As we enter the middle of March, we welcome the spring season, marked by longer days, warmer weather, a re-awakening of nature, and the middle school play.  However, this time of year also evokes memories of March of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our lives in countless ways. Through the changes and challenges of the past four years, as a community we have demonstrated resilience and collaborative spirit in keeping our school safe, healthy, and open for in-person instruction with relatively few disruptions. A significant feature of our community partnership during the pandemic was our commitment to follow the guidance of the CDC in creating and managing our COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Moving forward, we will continue to follow CDC recommendations to protect our school from all communicable diseases, including COVID-19.

Earlier this month, the CDC updated their respiratory virus recommendations.  According to the CDC, “the new guidance brings a unified approach to addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers.” ( CDC updates and simplifies respiratory virus recommendations | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC )

When sick with a respiratory virus, the CDC recommends that individuals:

• Stay home and away from others;
• For people with COVID-19 and flu, ask your doctor about treatments that can lessen symptoms and lower the risk of severe illness;
• Return to normal activities when symptoms are improving and there is no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication; and
• Adopt additional prevention strategies for the next 5 days to prevent the spread of disease, such as wearing a well-fitting mask around others and getting tested for respiratory viruses.

If a member of the RVWS community tests positive for COVID-19:

• The CDC no longer recommends that individuals isolate for 5 days after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Individuals may return to school when symptoms are improving and there is no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. 
• The CDC recommends adopting additional prevention strategies for 5 days after testing positive to prevent the spread of disease, such as wearing a well-fitting mask around others.
• COVID-19 is no longer a reportable illness, and therefore RVWS will not be notifying the community if a student, faculty or staff member tests positive.

The CDC also offers the following strategies to prevent infection:

• Stay current with vaccinations for flu, COVID-19 and RSV, if eligible;
• Practice good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces; and
• Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outdoor air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

We cannot thank everyone in our community enough for their cooperation, support and patience and we navigated through the last four years of the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask for your continued support in keeping our community safe, healthy, and thriving into the future.

Ongoing Review of the Plan

• Staff will periodically review all elements of this Health & Safety Plan and are encouraged to reach out to Pat Janssen, Director of Operations, with any questions or concerns.
• This plan will be reviewed monthly by the school’s administration, and will be updated in light of evolving guidance from the CDC, the State of Pennsylvania, and the Bucks County Health Department.