when there is a confirmed communicable illness on campus. In the meantime, all individuals should constantly monitor for signs of illness and stay home if unwell.

Q. What is your notification policy of COVID-19 on campus? ^{Added 9/15/2020}
We have a communicable disease notification policy that we follow, in conjunction with guidance from DC DOH, around notifying families in the case of a positive COVID-19 test and will work closely with the DC DOH for contact tracing.

Q: What will contact tracing look like on campus?
Contact tracing will largely be dictated by the DC Department of Health. (Read more.) As much as possible, an individual’s identity will remain confidential according to general health practice. GDS and the Department of Health will collaborate to contact anyone who might have been exposed during the 48 hours preceding symptom onset. This means that teachers, cohorts, and possibly pods will be asked to remain home as recommended by DC DOH and likely up to 14 days. During this time, students will continue to engage in classes either through HyFlex instruction or GDS’s Virtual Campus.

Q: Do you require testing when we are participating in in-person schooling?
Yes, we have a testing program for those who are on campus. Additionally, we request that anyone showing symptoms or in quarantine get tested at a non-GDS testing site. We require, as part of our screening process, that anyone who has been in close contact with someone who is awaiting COVID-19 test results or who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home.

Community Commitments & Personal Responsibility

Q: When we are in-person, how seriously will the school take mask wearing, distancing, cleanliness, hygiene measures, and staying home when sick?
As part of our community commitments, some of these elements are non-negotiable, and some, we realize, may take time to get used to. Because these distancing and hygiene procedures are essential to the health and well-being of our community, when we are in-person, we will teach, enforce, and reinforce mask wearing, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance, hand washing and sanitizing regularly, as well as refraining from sharing toys and program supplies. We know that enforcement and reinforcement will look different at different age levels, and we will adjust responses accordingly. We require individuals to stay home when sick. Our cleaning company, MCS, also takes cleanliness very seriously and we have hired additional staff to ensure that high-touch surfaces are cleaned frequently throughout the day.

Q: Are we going to have to sign waivers?
No. The new Parent-Student Handbook addendum does not require new signatures, but by attending school (whether in-person or distance), families agree to the updated policies indicated in the addendum. Additionally, we are asking all community members to adhere to our community commitments.

Q: If we are planning on opting out of in-person programming and want to spend several months out of state, does that violate the travel policy? ^{Added 9/8/2020}
A: The travel policy is intended to reduce unnecessary travel by families who might be participating in in-person programming. This policy is in place because we are trying to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 in our community so that we can more easily return to in-person programming and stay open. If your child is not participating in on-campus programming, traveling does not contradict our policy, provided that there is an understanding that we will ask you to quarantine per the latest DC guidance upon return and before participating in on-campus programming.

Masks & Safety Equipment

Q: Are masks required all day? ^{Updated 10/22/2020}
When on campus, students and staff are required to correctly wear face coverings throughout the school day. Masks may be removed when eating or drinking, and when taking sedentary, physically distanced mask breaks outside. Adults may remove masks when they are alone in a space with the door closed; as soon as they leave the space or another person enters the room, masks go back on. Adults who are unable to wear face coverings are not permitted on campus. Community members are asked to bring their own face coverings (at least two per day), which should be cleaned between uses. If you are unable to provide your own cloth face coverings, please contact RiskResponse@gds.org.

Q: Will there be anyone at the school (guests, etc.) exempted from the rules?
For the safety of the community, everyone over the age of two entering the GDS campus is expected to wear a mask unless they are eating, drinking or taking an approved mask break outdoors and distanced from others.

Q: How are you making sure my child is properly wearing his/her mask?
We know that masks are one of our most effective tools against the spread of the virus, along with distancing and hand washing and hygiene practices. Our teachers and nurses are working with students in age-appropriate ways to ensure safe use of masks, including how to take them off and put them on properly and to make sure they fit appropriately.

Q: Are the youngest children required to wear masks? How do you get young children to follow distancing protocols and mask wearing?
Yes. Teachers are working with students in age-appropriate ways to ensure safety.

