Family Letter 5-16-22
5/16/2022
Dear P.S. 203 Floyd Bennett School at 5101 AVENUE M community,
I am writing to notify you that a member or members of our school community have tested positive for COVID-19 and may have exposed others while at school. Below you will find guidance on next steps that will help keep our school community healthy and safe. The information below reflects the expertise of the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Test & Trace Corp (T2), and the New York City Department of Education (DOE).
What Happens Now?
• In K-12 classrooms, students and staff who shared classroom space with the individual who tested positive will receive at-home tests with guidance and directions. All may continue to attend school as long as they test negative for COVID and have no COVID like symptoms.
• The Situation Room will monitor our school for any further interventions.
• Anyone with a positive COVID-19 test will not return to the school until they are no longer infectious.
• All areas visited by the person with COVID-19 will be deep cleaned and disinfected.
• If your child is feeling sick, keep them at home.
• If your child is at least 2 years old in a Pre-K, 3-K or LYFE program, they must quarantine for at least 5 days since their last exposure. To return to school on Day 6, your child must be asymptomatic, and have a negative lab-based test taken on Day 5, or 2 negative home tests, taken on Day 4 and Day 5 respectively. Your school will send your child home with a COVID Test kit so they can test to return from quarantine on Day 6. Children that do not get tested can return after quarantining for 10 days. Children who return on Day 6 must wear a well-fitting mask until Day 10. As a reminder, regardless of age, students who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine when they are exposed to COVID-19, unless they have symptoms.
• If your child is under 2 years old in a LYFE classroom, they must quarantine for at least 8 days since their last exposure. In order to test to return to school on Day 8, your child must be asymptomatic, and have a negative lab-based test taken on Day 5. Children that do not get tested can return after quarantining for 10 days. Note: home test kits are not considered valid for children under 2 years old, unless administered by a health care provider.
• Students that have had, and recovered from, COVID within the last 90 days do not need to quarantine.
How do we stay healthy?
Vaccination is the most important tool we have to protect ourselves from COVID-19. All New Yorkers age 5 or older are eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19. People who are between 5 and 17 years old are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine only; all older ages are eligible for all three vaccines. We encourage all eligible students to get vaccinated. Find a vaccine site today at https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/. There is no cost to be vaccinated.
Vaccine booster shots are now available for all fully vaccinated people 12 and older. These shots boost your immunity from an initial vaccination series. A booster shot is recommended for any adult who received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least five months ago, the second dose of the Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.
Please remember to follow these important actions to prevent COVID-19 transmission:
1. Stay home if sick (except to get essential medical care, including COVID-19 testing).
2. Wear a face covering if you are symptomatic or exposed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Children ages 2 through 4 should continue to be masked indoors at all times.
3. Practice healthy hand hygiene: Wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer; avoid touching your face; and cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hands.
How can I stay updated?
We will continue to closely follow directions from public health experts and proactively update you on any measures we are taking. To ensure we can reach you via text and email, please create a New York City Schools Account (NYCSA) as soon as possible by visiting schools.nyc.gov/nycsa
To help New Yorkers quarantine, the NYC Test + Trace Corps partners with community-based organizations to connect individuals to resources like food, medicine, and health care. To connect with resources, you can call 1-212-COVID19 (212-268-4319).
For additional information on COVID-19, visit schools.nyc.gov/coronavirus or call 311.
Sincerely,
Yocasta Miller
