As we welcome everyone back to campus for our 2023 – 2024 school year, Fort Worth Academy’s top priority remains the health and safety of our students, staff and families. FWA’s goal is to minimize disruptions to in-person learning created by COVID-19, while maintaining necessary precautions for our community’s safety and wellbeing.
As always, staff and students who have symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, should stay home until they have improved unless otherwise directed by a health care provider. On page 38 of our handbook, FWA asks that with fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea, the student stay home for 24 hours after the last episode.
FWA encourages testing when experiencing symptoms of infectious disease, whether COVID-19, strep, flu or other. Testing is recommended as soon as possible after onset of symptoms. Children who become ill at school may be asked to mask until they are able to be picked up.
FWA’s 2023-2024 COVID-19 policy continues to use the Center for Disease Control’s operational guidance for K-12 schools as its basis and is subject to revision as needed.
FWA continues to promote the importance of being up to date with vaccination to protect against severe illness from COVID-19.
For known exposure to COVID-19:
Individuals are encouraged but not required to mask for 10 days after exposure, and to test for COVID-19 regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms.
- Any individual with known exposure to COVID-19 is encouraged to test and is asked to closely monitor for symptoms within 10 days of the known exposure.
- If an exposed individual tests negative but later develops symptoms within 10 days, retesting as soon as symptoms begin, and again 48 hours later, is recommended, before unmasking.
- If an exposed individual tests negative and continues to remain asymptomatic for 10 days, retesting after 48 hours is recommended before unmasking.
In case of positive COVID-19 test:
FWA staff and families are strongly encouraged to report positive COVID-19 cases to the school nurse. FWA requires that a COVID-19 positive individual stay home for at least 5 days to isolate. If after 5 days, symptoms are improving and the individual has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of medication, he or she may return with a mask on. Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 should continue to wear a high-quality mask through day 10 (ending day 11) for all indoor activities. If indoor masking through day 10 is not possible, the individual is asked to stay home for 10 days.
In the event of a positive COVID-19 case on campus, school administrators will:
- Provide isolation, masking and return to campus guidance to the person who tested positive for COVID-19.
- Notify relevant portions of the school community of a positive case on campus.
- Notify local health authorities of aggregate number of positive cases weekly, according to mandated reporting protocols.
As in previous school years, FWA will continue to optimize ventilation to the school buildings and incorporate outdoor air intake when possible. Additionally, FWA promotes hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. FWA teaches and reinforces covering coughs and sneezes to help prevent the spread of disease, including COVID-19. FWA cleans high touch surfaces frequently.
Thank you again for your ongoing support and participation in protecting our community’s safety. We are all committed to the best possible health and wellness outcomes for everyone in our Fort Worth Academy “FWAmily.”
Please do not hesitate to communicate with FWA school nurse Ericka Miller at emiller@fwacademy.org or 817-370-1191, for any questions or concerns.