Q: For in-person schooling, do students get mask breaks and what do they look like?
Given the overwhelming research around the benefits of mask wearing indoors and out, and the recommendations for both schools and within the District, GDS is not allowing mask breaks for students except while eating or drinking.

Q: How many masks are needed per day or week?
For in-person schooling, we recommend that students have two clean masks per day plus one extra in their backpack or cubby should one get dirty or wet. We encourage students to switch masks after lunch.

Quarantining

Q. Does an individual who has previously had COVID-19 need to quarantine upon subsequent travel or close contact with an individual with COVID-19?
Provided that they do not currently have any symptoms of COVID-19, an individual who has had COVID-19 within the last 90 days and has completed their isolation period does not need to quarantine after close contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19 or after travel to a high-risk state, country, or territory. Any individual with symptoms of COVID-19 must follow the existing OSSE and DC Health Guidance.

Q: What does GDS consider a high-touch surface and how often are they cleaned?
We have increased daily maintenance of both buildings, which includes routine and multiple-times-daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces and high-traffic areas. Classrooms are equipped with cleaning supplies and gloves for teachers to wipe-down surfaces as required and teachers are trained in appropriate cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection protocols for classroom supplies.

Q: What cleaning protocols are in place generally?
Our goal is hourly disinfecting of high-touch surfaces in common areas during the day. The evening shift again disinfects all high-touch surfaces in common areas as well as thoroughly cleans and disinfects the entire facility including desks, chairs, and classroom spaces. For everyone’s health and to avoid having students and staff interacting with cleaning chemicals, our cleaning company MCS does not enter classrooms during the daytime. Evening cleaning includes the use of electrostatic sprayers.

Each classroom is assigned a comprehensive cleaning matrix. Cleaning and disinfecting protocols are different for each different type of furniture, depending on what type of finish each has, as disinfectant can cause damage on certain types of furniture and in some cases cannot be used at all without harming the finish with repeated disinfecting.

Teaching and non-teaching staff are provided with microfiber wipes that they can use in their spaces throughout the day to clean their own desks, keyboards, mouse, and telephones. Each classroom also has disinfecting wipes available, as well as sponges/microfiber, a small pail, and either Dawn or Joy soap as the CDC is encouraging the use of soap and water in cases where disinfectant is not available. Disinfectant is not safe for students or teachers to use unless they have been trained or have proper PPE.

Q: Are desks facing in the same direction?
Yes, whenever possible, desks are turned to face the front of the classroom. In some cases, students may sit at tables with partitions between themselves and anyone else at the table, with a minimum of 6 feet between students.

Q: How much space is allocated to each student and teacher?
We’ve planned for a minimum of 7 feet of distance between each student’s desk and the next. In many cases, because we are also limiting the number of people in each room, more than 7 feet is possible. (We reference 6 feet throughout our planning to allow for literal wiggle room.)

Q: What distancing protocols are in place generally?
GDS strives for physical distancing. Students and staff may occasionally move into each other's spaces, and we remind them to remain apart.

Q: Do all classrooms have sinks or sanitizer? Have extra sinks been added to the school?
All classrooms have either sinks or hand sanitizer. We have added extra hand-washing stations where necessary in both buildings and in outdoor spaces to facilitate regular handwashing.

Q: How often do students and staff wash their hands? What are the protocols around when students wash or use sanitizer?
Students and staff wash hands or use hand sanitizer at least every 90 minutes. This includes before and after moving into new spaces or activities, before and after eating, after bathroom use, before and after time on the playground, and whenever else necessary. Teachers regularly reinforce best practices for handwashing. In addition, hand sanitizer stations are placed throughout the building and outside.

Q: What has been done about ventilation? What sort of air filtration systems are in place?
Our new LMS building comes equipped with a MERV-13 filter and our HS building has been updated from MERV-10 to MERV-13. We also added HEPA Filtration Devices in all classrooms and shared office spaces. Our maintenance teams conducted a ventilation audit of both buildings.

Q: How do you manage distancing and crowding in large spaces, including hallways?
In an effort to reduce mixing of students, some hallways and staircases have become one-way and different groups of students are assigned different entry and exit doorways. There is signage throughout the buildings to indicate everything from where to stand to which direction to walk in the hallways, as well as reminders to wear a mask and directions on how to wash hands and practice respiratory hygiene.

