Covid-19 Reminders

February 8, 2021

Dear LREI Community,

Greetings, all. I hope you are all well during this surprisingly snowy winter.  I write with reminders regarding the coming long weekend and Spring Break, as the weekend is nigh and Spring Break will be here before we know it, and because a number of you have been in touch with questions. I have also included a few general Covid related reminders. 

Random Sampling Testing

• Thank you to all who have participated in the past few weeks. This program continues to be hugely helpful in helping us to gauge the health of the community. You can view the weekly results here.  (A reminder that these numbers only represent tests conducted at LREI.)
• We will not be conducting any random testing during the week of February 15. Testing will resume on Tuesday, February 23.

Holidays

• There are a number of holidays and celebrations in the coming months – Lunar New Year, Passover, and Easter among them. I encourage you to limit the number of people with whom you observe any holiday/observance and to consider celebrating with your immediate family/household only.
• We wish all who are observing the Lunar New Year on Friday the very best of Covid careful celebrations.

Presidents Day Weekend

• Monday, February 15 and Tuesday, February 16 — no classes.
• We will not be extending this short break nor adding remote days after it.  
• Our expectation is that all students will return to class for a typical Wednesday on February 17.
• Lower School students will not be able to join a remote group next week unless they are remote already or if they have been excluded due to exposure or illness.  Questions about this? Middle school and high school students MUST connect with their principals ahead of time to inquire about joining remote groups.
• I strongly suggest you resist the urge to travel over this long weekend.  

Spring Break

• Spring Break runs during the weeks of March 22 and March 29.
• We will be adding a week of remote learning for all students in all grades during the week of April 5, immediately following Spring Break. I am concerned about any travel during Spring Break and do not want to seem to be encouraging it by adding this week. That said, I am being realistic that some will make the decision to travel.
• All families who choose to travel are required to follow the requirements outlined below.
• As I calculate it, it is nearly impossible to travel for the full break and to return to in-person schooling on time. Please keep this in mind if you choose to travel. You will likely have to return a number of days before the end of the break. Please plan accordingly.  

Return to School After Spring Break

• Spring Break ends on Friday, April 2.
• For the week of April 5 – April 9 we will be operating as LREI@home for ALL grades.
• Onsite Learning Center information will be emailed to families soon.
• Family Conference Days (NEW DATES) 
  • Thursday, April 8 – Lower School and Middle School conferences. High School is in session, remotely.
  • Friday, April 9 – Conferences for all three divisions.
• In-person schooling will resume on Monday, April 12.
• Everyone must have a negative lab-confirmed COVID PCR test to return to school in-person in April.  
• Tests must be taken on or after Saturday, April 3. 
• If you are planning on gathering with anyone outside of your household for Easter (Sunday, April 4) please wait until the fourth day after your gathering to have your child tested. Email results to testresults@lrei.org. You may have to find a rapid lab-confirmed COVID PCR test in order to return on time.
• Test results must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 in order to return on Monday, April 12. 
• Students who do not submit a negative test result by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 will not be able to return on April 12 and will not be able to join remotely.

Travel Guidelines

If you are planning to travel, please read the protocol below. This protocol is subject to change with little notice.

• Please email nurses@lrei.org with your travel dates. If this protocol is not followed, you will be required to quarantine for 14 days (by the state of NY).
• The nurses will be on break as well. If you do not email your plans by Thursday, March 18, we will not be able to respond with specific guidance until April 5.
• The NYS Travel Advisory applies to anyone traveling outside of NY or the contiguous states (NJ, PA, CT, MA, VT) or to a CDC Level 2, 3 or 4 Country for 24 hours or more.
• Test while traveling, no earlier than 3 days before your return to NYS (may be rapid, saliva or PCR testing).
• Arrive back in NY and quarantine for three full days (travel day does not count as a quarantine day).
• On your fourth day back in NY, test again (MUST be a saliva test or PCR).
• If traveling internationally, you must quarantine for at least a full 7 days prior to returning to campus AND have a negative test on or after day 4 of quarantine (CDC). 
• If you travel to a destination that is subject to a virus-related travel ban, you will not be able to test out of quarantine and must quarantine for the full 14 days.
• Send both results in the same email, with your travel location and dates to nurses@lrei.org, and wait for clearance to return to school.
• Refer attendance questions to your division’s principal.
• NOTE: All household travelers must follow this protocol. If an adult travels without all household members, the adult must quarantine fully away from the rest of the family until their NY test is resulted as negative.

And, as always…

Reminders/Requests

Small group gatherings, including after school playdates, are a primary path for exposure and infection and are a sure way to negatively impact in-person schooling.

• Please limit gatherings to a small consistent group, if you must have them at all.
• Masks must be worn out-of-doors.
• Children and adults must stay a minimum of six feet apart.
• You will be considered to be exposed to a person if you were proximate to another person for more than ten minutes, cumulatively.
• No sleepovers, please.
• Limit adult gatherings, following the same guidelines as listed above for your children.
• And for our older students – the same rules apply.  No small group gatherings or parties.