Principal's Bulletin
Week 5: September 20-24, 2021
A Message from Mrs. Zagala
The district's Parent & Family Engagement Survey closes this week. I encourage you to complete this survey in the link below by Friday, September 24th. Your input in this survey helps us to plan parent and family events around the interest and needs of our community. If you have any questions about this survey, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you and I look forward to another great week.
Eagles Rock!
Mrs. Zagala
1st Nine Weeks Progress Reports
COVID Information for Parents
Below you will find some general information about COVID-19 that our school nurse's are following.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
● Fever or chills ● Diarrhea ● Cough ● Headache ● Shortness of breath/difficulty ● New loss of taste or smell breathing ● Sore throat ● Fatigue ● Congestion or runny nose ● Muscle or body aches ● Nausea or vomiting
How do I communicate with the school if my child has seasonal allergies, chronic migraines, gastrointestinal issues, asthma, etc.?
1. If there is a medical history of these symptoms, please provide a Dr.’s note to the school nurse for documentation. Students will be assessed by the school nurse to determine if there is a change in the student’s normal baseline.
What procedure will be followed if my student shows symptoms of COVID-19 while at school?
1. Students showing symptoms of illness will be assessed by the school nurse and monitored until they can be picked up by their parent/guardian.
2. School nurses have the ability to perform COVID-19 rapid testing for students whose parents/guardians have given consent to do so.
3. Students with symptoms who are not wearing a mask at the time of arrival to the clinic will be offered a mask to wear and the parent/guardian will be notified.
What do I do if my student is sent home from school with a fever (100.0 degrees or greater) and/or any other symptoms of COVID-19?
1. Contact your healthcare provider for guidance.
2. If the student has symptoms of COVID-19, and is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the student is assumed to have COVID-19. Therefore, the student may not return to school until after at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Additionally, at least 24 hours must have passed since the student had a fever (without fever reducing medications) and the student has had improvement of additional symptoms (cough, etc.). These three criteria must be met for readmittance on campus.
3. If the student is evaluated and is diagnosed with another condition, a healthcare provider’s note will be required for readmittance to school prior to 10 days. The student must also be fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. A COVID-19 test is not required if an alternate diagnosis is received from the provider. Without an alternate diagnosis, a
negative PCR test will be necessary for readmittance on campus. A negative rapid antigen test without an alternate diagnosis would require a follow up PCR test.
When can my student return to school after being diagnosed with, and/or testing positive for COVID-19?
1. Three criteria must be met for readmittance on campus: 1) at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared 2) at least 24 hours have passed since the student had a fever (without fever reducing medications) 3) the student has had improvement of additional symptoms (cough, etc.).
2. If the student has tested positive or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 but has not had any symptoms, at least 10 days must have passed since the date of the positive test/diagnosis.
What do I do if my student is a close contact to a person with COVID-19 and has not been vaccinated?
1. Contact your healthcare provider for testing and symptom guidance.
2. The student will need to stay home (quarantine) for 10 days after last exposure as symptoms may appear 2-14 days after the exposure. Per CDC, Day 1 of quarantine starts the day after last contact with the positive person. The quarantine period can end on Day 7 if the student is not having any symptoms, they have a PCR test performed 5 or more days after the exposure, and the test results come back negative.
3. It is important to monitor for symptoms to include checking temperature twice a day. 4. Additional days of quarantine may be necessary for a student deemed as a close contact if the positive person is a household member - contact your school nurse for any questions.
**Fully vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine if exposed to a positive case as long as they are not having any symptoms themselves.** Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after they received their final dose.
Travel Guidelines for unvaccinated individuals:
No quarantine is necessary for domestic or international travel as long as there is no history of exposure and the individual is not exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms.
Consent Form for Optional COVID-19 Testing
- Testing is completely optional and requires signed consent
- Testing will only be done on symptomatic individuals. However, if your child is exhibiting symptoms please do NOT send them to school without consulting with the school nurse first.
- If an individual test is positive they will be isolated and sent home.
- If an individual test is negative a medical evaluation with an alternative diagnosis and/or negative PCR test is still necessary if the individual wishes to return to school prior to the 10-day isolation period.
- All tests are free of charge.
If you have any questions regarding this optional Covid-19 testing please contact our school nurse.
TEACT Home Internet Initiative
Please see the informational flyer below.
Celebrate Freedom Week
Learning Fun in Mr. Guajardo's 5th Grade Class
Reviewing Place Value with Kahoot!
Weekly trip to the library
Mass, Volume, and Density stations in the Science lab
Parent Handbooks
STAY CONNECTED: Four Easy Ways to Stay Informed
Receive important messages and reminders from Allen ES by push message on your phone. Simply download the NISD Mobile App and select which schools you would like to receive notifications from. Follow us on Twitter @NISDAllenES, join our school on Class Dojo and ensure that your email address is up to date in the office.
Erika L.M. Zagala, Principal
Email: allen@nisd.net
Phone: 210-397-0800
Twitter: @NISDAllenES