Larger gathering places are either closed to personal student use or have been repurposed as needed, following both physical distancing and maximum capacity guidelines.

Arrival, Dismissal & Transport

Q: What should I know about arrival and pick-up?
Please see our current plan for on-campus logistics.

Q: Can I drop my child off alone?
Our traffic management responsibilities don’t cease due to the pandemic. However, recognizing the need for families to decide their own comfort with various modes of public transportation and carpooling with others, GDS has relaxed the carpooling requirement until we return to a full, on-campus school experience. We still recommend and request that families use environmentally sustainable modes of transit, following health and safety measures, whenever possible. 

Q: How are bus options affected for getting to and from school?
GDS is running limited bus service. Bus ridership is capped at 12 students sitting in alternating rows and students must complete screening prior to boarding. Students are required to sanitize hands prior to loading and to wear cloth face coverings on the bus. Families requiring bus transportation in order to attend GDS receive registration prioritization and should contact ImproveMyCommute@gds.org. 

Q: Do you allow staff or students to take public transit? What safety precautions do you recommend for people taking public transit?
We recognize that some in our community continue to rely on public transit to get to and from school. GDS continues to facilitate student and staff transit cards while also providing additional guidance about how to ride transit most safely. With questions, please email ImproveMyCommute@gds.org.

Q: What is the schools' stance on carpooling?
For many families at GDS, carpooling is a great way to allow children to be around each other, share the responsibility of getting to and from school, and reduce the number of cars on the road. Many families carpool to school, and we have some recommendations for how you can do so safely:

• Complete the daily MyMedBot screening before entering the carpool.
• Print a placard with all carpool participants' names so we know which students are in the car.
• All occupants of the vehicle should wear masks throughout the trip.
• Keep windows open when possible.
• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer before entering and after exiting the vehicle.
• Use disinfectant to clean and sanitize frequently touched surfaces (door handles, seat belts, buckles)

Extended Day

Q: What extended day and after-care options are offered for families? How do you maintain cohorts in an extended day format?
GDS 360 programming is taking several forms during the 2020-21 school year. All enrichment classes (chess, financial literacy, debate, dance, etc.) are taking place in a virtual format throughout the year. In addition, families requiring childcare for their students after-school on HyFlex days will be able to register for clubhouse or homework center programming. To meet public health guidelines and recommendations, registration is only provided to students needing programming on all days they are on campus. We are unable to accommodate drop-ins or students who only wish to attend a few days a week. Students are grouped by grade and seated at least 6 feet apart from other students in their daytime cohorts, and may be grouped with other cohorts, with at least 10 feet of distance between students of different cohorts. GDS 360 cohorts will be limited to 12 students per grade.  To register for GDS 360, please reach out to CampsAndClasses@gds.org.

Q: Do you host the Early Grasshopper program?
Yes, the early Grasshopper Program is taking place. With questions or to enroll, please reach out to Noah Hansen.

Financial

Q: Do we get a tuition discount when we move into distance learning?
Our biggest expense is salaries and our teachers are working just as hard if not harder teaching on our Virtual Campus.

We recognize that some costs (dining/transportation) may decrease for the months they are not used this year. We also anticipate that other costs (PPE/technology/air purification/cleaning products/health-screening app/added classroom supplies/added personnel/emergency financial aid) will increase.  

At this time we are not planning for a discount or rebate. Recognizing that this crisis may cause financial hardship for some families, our Board and school leadership are making additional funds available to support families to the extent that we can. 

Q: Are we looking at cost savings (e.g., no sports, travel) or cost increases (e.g., more cleaning, more teachers, more administration) from COVID-19 that is now expected to result in higher tuition in 2021–22?
GDS will experience some modest cost savings by deferring some activities like the food part of dining services and transportation with reduced travel. GDS will also incur unexpected cost increases related to operating in HyFlex or distance-learning modes. The largest increase is related to outfitting the classrooms with remote audio/visual equipment, increasing staffing appropriately, providing personalized supplies to each student (rather than shared classroom supplies) and purchasing requisite PPE.

