Otselic Valley Central School District

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD IS SENT HOME WITH A COVID SYMPTOM? Otselic Valley Central School is required to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C D C), New York State Department of Health (N Y S D O H), New York State Education Department (N Y S E D), and our local Public Health Departments. If your child is sent home from school for a COVID symptom, there are specific guidelines you are required to follow. You will be given a form which outlines the steps as listed below. You will have a choice of which route you will follow (A or B, below). Both routes involve your child being seen by a licensed medical provider. A) STUDENT HAS SYMPTOMS OF POSSIBLE COVID-19 ILLNESS, BUT IS DETERMINED NOT TO HAVE COVID-19 BY A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER (MD, NP, Physician Assistant) AND CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL WHEN: • Symptom and fever free, without the use of fever reducing medicines, for at least 24 hours• They have been diagnosed with another condition (not COVID-19) and have a healthcare provider written note stating they are clear to return to school, AND they have a DOCUMENTED NEGATIVE COVID-19 TEST• They are allowed to return to school based on existing school district illness policies/ protocols **REQUIRED: A signed note from your health care provide clearing your child to return to school is required and must be given to the school nurse and safely acknowledged before riding the school bus or entering the building. OR B) STUDENT IS DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 BY A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BASED ON A TEST OR THEIR SYMPTOMS *OR* STUDENT DOES NOT GET A COVID-19 TEST BUT HAS HAD SYMPTOMS. THEY SHOULD NOT BE AT SCHOOL AND SHOULD STAY HOME UNTIL: • It has been at least TEN days since the student first had symptoms • It has been at least THREE days since the student has had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine) AND• It has been at least THREE days since the individual symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath **REQUIRED: A signed note from your health care provider clearing your child to return to school is required and must be given to the school nurse and safely acknowledged before riding the school bus or entering the building.  PLEASE NOTE: At this time we are not allowed to accept a provider’s diagnosis in place of a COVID test to immediately return to school. Should your provider NOT order a COVID test, your child will have to follow the B route and stay out of school as explained above. HOW DO I GET OUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER'S NOTE TO THE SCHOOL NURSE? Fax from the doctor's office to (315) 653-7500 ORScan the note and email to SMorse@ovcs.org ORBring it to school in person. **REQUIRED: The school nurse must acknowledge safe receipt of this note before your child can return to school or get on the bus so please plan accordingly. IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MRS. MORSE School nurses are not allowed to diagnose students based on their symptoms. Diagnosis can only be done by your child’s medical provider. If your child has ONE COVID symptom, we are required by the Department of Health to send them home and have them follow Routes A or B. Please keep your child home if they have any of the COVID symptoms, even if you believe it is just their allergies. I am not allowed to make the decision if it’s their allergies or something else. Once a student is in school we have to follow the very strict Department of Health protocols. Link to a list of COVID symptoms Link to Otselic Valley Central School's reopening plan