Our Shared Community Commitment

• Cough

• Fever (100.4 or greater)

• Shortness of breath

• Chills

• Fatigue

• Muscle pain or body aches

• Headache

• Sore throat

• Loss of taste or smell

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea (diarrhea is defined as frequent loose or watery stools compared to child’s normal pattern)

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• Show symptoms of COVID-19, such as a cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell

• Have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days

• Have a fever (temperature higher than 100.4°F)

• Have a significant new rash, particularly when other symptoms are present

• Have large amounts of nasal discharge in the absence of allergy diagnosis

If above signs and symptoms begin while at school, the student or staff member will be sent home as soon as possible.

•Students and staff will be excluded from school until they are no longer considered contagious.

•Students and staff with fever greater than 100.4°F and no specific diagnosis should remain at home until they have had no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications (e.g., Advil, Tylenol).

Anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 should self-isolate according to guidelines set forth by the Vermont Department of Health. If a student or staff person has been identified as a close contact to someone who is diagnosed with COVID-19, they should self-quarantine: stay home. Please refer to the Health Department’s website for what it means to be in close contact and for instructions for isolation, quarantine, and self-observation. The school office and student’s teacher should be notified immediately in such cases.

Healthy students and staff with the following symptoms/conditions are NOT excluded from in-person school activities (and it is suggested that you provide the School Nurse with a medical note regarding your student’s condition):

• Allergy symptoms (with no fever) that cause coughing and clear runny nose may stay if they have medically diagnosed allergies and follow medical treatment plans.

• Well-controlled asthma

VSNB students, families and staff should adhere to the Vermont Department of Health’s travel and quarantine guidance: https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/coronavirus-covid-19/traveling-vermont

All students and staff are required to wear facial coverings while in the building. They must
also wear them when outside of the building if adequate physical distancing cannot be maintained. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends facial coverings in settings where other physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Adults doing drop-off and pick-up should wear facial coverings. Instructions for making, wearing and washing facial coverings can be found on the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.

The following stipulations are for students, as well as staff, where applicable:

• Facial coverings are developmentally appropriate when children can properly put on, take off, and not touch or suck on the covering.

• Students who have a medical or behavioral reason for not wearing a facial covering will not be required to wear one, if this is determined by the health care provider and school nurse.

• Facial coverings with ties are not recommended for young children as they pose a risk of choking or strangulation.

• Facial coverings may be removed during outdoor activities where students and staff can maintain physical distancing and have ready access to put them back on as needed when activity stops.

• In some situations, teacher and staff may prefer to use clear face coverings (such as hard-of-hearing face masks that cover the nose, mouth, and wrap securely around the face).

• The use of clear facial shields that cover the eyes, nose and mouth is less preferable, but allowable for adults. They must meet all of the health guidance of the Vermont Department of Health. Face shields should extend below the chin and to the ears laterally, and there should be no exposed gap between the forehead and the shield’s headpiece. 

• Students’ cloth face coverings should be clearly identified with their names or initials, to avoid confusion or swapping. Students’ face coverings may also be labeled to indicate top/bottom and front/back.

• Face coverings should be washed after every day of use and/or before being used again, or if visibly soiled.

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Visitor Policy