Q: How will GDS’s ability to provide financial aid be impacted by COVID-19?
GDS is committed to holding our community together. Because GDS has received generous contributions to the One GDS Community Crisis Fund and will be fully enrolled in the fall, we are able to honor our financial aid commitments while also responding to families who are in need as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Spring 2021 Testing

Q: What happens when testing is scheduled to occur on a day when the campus is closed due to inclement weather?
Read more about our testing on snow days.

Q: Is testing only once a month now?
No. Testing is still weekly. Because 95% of our community is getting tested at the same time each week, we are allowing families to register for the whole month with one button push.

Q: What do I need to know about schedule changes?
With the Lower School move to full-day programming, we will work with teachers to reschedule homeroom test times. You will not need to do anything. We will automatically make the change.

At the High School, there are a few schedule shifts. Students will still get tested during the same free period or flex time on the day of the shift. These dates include:

Testing scheduled dates and new dates:
Tuesday, 2/9 (MLK Social Justice Teach In) → Wednesday, 2/10
Monday, 2/15 (President's Day) → Tuesday, 2/16
Tuesday, 2/16 → Wednesday, 2/17
Thursday, 3/18 → Wednesday, 3/17
Friday, 3/19 (Spring Break) → Thursday, 3/18
Thursday, 4/29 → Wednesday, 4/28
Friday, 4/30 (Community Day) → Thursday, 4/29

Q: If we get tested off-campus following travel, do we also need to get tested on campus?
No. You only need to get tested one time. Send your off-campus results to our school nurses. Learn more about travel guidelines.

Q: Do I need to sign up for make-up tests?
Not unless you need a make-up test.

Q: CIAN didn’t have my child’s form (or for staff, my form). Why not and what do I need to do? 
There are several possibilities: 

1. We send the list of registered individuals to CIAN on Tuesdays. If you selected a time or changed your test time after Tuesday, your name wasn’t included or may be in a different stack of test forms.
2. If you think you registered, double check your cart to make sure you went all the way through to the submit button.
3. It could be human error. Thanks for your patience.

The testers may ask that you/your child take a few more minutes to update the forms. This should not take long. For younger children, we can provide the information to CIAN on their behalf.

A Case in our Community

Q. What is considered by GDS to be "close contact"?
The CDC definition of "close contact" is anyone who spends a cumulative 15 minutes within six feet during a 24-hour period. In an abundance of caution, upon learning of a new case in our community, GDS recommends quarantine for the entire classroom group and will subsequently work with the DC Department of Health on contact tracing.

Q. Are you sending the whole class home?
For quarantine and contact tracing purposes, if a student or classroom teacher tests positive, GDS will send the entire homeroom, advisory, or room where a student stayed for a class home to quarantine. In the event that that student or staff member rides the GDS bus or participates in extended day programming, they too will be sent home. GDS will engage in additional contact tracing in partnership with the DC Department of Health and may send additional individuals home as well.

Q. If I was notified that my child is a close contact and must quarantine, do my other children also have to stay home?
No, they are not close contacts. They are welcome to come to school. If your child who is a close contact becomes symptomatic or tests positive, then your other children become close contacts of your symptomatic/positive child and must stay home.  

Q. Can I still bring my quarantined child to GDS for testing? 
No. We are set up to test only asymptomatic individuals who are not quarantining. Please consult your child's physician about testing. 

Q. Why does the person who tested positive have to quarantine for 10 days while my child has to quarantine for 14?
For individuals with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, the quarantine period is 10 days. This represents the “infectious period:” for someone with COVID-19, or the time during which an individual is contagious to others.

For individuals exposed to COVID-19, either through a close contact with COVID-19 OR travel to a high-risk area, the quarantine period is 10–14 days. This represents the “incubation time” for COVID-19, or the time by which individuals with an exposure to COVID-19 would be expected to develop symptoms if they had become infected.

In December, the CDC announced a 10-day quarantine recommendation for anyone exposed to COVID-19. The new recommendation is intended to minimize the risk of transmission while also minimizing the burden of quarantine. Recent DC Department of Health guidance allows for schools to continue to implement the more stringent 14-day quarantine requirement. Fourteen days of quarantine remains the most effective strategy for decreasing the transmission of COVID-19.

