As we welcome everyone back to campus for our 2024 – 2025 school year, Fort Worth Academy’s top priority remains the health and safety of our students, staff and families. FWA continues to follow the CDC’s guidance for safe school environments. Please see https://www.cdc.gov/orr/school-preparedness/infection-prevention/when-sick.html for more information.
As s chools and parents often do not know what specific illness a child may have, FWA asks that parents evaluate their child’s symptoms and use common sense. 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. If a student is experiencing symptoms that interfere with their ability to participate in normal activities, or which carry the concern for infectiousness, the child should stay home.
The following symptoms must stay home:
● Fever (≥100°)
● Vomiting
● Diarrhea
● Respiratory virus symptoms that are worsening, or not improving.
For fever, diarrhea or vomiting FWA students are required to stay home an additional 24 hours after the last occurance, without the use of medication.
FWA encourages testing when experiencing symptoms of infectious disease such as COVID-19, strep, or flu. Testing can lead to effective treatment and specific guidance on what to expect during the course of your child’s illness. Return to school dates will be determined by your child’s physician based on their condition. In lieu of a physician’s directions, the CDC advises that generally “a student is ready to return to school when he or she is well enough to participate (e.g., can adequately manage improving cough and congestion on own, not overly fatigued), and when care of the returning child does not interfere with school staff’s ability to teach or care for other students.” FWA recommends the use of masks for 5 days after testing positive for COVID-19.
As in previous school years, FWA continues 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. 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 the FWA school nurse Ericka Miller at emiller@fwacademy.org or 817-370-1191, for any questions or concerns.