Guidance from the Department of Education

MS 50 will uphold all of the protocols, building upgrades, ventilation requirements, and personnel requirements outlined by the Department of Education. As guidance from the Department of Education continues to be updated, click the button below to view the most up-to-date information.

Monitoring and Prevention

 

Vaccination

Vaccination: Vaccination is the best way to reduce COVID-19 risk. Encourage up to date COVID-19 vaccination for everyone six months or older.

  • Visit the vaccine finder page or call 877-829-4692 to find a location near you.

  • Up to date includes boosters for everyone who is eligible and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people. See At-A-Glance COVID-19 Vaccination Schedules (cdc.gov).

  • Vaccination Requirements:

    • Vaccination is still required for all visitors entering school buildings

    • Vaccination is still required for all DOE employees

    • Vaccination is still required for other individuals who work in DOE buildings

    • Vaccination is no longer required to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports

*updated guidance as of 9/20/2022

 

School Visitor Policy

All visitors must show proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination to enter a DOE building. Visitors do not include students attending school or school related activities in a DOE building.

Acceptable proof of vaccination is one of the following:    

An acceptable COVID-19 vaccination includes one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine fully authorized or authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO.

 

Testing

Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms. In addition, each staff and student will receive 4 tests per month to take home. These tests can be used by school families for testing due to symptoms, exposures, high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings) and can give staff and students immediate results.

In-school PCR surveillance testing will not be a part of the 2022-23 school year. To find a city-run testing site, visit nyc.gov/covidtest, text “COVID TEST” to 855-48, or call 311.

 

Daily Health Screening

Daily health screeners will no longer be required to enter DOE buildings including MS 50. Adult visitors will still be required to show proof of vaccination in order to enter.

Health Protocols

 

Face Coverings

Masking- Face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn when indoors. Masks will be made available at the school for all those who need/want them.

  • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when:\

    • Returning to school on the sixth day after testing positive for COVID-19, through day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier, including when traveling on a school bus.

    • Entering the school medical room, nurse’s office, or school-based health center.

    • Exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school.

  • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are strongly recommended to wear a mask:

    • When they were exposed to someone with COVID-19, whether the exposure occurred in school or outside of school. The person should wear a mask for 10 days after their last day of exposure and get tested at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure.

    • When they are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised, and masking is recommended by their healthcare provider.

    • In crowded indoor settings

 

Handwashing and Sanitizing

Students and staff will have opportunities throughout the day to wash their hands thoroughly, with a consistent supply of soap and disposable paper towels always present. Additional hand sanitizing stations will be present in every classroom, the building entrance, and all hallways.

 

Physical Distancing

As of Monday, March 7, 2022 there are no requirements for social distancing in public spaces, including classrooms, cafeterias and auditoriums.

Building Protocols

 

Ventilation

All rooms used by students will have adequate ventilation through a combination of AC units, open windows, and at least two air purification units. Our custodial engineers consistently monitor and update all mechanical ventilation in the building, including the installation and upkeep of MERV 13 filters throughout our ventilation system. There are ten industrial-strength air purification units in the cafeteria. The DOE has also published a detailed room-by-room ventilation report which is available online.

 

Cleaning

All classrooms in the building will be cleaned and disinfected daily. Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes will be available in every classroom.

 

Isolation Room

Any student who exhibits symptoms while at school will immediately be directed to our school nurse and overseen in our nurse’s suite, which will be our isolation area.

Confirmed Case Protocols

 

Knowing the importance of in-person learning, all of the protocols listed above will serve to keep students in classrooms as much as possible. Students who exhibit symptoms and test positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine and all close contacts will be notified and provided with free, take-home rapid tests to continue their participation in in-person learning.

 

Quarantine Guidance

Take-home testing is now used in place of full classroom quarantines. When a case is detected in school, all students and staff who are in close contact with an infectious individual will:

  • Be given a take-home test kit containing two tests free of charge

  • Take two tests, at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure.

    • If the test result is negative and they are not displaying symptoms, students and staff can return to school without any required quarantine

    • If the test result is positive, students and staff must report the positive result to the school and should immediately begin their isolation. See guidance on timing below.

  • All exposed individuals should monitor for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after their exposure. If symptoms begin, they should not attend school and should isolate and get tested for COVID-19 again right away.

Isolation Period

All students and staff should stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses and get tested for COVID-19. If you test positive, the isolation period for students and staff with a positive COVID-19 test result is five days. Students and staff can return from isolation on Day 6 if they have no symptoms or their symptoms are improving. Students returning from isolation on Day 6 must wear a well-fitting mask such as a KN95, KF94, or a cloth mask over a disposable surgical mask on Days 6–10.

Please be aware that any child (in any grade) who has completed their isolation period is NOT required to show proof of a negative test result before being allowed to return to school or work.

Anytime a positive result is received from a home test, those who test positive must isolate for 5 days following the first positive result. Please contact us immediately to report the test results.

 

School Closures

Schools will be closed only when it is determined by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) that there is widespread transmission in the school. With the health and safety measures in place, we expect that school closures will be limited.

 

Tracking Confirmed Cases

All confirmed positive cases are reported to the DOE’s Situation Room and are communicated directly to the families of all exposed students. All cases at MS 50 can be found on our COVID-19 homepage. For an up-to-date list of all current confirmed positive cases within the DOE, you can visit the Daily COVID Case Map.