Testing at GDS

Q. Why did you switch to testing with CIAN Diagnostics?

• Minimal paperwork. Beginning in December, they provide our families with access to their patient portal to provide consent for testing online and to quickly provide individual results.
• Testing during the school day and throughout the week. CIAN sends several staff to work on campus at GDS during the school day to provide minimal interruption to families' schedules. Testing is incorporated into students’ weekly schedules.  
• No more deep nasopharyngeal tests. CIAN conducts pooled testing using anterior-nares nasal swabs. These swabs only enter the nose about 1 centimeter.
• More frequent testing. CIAN’s pooled testing model and lab capacity mean that we can test students and staff weekly during times when COVID-19 is prevalent in the DC metro region, thereby providing an extra layer of protection.

Q. What is pooled testing?
Individual tests are combined, or "pooled," to identify whether someone in the group tests positive. If there is a positive pooled test, CIAN Diagnostics does "reflex" testing to determine who in the pool tested positive.

Q. Who makes up the pools?

• Lower School: Homerooms (including teachers and teaching assistants)
• Middle School: Advisories (including adults most commonly in that advisory)
• High School: Students sharing a free period (with high schoolers without free periods being tested before or after school)
• High School Teachers: Teachers will be pooled with students who have the same free period.
• All other staff: Staff will select a common time for their COVID-19 tests or may be grouped into a pool based on their job function or location. 
• Contractors: Bus drivers, Meriwether Godsey dining personnel, and MCS cleaning personnel will be included in our weekly testing protocols.

Q. What is the purpose of testing?
We are doing testing to track whether there are cases of COVID-19 in the GDS community. Testing alone is not enough to keep the community safe; we must continue to mask, distance, wash hands, and adhere to the community commitments. We know that testing will reduce the possibility of cases of COVID-19 on campus, but it will not eliminate the possibility of cases. 

Q. What if my child tested positive for COVID-19 in the past?
We will ask your child to participate in our baseline testing and for you to provide confirmation to our nurses of your child’s past positive COVID-19 test. We will not require additional regular testing for 3 months from the original test unless your child is demonstrating symptoms. Please reach out to the school nurses with questions (Elizabeth McDermott, RN or Connie Crowley, RN).

Q. Should I send my child to get tested at GDS if they wake up not feeling well or with any of the symptoms of COVID-19?
No. Testing at GDS is intended to reduce the possibility of asymptomatic or presymptomatic infection. If your child has any of the symptoms of COVID-19, please keep them home and contact their regular physician. Sending a child to school with symptoms of COVID-19 is a violation of our community commitments and will result in removal from in-person programming and possible additional consequences up to separation from our school community.

Q. Who will accompany my child's homeroom to the testing site?
For LMS students, in most cases, your child’s homeroom teacher or teaching assistant will accompany your child to the testing location as they will also be part of the same testing pool. In some cases, a member of the Risk Response Team may accompany the students instead. HS students will move to their testing sites on their own.

Q. Can I accompany my young child to the testing?
In some cases, some of our younger students may not be comfortable getting tested with their peers. We will not force a child to get tested. If your child is not willing to get tested with their school cohort, there will be two times weekly for you to accompany your child for testing, and you will be asked to sign up. You may also opt to get your child tested outside of school (please see below).

Q. What sort of communication will I get after my child's COVID-19 test?
No news is good news! Families will immediately receive a call as soon as we are aware of a positive case. We also hope to launch CIAN’s COVID-19 app, which should also alert families when there is a result available. We anticipate getting results from testing within 24–48 hours after the tests are completed.

Q. What if I don’t want to get tested?
As part of our short-term plans, we are requiring anyone planning to return to in-person programming to participate in our testing plan. If you prefer not to have your child tested, they will remain in our virtual campus program.

