Dear LREI Families,
We have received a number of questions regarding Covid, the Thanksgiving and Winter breaks, and the return to school after these breaks.
The CDC has released its guidance for the 2021 holiday season. I encourage you to read their common sense advice. In this document the CDC shares thoughts on keeping your family gatherings safe and on travel, for both those who are vaccinated and those who are not fully vaccinated. We will, as we have done, follow this guidance unless it is contradicted by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
In brief, if you are gathering in your home or in another home, locally, please take common sense precautions to safeguard those who are at risk and/or unvaccinated. These include:
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Wear a mask.
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Wash your hands.
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Remember that outside is safer.
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If you are inside, locations should be well-ventilated and have an air purifier, if possible.
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Anyone with symptoms should skip the gathering.
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You can find low-cost/no-cost testing for pre-holiday checkups. Check out the NYC Health and Hospital sites – fast and free.
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You might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission if a member of your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated.
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If you are gathering with a group of people from multiple households and potentially from different parts of the country, you could consider additional precautions (e.g., avoiding crowded indoor spaces before travel, taking a test) in advance of gathering to further reduce risk.
If you plan on traveling and are vaccinated, please read the recommendations on the CDC site – wear a mask, wash your hands, stay home and test if you have symptoms. If unvaccinated, the CDC recommendations include a test before travel, precautions while at your destination, and a test 3-5 days after you return, and a 7-day self-quarantine.
We hear that there is some confusion and here is where it may lie. We are NOT requiring that you report travel plans to LREI and are NOT monitoring your adherence to the CDC guidelines. We ARE asking you to PLEASE consider the impact that your plans could have on the LREI community, among others. Please allow your unvaccinated child to have the 7-day quarantine and required test time prior to returning to school if you choose to travel. Do this knowing that we will NOT be offering remote school after the Thanksgiving or Winter breaks. Please make your plans accordingly, using the nine-day Thanksgiving break (this includes one day of Zoom school for high school students and a conference for all families) and the 16-day Winter Break as guides.
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IN-SCHOOL TESTING
We will be testing 100% of the LREI population (vaccinated and unvaccinated) in the weeks after both Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break. If your student tests positive, they will be required to isolate for 10-days, and any unvaccinated contacts will be required to quarantine for a minimum of 7-days.
To be tested in school, your child must be registered with Enzo Labs. If you have not already done so, you can register your child here.
Enzo Labs will bill your insurance for the testing. You can check to see if your insurance is accepted here. If you choose not to test your child in school, you must test independently on your child’s assigned day and submit a molecular test (PCR, rapid PCR, rapid molecular NAAT) to nurses@lrei.org.
Testing Dates:
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Thursday, December 2: All 4s – 6th grade students.
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Friday, December 3: All 7th -12th grade students.
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There will be no in-school testing on Friday, December 10 or Friday, December 17.
We will announce the January, post-Winter Break, testing dates as soon as they are confirmed with the lab.
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SAVE THE DATE
On Thursday, October 28, at 7:00PM, LREI, in collaboration with other downtown independent schools, will host a panel discussion focused on the coming Covid-19 vaccine for 5 – 11 year olds. While we have yet to decide what our policy will be regarding this vaccine, we want to provide an opportunity for you to have your questions answered about this essential progress in our efforts to safeguard everyone’s health.
You must register to receive the Zoom link for the evening’s discussion.
I will forward the list of panelists once it is finalized.
Downtown Independent Schools Present:
Expert Advice on COVID-19 Vaccines for Young Children
Date: October 28, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.