Health & Safety - KIPP Chicago Public Schools

Health & Safety

Post-Holiday Testing: KIPP Chicago is planning for another round of post-holiday testing after Winter Break. Testing kits will be ready before we leave for winter break. More information coming soon!

The health and safety of our community are our top priority at KIPP Chicago Public Schools. We are committed to providing our students and staff with a safe and joyful in-person learning environment and will continue to follow CDPH guidance, and make necessary adjustments accordingly. On this page, you will find helpful information about COVID-19.

The City of Chicago’s local COVID-19 community level is medium and respiratory virus activity (influenza, RSV, common cold) continues to increase.

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How To Protect Yourself

There are many ways your actions can help protect you, your household, and your community from severe illness from COVID-19.

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What To Do If You’re Sick

If you’re sick or have symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested immediately and isolate until you know your results, even if you are fully vaccinated.

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How to Get Tested

KIPP Chicago continues to partner with SHIELD IL for weekly screen testing. Testing will now be unobserved allowing students to test at home.

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How to Protect Yourself

The best way to keep you and your child safe from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Vaccines are safe, effective, and available to everyone ages six months and up. To find a vaccine appointment, you can search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.

La mejor manera de mantenerlo a usted y a su estudiante a salvo del COVID-19 es vacunarse. Las vacunas son seguras, efectivas y están disponibles para todas las personas a partir de los seis meses de edad. Para encontrar una cita para vacunas, puede buscar en vacunas.gov, enviar un mensaje de texto con su código postal al 438829 o llamar al 1-800-232-0233.

Know How it Spreads
The virus that causes COVID-19 primarily spreads between people in close contact when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. You might also get the virus if you touch something with the virus on it, and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Get Vaccinated
The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Find your vaccine at www.zocdoc.com/vaccine or call 312 746 4835. Learn more at www.chi.gov/covidvax.

If you’re not vaccinated, take everyday preventative actions
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Put 6ft of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household
Wear a face covering when in public and around others
Avoid large gatherings and crowded spaces
If you’re sick, stay home except to get medical care.

Protect Children and Vulnerable Members

  • The best way to protect children and vulnerable members of the household is for everyone in the home to get vaccinated. Currently children age 6 and older can be vaccinated.
  • Teach children the same things everyone should do to stay healthy. Children and other people can spread the virus even if they don’t show symptoms.

Separate a Household Member Who Is Sick

  • Keep people at higher risk separated from anyone who is sick.
  • Have only one person in the household take care of the person who is sick.
  • Provide a separate bedroom and bathroom for the person who is sick, if possible.
  • If you need to share a bedroom, separate the ill person’s bed.
  • If you need to share a bathroom, clean and disinfect the frequently touched surfaces in the bathroom after each use.
  • Maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other family or household members.
  • If you are sick, do not help prepare food. Also, eat separately from the family.
  • If you are vaccinated, it is much less likely that you will get sick while taking care of someone who is sick.

Learn more at Centers of Disease Control & Prevention.

What To Do If You’re Sick

To report a student illness of COVID-19, please complete this form. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the COVID Nurse at your school campus or email, INSERT TITLE, Ms. Herrera at mherrera@kippchicago.

Para informar sobre la enfermedad de un estudiante con COVID-19, complete este formulario. Si tiene alguna pregunta o inquietud, comuníquese con la enfermera de la escuela o mande un correo electrónico a la Señorita Herrera a mherrera@kippchicago.

If a student tests positive that homeroom will be required to mask for 10 days following the positive result. Once a positive case takes place in a homeroom, masking for that homeroom is not optional, all students and staff will be required to use a mask at all times throughout the day (except while eating breakfast or lunch).

Positive Result:
Infected individuals are required to isolate for 5 days at home and remain masked on days 6-10 upon their return. Individuals may return to school after completing their required isolation period, symptoms improve and do not have a fever for at least 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medications).

Symptomatic:
Individuals exhibiting symptoms will test with the Nurse to determine if s/he is infected with COVID-19. Any student who is sick should remain at home until s/he feels better to return to school.

