Masks
Masks are mandated indoors for students and staff for all NCSD school buildings, including the ROAR Center, per an emergency order from the Oakland County Health Division.
There is no religious exemption.
The only exemptions are medical with a note from a licensed Michigan doctor or IEP/504.
Masks are optional for outdoor activities, including recess.
The CDC makes these recommendations on masks:
- Have two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric
- Completely cover your nose and mouth
- Fit snugly against the sides of your face and don’t have gap
Other medical professionals have suggested cloth masks are insufficient and should be paired with at least a three-ply surgical mask, including options such as N95 and KN95.
Masks must be worn in all situations, for those returning from isolation or quarantine days 6-10. For example, a basketball player would need to wear a mask during active participation, practice, and warm-ups.
COVID-19 Screening/Testing/Vaccination/Quarantine
NCSD strongly recommends that parents monitor the health of their child/children on a daily basis. If students or staff exhibit any symptoms of illness they should stay home.
NCSD will not have a daily screener required.
COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are encouraged for all eligible individuals.
In our experience during the 2020-2021 school year, families sent children to school with COVID symptoms and with pending COVID-19 tests in their household, sometimes including themselves. For the safety of our students, staff and volunteers, this cannot continue to occur.
If the student is currently experiencing any of the following symptoms - unrelated to a known pre-existing condition or recent illness -- they should stay home:
- New cough accompanied by other symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- New loss of taste or smell
- Fever (100.4 degrees or higher)
- Chills (rigors)
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea (2x in 24 hours)
- Nausea or vomiting (2x in 24 hours)
- Congestion or runny nose accompanied by other symptoms
If symptoms -- of any illness -- persist, go to the doctor or consider getting tested for COVID-19.
Do not come to school until 24 hours fever free and/or significant reduction of symptoms without the use of any medication.
Please remember you must quarantine if you have a pending COVID-19 test for any reason or you have someone in your household that has a pending COVID-19 test and you are not vaccinated.
NCSD will quarantine COVID-19 positive students or staff for the appropriate amount of time based on current CDC recommendations.
In the case of students at the Early Childhood Education Center, the previous 10-day quarantine remains in effect because those students cannot be vaccinated, and masking is not required for three-year-olds and under and difficult to maintain for children ages 3-5.
For all other buildings, the current recommendation is to isolate/quarantine for five days if positive or exposed and unvaccinated.
Current recommendations say Day Zero is first day of symptoms and you return on Day 6 if symptoms are significantly reduced.
If you return from isolation or quarantine on Day 6, you must mask in every situation days 6 through 10. (For example, a basketball player would need to wear a mask during an entire game, even when the on the court, despite the current MHSAA recommendations).
Isolate means you are positive for COVID-19 and are in isolation from everyone in your household.
- Quarantine means you are exposed to COVID-19 and in quarantine.
NCSD will notify parents and staff, by building, of any positive cases reported.
We ask that parents and staff report any positive cases to the district.
Those who are fully vaccinated (two weeks post-second vaccination and booster-eligible) should monitor for symptoms and come to school/work.
Those who are not fully vaccinated or have not been boosted if full vaccination was more than five months ago should quarantine for 5 days per the CDC and return to school/work on day 6 if symptoms have significantly decreased.
If there is a positive COVID-19 person in the house, vaccinated students and staff (two weeks post-second vaccination and/or booster eligible) can come to school/work but must monitor for symptoms.
If there is a positive COVID person in the house, students and staff who are unvaccinated (or those whose vaccines were over 5 months ago without a booster) must quarantine for 5 days. On the 6th day, they can return to school/work and continue to monitor for symptoms
There is no need to retest after a positive result to return to school.
Social distancing
Staff and students are encouraged to create social distance when possible (lunchrooms, media centers, etc.)
NCSD will not be able to provide six feet of social distancing in classrooms for the 2021-2022 school year, based on the number of students attending and the size of classrooms.
Ventilation
Ventilation systems in buildings will continue to increase outside airflow during the 2021-2022 school year.
Drinking water
In lieu of using a common source of drinking water, staff and students should use individual water bottles brought from home. These bottles may be refilled at bottle filler locations within buildings.
Cleaning and Disinfection
NCSD will emphasize handwashing and respiratory etiquette and provide hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to classrooms.
NCSD will continue to emphasize cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched areas.
Students will be responsible for wiping desks. Staff will be responsible for wiping some classroom areas.
Visitors
NCSD will not allow visitors into buildings during the school day for the start of the school year.