Q. What if I don't want to get tested at school?
You may choose to have your child tested elsewhere, however, testing is a requirement for all students and staff participating in on-campus programming, and we require that the staff or student get tested at the same interval (within 1 day before or after) as their cohort. If test results are delayed in returning, please share confirmation that the test was conducted with our nurses to avoid delay in your child’s return to school.
GDS will not pay for off-campus testing.

Q. Who at GDS sees the results of the testing?
The only members of the school community who will receive the results are the school nurses. GDS is also required to alert the Department of Health whenever there is a positive test and to engage in contact tracing. As part of contact tracing, your family’s privacy will be protected and your child’s name will not be shared as being the child who tested positive. We also ask that families not make conjectures around who may have tested positive or not.

Q. Will we know if someone tests positive?
Yes. If the individual who tested positive is determined to have been on campus when they would have been contagious, there are several levels of communication:

• In the same cohort: Information about quarantine requirements and symptoms to watch for
• At school: Notification about which building the positive test came back in AND note in the ongoing school communications via a dashboard

Q. What happens if someone tests positive?
The parents of the child who tests positive or the employee who tests positive will receive guidance from the DC Department of Health and a recommendation to contact your primary care physician. We will be following OSSE’s return to school criteria following a positive test.

The cohort will be moved to GDS Virtual Campus and required to quarantine for 10–14 days. They will also receive guidance from the DC Department of Health.

Anyone who is determined to be a close contact of the individual who tests positive will be moved to GDS Virtual Campus and required to quarantine for 10–14 days. They will also receive guidance from the DC Department of Health.

Q. Who pays for testing?
GDS covers the full cost of testing with CIAN Diagnostics. For baseline testing conducted by Children’s National Medical Center in October and November, Children's will bill each individual's insurance and will bill GDS for anyone who is not insured. If you receive a bill for testing, please reach out to RiskResponse@gds.org.

Q. What if I can’t make it to GDS for testing?
If you cannot make it to GDS for testing and you intend to return to campus, we ask that you arrange your own testing, with the note that you will be responsible for any related fees. There are some requirements related to the testing:

• We require PCR testing.
• Tests must be conducted no more than 3 days prior to the return to campus.
• Test results must be received within 48 hours and shared back to the school nurses.
• Test results must be received by our school nurses prior to your child’s return to campus.

We recommend that you go to a county testing site or contact your pediatrician about the best way to get tested without taking up a well-child visit.

Click on one of the following for local COVID testing information:

• DC (free)
• Montgomery County (free)
• Prince George's County (free)
• Virginia Department of Health
• CVS (insurance covers all or part)
• Walgreens (insurance covers all or part)
• PM Pediatrics (various locations; will also see adults; you can start with a telemedicine visit)(insurance covers all or part)
• Kaiser Permanente (Read the website to determine eligibility)(insurance covers all or part)
• Vault at Home Testing
• Same-Day Testing (We have heard that individuals are often but not always getting results back quickly even without paying a fee for accelerated service.)(insurance may cover all or part)

Q. When will regular testing take place?
Initial baseline testing will be on campus outside of the school day. Ongoing testing will take place at school as part of the school day. 

Q. If I receive a negative test, can I skip the quarantine requirements related to travel or following close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
No. Per DC law, individuals must follow Department of Health mandates around quarantining and remain home for the full 14 days or for 72 hours plus a negative COVID test.
 

Q. Are High School athletics running at GDS?
On December 7, the DC mayor's office issued an order suspending all high school extra-curricular sports activities and competitions for both public and private schools. In compliance with this order, GDS has halted all High School athletic team activities.

Q. What is the DC Department of Health's position on athletics?
View their guidance from December 8, 2020.

Q. What are the ISL and MAC leagues' positions on athletics?
After much deliberation, both leagues have decided to not hold a league-sanctioned winter season. They will re-evaluate the situation in February regarding the fall and spring seasons.

Q: Is it okay for my child to sign up for club sports, travel soccer, gymnastics, dance, etc? ^{Added 9/8/2020}
A: We discourage participation in any activity where distancing and masking cannot be easily maintained. We are asking families to join us in reducing the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 so that we can return to on-campus programming and stay open. If appropriate precautions cannot be taken in an outside-of-school activity, we recommend that families not participate. See more about participation in athletics from the mayor's office.