Back to School Information
Health and Safety Updates for the 2022-23 School Year
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome back to school! The start of each school year is an exciting and busy time. The Department of Health & Wellness is here to assist you with keeping your students healthy and ready to learn. Please review the information below as you get ready to begin the new school year. We are here to assist you, please reach out if you have questions or need additional support!
TRAFFIC SAFETY
As the City of Framingham prepares to begin the 2022-2023 school year, local traffic will increase in and around our schools. Please remember to leave plenty of time for drop-offs and pick-ups, drive slowly, and watch for students walking, biking, crossing streets, and in parking lots.
K-12 BACK TO SCHOOL PHYSICALS
If you or your child needs a physical, please consider attending a Back-To-School Physical Day on Monday, August 29th from 4pm - 7pm. This event takes place at Daniel's Table in Framingham (10 Pearl Street). See the flyers below for more!
Families must signup! Vaccinations will also be available at this event.
VACCINATION CLINICS
The District will continue to organize and support vaccination clinics throughout the city. These may be COVID specific or may also offer students access to the necessary immunizations required for school and out of school time programs.
COVID Vaccine Clinic: Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Please join us from 4pm - 6:30pm at Harmony Grove Elementary School! This Vaccine Clinic is open to any individual ages 6 months and older.
- Moderna for those under 5 years old
- Pfizer for those that are aged 5 years old (and older).
- Interpreters will be available.
- Walk-ins welcome.
- Insurance is not needed.
- A follow up clinic will be scheduled at the appropriate time to administer follow up doses for ages 5 and up.
Please stay tuned for additional vaccination clinic dates as they are scheduled throughout the Fall!
COVID-19 UPDATE & INFORMATION
The transmission of COVID-19 may continue to have impacts on our FPS community as we enter the new school year. It is our collective responsibility to work together in order to keep our students, families, and each other healthy and safe. If you, your student(s), or any members of your family experience any COVID-19 symptoms, please remember to stay home, test, and contact your healthcare provider for guidance. For updated information on the FPS COVID Response Plan, community members can visit the FPS COVID Website.
FPS will continue our current health and safety mitigation strategies, some of which include:
- Masks are required in all school health offices
- Standalone air purification units in classrooms, offices and other collaboration spaces
- Enhanced ventilation throughout our facilities and windows open at least one-click on school buses
- Cleaning and disinfecting protocols
- Handwashing and/or hand sanitizing stations
Monitoring school, local community, and statewide positivity rates and collaborating with the city Department of Public Health
As a reminder, while masks are not required, anyone who wishes to wear a mask may do so at any time.
Updated COVID-19 Close Contact Guidelines
COVID-19 close contacts are no longer required to quarantine at home and can continue to attend school as long as they remain asymptomatic while monitoring for symptoms.
Close contacts who can mask should do so until Day 10
It is recommended that close contacts test with a rapid-antigen test on Day 6 after exposure.
If a student who is a close contact develops symptoms, please keep your student(s) home, test for COVID-19, and contact your healthcare provider.
Protocol for students who test positive for COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status)
If your child or children test positive for COVID-19:
- Please notify your school nurse
- Children who test positive must stay home for a minimum of 5 days
Students may return to school, work, extracurricular activities on day 6 or later if they are:
- are fever free for 24hrs without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- are experiencing improvement in other symptoms (ie, no runny nose, improving cough, no body aches, no sore throat, no nausea or vomiting).
- are able to wear a well-fitting mask for 5 additional days (days 6-10)
- If unable to wear a mask for an additional 5 days, students will remain home for 10 days or after having a negative test on day 5 or later.
COVID-19 Testing
We will no longer provide asymptomatic testing however, we will be providing families with rapid, at-home antigen test kits should your student develop symptoms while at school. School nurses will assess your student, and if the child is dismissed as a result of possible COVID-19 symptoms, families will be provided with a rapid antigen test kit they may use at home, as well as instruction for using the kit.
Families can also get free COVID tests at their pharmacy through their insurance. Visit or call your local pharmacy and speak to the pharmacy staff who can assist families with this process.
Families can order 4 free tests at this website Get free at-home COVID-19 tests
COVID-19 Case Monitoring and Contact Tracing
Framingham Public Schools nurses and the Department of Health and Wellness will continue to track case counts and monitor the number of positive COVID-19 cases reported to school nurses internally. A public facing case count dashboard will no longer be active as contract tracing is no longer recommended or required by DESE or DPH (DESE/DPH Guidance updated 8/15/22).
Framingham Public Schools will also continue to monitor local and statewide case counts, in addition to internal positive case monitoring, and will collaborate with the Framingham Department of Public Health, DESE, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as needed in order to respond to real-time community case changes.
MONKEYPOX UPDATE & INFORMATION
At this time, the risk of monkeypox to children and adolescents in the United States and Massachusetts is low. However, we wanted to provide you some information that you may find helpful should you have any questions about this illness.