Isolation Period:
Based on our most recent guidance, the date of the test is considered day 1 of an individual’s isolation period. Since SHIELD tests were collected on Wednesday, individuals may return on Monday unless they are symptomatic and are still taking fever-reducing medication. Please ensure messaging is aligned when communicating to staff and families of positive cases.

Quarantine:
The term quarantine was previously used to keep someone who might have been exposed away from others. Individuals will no longer need to quarantine, but are required to wear a mask on days 1-10 after exposure. Rapid testing will be available upon request by parents for students who are exposed. Only close contacts will rapid test (nasal swab) on Fridays with the Nurse in the CARE Room. Rapid testing will be administered with a filed consent form to the Nurse.

Isolation:
The term isolation is used to separate people infected with the COVID-19 virus away from people who are not infected. These individuals can have symptoms or no symptoms (asymptomatic) when they test positive for the virus. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status are required to complete 5 days of isolation and mask upon return on days 6-10.

Masking:
While masking is optional, there are instances in which masking is required through Day 10. Those include:

  • When there is an exposure to a positive COVID-19 case in a homeroom (masking for 10 days).
  • When a student returns to school after 5 days of isolation due to a positive case of COVID-19 (masking on days 6-10).

Exposure:
When there is an exposure to a positive COVID-19 case in a homeroom the entire class will be masked through day 10 and only close contacts will test twice after being exposed. Students who were exposed to COVID-19 will rapid test on Friday then again the following week for unobserved testing.

Parents/Guardians of students who are exposed to COVID-19 may request an additional rapid test to administer at home.

How To Get Tested

KIPP Chicago has resumed our regular COVID testing schedule with SHIELD Illinois. We will continue to test students who are not within the 90-day window and who have consented to rapid tests at school. 

Please Note:

  • If you do not want your student to participate in COVID testing please complete this opt-out form, if you have not already submitted a response. 
  • Individuals who tested positive between July 1 – Sept 6 are allowed to test.
  • Individuals who tested positive from Sept 6 through present day should not test to avoid any false positive results.

KIPP Chicago reanudará su programación regular de las pruebas de COVID. Continuaremos evaluando a los estudiantes que no estén dentro del período de 90 días y que hayan dado su consentimiento para las pruebas rápidas en la escuela.

Tenga en cuenta

  • Si no desea que su estudiante participe en las pruebas de COVID, complete este formulario de exclusión, si aún no ha enviado una respuesta.
  • Los individuos que dieron positivo entre el 1 de julio y el 6 de septiembre ahora pueden tomar la prueba. 
  • Los individuos que dieron positivo a partir del 6 de septiembre hasta ahora no deben realizar la prueba para evitar resultados falsos.

Weekly Schedule

  • KIPP Academy Chicago, KIPP Academy Chicago Primary, KIPP One Academy, and KIPP One Primary
    • Monday – receive unobserved testing kits
    • Tuesday – bring sample collected to morning homeroom at school
  • KIPP Ascend Middle School, KIPP Ascend Primary, KIPP Bloom College Prep and KIPP Bloom Primary
    • Tuesday – receive unobserved testing kits
    • Wednesday – bring sample collected to morning homeroom at school

Instructions: Please follow the testing instructions (tutorial video) and return the sample collected with the contents provided in the kit within 24 hrs (with the exception of the funnel). WARNING: Keep away from extreme temperatures. Do NOT freeze or leave in your car.

  • Follow the unobserved testing instructions or tutorial video.
  • Individuals who tested positive between July 1 – Sept 6 are allowed to test.
  • Individuals who tested positive from Sept 6 through present day should not test to avoid any false positive results.
  • If your child tested positive for COVID over the weekend, please complete this form so we can remove students from taking a SHIELD test to avoid any false positive results. 

If you do not want your student to participate in COVID testing please complete this opt-out form, if you have not already submitted a response

Test will be rejected if your sample looks like any of the following:

Before providing a sample in the test tube, please make sure saliva does not include mucus, coffee, blood, mouthwash, water, or any other substances.

La prueba sera rechazada si se parece a cualquiera de las siguientes muestras:

Antes de proporcionar una muestra en el tubo, asegurese de que la saliva no contenga mucosidad, cafe, sangre, enjuague bucal, agua o cualquier otra sustancia.

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