Health and Wellness Update
October 29, 2021
Hello Zion 6 Staff
Weekly Testing
Unvaccinated staff are required to test weekly per a state mandate.
This can be done at the school through our BinaxNow Rapid Antigen testing that is conducted on Wednesdays or at another location of your choice such as a CVS, Walgreens, your primary care physician, etc.
Tests cannot be more than 7 days apart. Example, if you test on Wednesday at the school then the following week you must test on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. A test after Wednesday would be considered failure to comply with the state mandate.
If you miss your weekly test, you cannot return to the building until you provide proof of testing to your building nurse or myself. You will need to test outside of the school at this point.
For staff that has chose to do their weekly testing elsewhere, if you do not submit your results on time, you will not be permitted in the building until results are provided to your building nurse or myself.
You cannot test twice in one week and use one for the first week and the other for the following week. Example, week one you test on Wednesday, then again on Friday in the same week. You cannot use the Friday results for the following week. This will not be accept as the following weeks test result.
If you are off for vacation, on leave of any sort, or over our breaks, you only need to submit a test before returning to the building. The test must be within two days of the day you are returning. Example, we are out for two weeks for winter break. We return on a Tuesday. Your test must be from Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday (if testing on Tuesday it must be before arriving to your building). A test from Saturday will not be accept as that is more than two days prior to our return day.
This mandate is not optional. It is per the state and compliance is required.
New Sanitizer Wipes
Currently we are supplying classrooms with the Lifeguard sanitizer wipes. We will be transitioning to using Opticide Max Wipes over the next few weeks. They will be available from your buildings nurse.
Please remember when wiping a surface, the same wipe can be used for several surfaces at a time as long as the wipe is wet with solution. For example, if you are wiping books you don't need to use a new wipe for each book as long as the wipe has solution on it.
Opticide is N list and EPA approved.
The Guidance on Class Snacks
Many staff have been asking about students bringing in food items for celebrations. The current guidance is that students cannot bring in food items to share with the entire class.
As holidays approach, birthdays coming and going, we all want to celebrate these exciting times together. It may be hard to not accept classroom snacks but we must follow guidance provided by the LCHD.
As all of you, I as well hope we can return to a more normal as soon as possible. When this guidance is updated, i will be sure to notify all staff immediately. Please be patient as we navigate through this pandemic.
Stay Safe D6 Staff and Families!
D6 Protocols
- 3-feet social distancing recommended at meetings, in work spaces, and in the break rooms.
- Universal Mask Wearing among all staff in district buildings at all times, despite vaccination status. The only time you can de-mask is if you are in an office alone with the door closed, eating or drinking, or outside.
- If you are an unvaccinated close contact to a Covid positive person at work and opted into the BinaxNOW testing program, you can continue to work and receive a Covid test by your buildings staff designated nurse on Day 1, 3, 5, and 7 as long as you remain symptom free.
- If you are an unvaccinated close contact to a Covid positive person at home you must complete a 10 day quarantine.
- Vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine if a close contact.
- If you contract Covid, please isolate for 10 days from the start of your symptoms OR if asymptomatic, your test date. Please let your building administrator and the district nurse know right away so contact tracing can be initiated.
- If you are symptomatic with any of the below symptoms, you must stay home and get a negative Covid test to return, despite vaccination status
- If you are unvaccinated and any of your household members are symptomatic with any of the below symptoms, you must stay home. The symptomatic person must either get a negative Covid test result or a doctors note clearing them of Covid. (The district requires a Covid test result or doctors note within 3 days time unless there is an exceptional reason. Please submit to HR and to your buildings designated staff nurse)
- Please DO NOT come to work with any of the below symptoms.
o Fever over 100.4
o Cough
o Shortness of Breath
o New Loss of Taste or Smell
o Body Aches
o Sore Throat
o Vomiting
o Diarrhea
Please contact HR with any leave questions.
Cheri Sinkovec BSN RN
Email: csinkovec@zion6.org
Location: 2800 29th Street, Zion, IL, USA
Phone: 847.379.0093