- It is possible for anyone to catch monkeypox if they have close, personal contact with an infected person although the risk in schools and early childcare settings is low.
Based on recent CDC guidance Framingham Public Schools will follow our routine practices for reducing the risk of infectious illness in school. This includes:
- Practicing routine hand washing and sanitizing for staff and students
- Routine classroom and building cleaning
- Monitoring local and national cases as well as updated public health guidance
- Communication and collaboration with the Framingham Department of Public Health
Several illnesses can cause a rash and fever in children, such as hand-foot-mouth disease and chickenpox (varicella). For a child with no known monkeypox exposure or close contact, a fever and rash should be evaluated by a pediatrician or other healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can determine the cause of the rash and if testing or treatment is needed.
At this time, there is no need for widespread vaccination for monkeypox among children or adults. However, a vaccine is available that can help prevent monkeypox in people who have been exposed if it is given soon after exposure. If your child has a known exposure to monkeypox or is diagnosed with monkeypox, please contact your school nurse and your primary care provider or other healthcare provider who can provide guidance.
ILLNESS IN SCHOOL
A sick child cannot learn effectively and is unable to participate in classes in a meaningful way. Keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school community and allows the child opportunity to rest and recover.
Guidelines for Keeping Sick Children Home From School
- Fever – Children should remain at home with a fever greater than 100 degrees. They can return to school after they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Motrin).
- Diarrhea/Vomiting – Children with diarrhea and/or vomiting should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.
- Conjunctivitis – Following a diagnosis of conjunctivitis, children may return to school in 24 hours.
- Rashes – Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages. A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a healthcare provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child’s return to school.
- Colds – Consider keeping your child at home if they are experiencing discomfort from cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion and cough. A continuous green discharge from the nose may be a sign of infection. Consider having the child seen by your healthcare provider.
If your child becomes sick at school, it is a parent/caregiver’s responsibility to pick up students in a timely manner. They may not remain at school and they cannot take the bus home. Please make sure to keep your cell phone on and have a plan to pick up your sick child in case of illness or emergency.
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Over The Counter Medication Forms
Occasionally, we may see a student with a headache or other illness that doesn’t require a trip home, but could benefit from over the counter medication such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Before we give any medication to your child, we must have your written permission. You will receive an email from your school with the Annual Health Information Form to let us know your medication preferences. This form also informs us if there are changes to your student’s medical needs. Please complete that form when you receive it.
GENERAL HEALTH & WELLNESS TIPS
Begin with a Healthy Start!
- Go for an annual checkup with a pediatrician and send the physical to your school nurse.
- Get refills of important medications (including refills for expired EpiPens and inhalers) before school starts
- If your child needs medication administered at school, have your child’s doctor or prescriber complete FPS medication administration order form. (en Español and em Português)
- Review the FPS COVID-19 Daily Wellness Check steps
- Practice health hygiene routines at home with kids (handwashing)
Get Rest
Kids are more likely to get good quality sleep when they have consistent bedtime schedules. Quality sleep improves kids' moods and ability to learn. Do you know how much sleep your child needs?
- Ages 3-5: 10-13 hours of sleep per night
- Ages 6-13: 9-11 hours of sleep per night
- Ages 14-17: 8-10 hours of sleep per night
Tips to Prepare, Organize, and Prioritize
- It can be helpful for everyone in the family to run-through or practice home-to-school routines. Routines help with the transition back to school, create comfort, and can ease back to school anxiety.
- Home to school routines set clear expectations which can support positive behavior and can also help build self-competence and self-confidence.
- Even though we are now less than one week away from the start of school, you can begin a back-to-school countdown, support your children or family with a daily schedule outlining bedtime, wake-up, activities, mealtimes, and other aspects of a daily routine.
- If or when possible, create a designated space for homework separate from sleep and play to help kids focus. Utilize checklists so students can learn to gather their own daily supplies like backpack, water bottle, jacket, etc. If you need these basic supplies, please reach out to your school Principal so we can help!
- Set aside family time to connect and keep everyone on the same page. Create space to talk with kids about the new school year. Discuss their school day, who their teachers are, what school arrival and dismissal are like, what are they looking forward to this year, etc.
- Let kids know it is ok to feel nervous. Changes can make us nervous and be exciting at the same time!
The mission of the Framingham Public Schools is to educate each student to learn and live productively as a critically-thinking, responsible citizen in a multicultural, democratic society by providing academically challenging instructional programs taught by highly-qualified staff and supported by comprehensive services in partnership with our entire community. For news, updates, and announcements, follow Framingham Public Schools (@FraminghamPS) on Facebook, Twitter, and (@framinghamschools) on Instagram. You can also join the conversation using #FraminghamSchools.