Learning and Staying Safe during the 2022-2023 School Year
Armstrong continues to make health and safety a priority for our entire community as we have learned to live with COVID. Armstrong follows guidance and recommendations from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), San Mateo County of Health and the CDC. This page includes resources and specific guidelines for positive cases and exposures as well contact information and latest updates about COVID policies at Armstrong. Key policies include:
Stay home if you are sick or have any symptoms.
Masking is optional for both indoor and outdoor spaces on campus.
Test 3-5 days after an exposure or anytime you have symptoms. Rapid antigen testing may be used returning from school breaks and/or during any surges of cases in the community.
Report positive cases to Armstrong and follow isolation and testing guidance that is provided.
Doors and windows remain open for maximum ventilation along with air purifiers in each classroom.
Stay up to date with vaccines and boosters as they continue to provide the best individual protection against the risk of serious illness or death from COVID.
Practice good hand hygiene.
We appreciate continued individual and family-based responsibility and support for the entire community. Armstrong reserves the right to make changes to any COVID policy any time we think doing so is appropriate.
Key contacts:
General COVID questions – Elissa Whorl, Chief of Staff & COVID Coordinator
Report an absence or positive case – Laura Fabela, Student Services
Sick members in our community will not be able to return to campus until they have met all the following criteria:
Fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications; and
Other symptoms have improved; and
A negative COVID-19 test OR a doctor’s note has been provided documenting that the symptoms are typical of any underlying chronic condition (allergies or asthma) OR that an alternate diagnosis has been confirmed. Please provide a test/note directly to Student Services.
All parents and guardians (and other family members), as well as visitors, are required to check-in to Student Services when on campus. All volunteers on campus are required to verify vaccination status and if not vaccinated, provide a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours of being on campus. If volunteering on campus with direct interaction with students, vaccination is required. Volunteers can upload a proof of vaccination to their student’s Magnus Health portal and/or provide a copy to Student Services.
Armstrong uses the CDPH state testing program which requires all students and employees to register with Primary Health and sign an annual consent. It is also required to record your vaccination status with Primary Health.
To upload test results, please use the link sent by primary health when you registered or CLICK HERE to verify registration and then upload a test result.
Requirements for Staff/ Recommendations for Students
Stay home for at least 5 days after start of symptoms (or after date of first positive test if no symptoms).
Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are mild and improving and individual is fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication)
If fever is present, isolation should be continued until 24 hours after fever resolves.
If symptoms, other than fever, are not improving, continue to isolate until symptoms are improving or until after Day 10.
If symptoms are severe, or if the infected person is at high risk of serious disease, or if they have questions concerning care, infected persons should contact their healthcare provider for available treatments.
Per CDPH masking guidance, infected persons should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings.*
*After ending isolation (no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms are improving), confirmed cases may remove their mask sooner than Day 10 if they have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. If antigen test results are positive, the person may still be infectious and should continue wearing a mask and wait at least one day before taking another test.
After ending isolation, if symptoms recur or worsen, get tested again and if positive, restart isolation at Day 0.
Exposed students and employees may continue to attend school, including sports and extracurricular activities unless they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. The following chart, provided by CDPH guides specific actions for exposure (close contact) to anyone diagnosed with Covid-19:
Asymptomatic Persons Who are Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (No Quarantine)
Recommended Actions
Everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
Test within 3-5 days after last exposure.
Close contacts should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings and when near those at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease.
Strongly encouraged to get vaccinated or boosted.
If symptoms develop, test and stay home, AND
If test result is positive, follow recommendations above.
Please note that Armstrong’s mitigation protocols are subject to change as circumstances and community spread changes and are based on guidance from the San Mateo County Department of Health and the CDC. Armstrong will continue to implement protocols to keep students and school employees safe while delivering its academic program in-person.