COVID Guidelines 2022-23

As we come back together as a community for the 2022-23 school year, we rely on our values of respect, accountability, and inclusivity to guide us. We know that the SPA community is taking steps both individually and collectively to support the health of our community.

With the return to school in August 2022, we prepare for our third fall of living and learning in a pandemic. Although COVID-19 is still with us and will be for some time to come, we are now moving into an endemic stage and have shifted many of our mitigation strategies and protocols accordingly. For our day-to-day life at school, that means that we will continue with the health and safety measures that we know are most effective for protecting our most vulnerable while providing a vibrant, robust, and consistent learning environment for our students. Our community’s exceedingly high vaccination rates, especially in combination with our HVAC and filtration systems on both campuses, are some of the most effective tools we have in protecting our community from severe illness and moving us closer to pre-pandemic operations.

This website provides a complete overview of our protocols for the opening of the 2022-23 school year and will be updated as the landscape shifts and evolves in the coming weeks and months. Signature pieces of our protocols include:

Mask-optional practices in indoor and outdoor spaces for all students, employees, and visitors to both campuses. Individuals at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 are encouraged to mask while on campus.
Continued monitoring of illness and absences. Although we will discontinue contact tracing and our weekly dashboard, we will be closely monitoring reported illnesses. If and when there are spikes of COVID (or any other illness) in a specific cohort, our Health Assistants will notify and advise families of the best course of action.
Reporting and tracking positive tests. All positive cases of COVID-19 should be reported to your campus Health Office (see "Health Screening, Symptoms, and Reporting," below.
Isolation and quarantine protocols. SPA will follow the CDC isolation and quarantine guidance, which includes isolation following a positive test and a potential return to school on Day 6 after the positive test (or the onset of symptoms) if symptoms have resolved, and masking through Day 10. No testing will be required to return, although testing is strongly recommended.

As we move into this new endemic phase of life with COVID, we will rely even more heavily on individuals and families to take responsibility for their own health and wellness. Every member of the SPA community--students, families, faculty, and staff--should always take their own risk and the risk of those with whom they spend time into account when making decisions about activities and behaviors. We will emphasize individual family choices more than ever this year, and we are grateful to every member of the SPA community for their responsible decision-making and care. We will also continue to follow guidance from the CDC and MDH closely, and urge all members of the community to also stay up-to-date on such guidance.

COVID Protocols, 2022-23

To report a positive COVID case, please email your campus Health Office at GCHealthOffice@spa.edu or RCHealthOffice@spa.edu.

Masks

Masks are optional for all students, employees, and visitors to both campuses. We ask that every individual keep the community in mind when making the decision to mask, and we expect that individual decisions about masking will be respected within the community.
Community members who test positive for COVID will be required to mask on campus following their return to school through Day 10 following a positive test (see "Isolation and Quarantine," below).

Testing

Minnesota’s school testing program, which SPA utilized last school year, has been eliminated by the state; families should test using at-home kits or visiting a community testing center. Our health offices do have a limited supply of at-home antigen tests, which can be sent home with students who are exhibiting symptoms.
Students who experience COVID-19 symptoms (or symptoms of other illnesses) while at school will be sent to the Health Office for an assessment and families will be contacted regarding next steps if appropriate.

Health Screening, Symptoms, and Reporting

Please note that all personal or identifying information related to health screening, protocols, contact tracing, and community notifications will be kept confidential. SPA community members have a right to privacy, and certain data points outlined above must be collected for the health and safety of the entire community. Screening data will not be shared with outside third parties. SPA has identified specific steps to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of community members during this pandemic.

All families should monitor their students’ health daily and keep them home from school if they are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. The CDC has compiled this helpful list of symptoms.
We also ask that families report when a student has tested positive for COVID-19 or is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Please email your campus Health Office at GCHealthOffice@spa.edu or RCHealthOffice@spa.edu and a Health Assistant will reach out to you for more details.
We will not be contact tracing or sending immediate notices of confirmed cases, but will actively track and monitor our community’s overall health.

Isolation and Quarantine

SPA will follow the CDC isolation and quarantine guidance for students testing positive for COVID-19.

Students and adults who test positive for COVID must isolate and stay home from school immediately after their positive test or the emergence of symptoms. The day of the positive test or the first day of symptoms is considered “Day Zero.”
Individuals may end isolation after 5 full days, and return to school on Day 6 if symptoms have resolved.
Upon return to school after isolation, masking will be required at school through Day 10.
Those who continue to experience symptoms should not return to school until they have fully recovered and symptoms are no longer present.
A learning plan may be put in place for students who must isolate or quarantine due to COVID. We will work closely with students on an individual basis when such situations arise, as we would for students who must miss school for any type of illness or family circumstance.
Consistent with current CDC guidance, SPA will not require quarantine following a potential close contact exposure. However, we strongly encourage those with a high risk of exposure to consider wearing a mask and/or testing in support of the health of the SPA community.
No testing will be required to return, although testing is strongly recommended.
We will provide alternative lunch seating for students on campus between Day 6 and Day 10 being sensitive to the needs of the student returning and the CDC recommendations.
We ask for parent/guardian support to help children know what to expect when they return to school after isolation.

covid-19 planning and response team, 2022-23

The COVID-19 Planning and Response Team is made up of academic and administrative leaders from across the school's divisions and units. The team is advised by Dr. Paul Anderson, who serves as the school's Medical Director, and Carol Grady, a licensed school nurse who advises SPA through the St. Paul Public School district.

Dr. Luis Ottley, Head of School
Dr. Jill Romans, Assistant Head of School for Student Development and Community Engagement
Dr. Cindy Richter, Assistant Head of School for Academic Programs
Beth Nelson, Lower School Principal
Virginia Andres, Middle School Principal
Ken Jaffe, Interim Upper School Principal
John Cole, Director of Operations and Security
Christie Jansen, Director of Finance
Courtney Barker, Director of Human Resources
Garry Clum, Director of Technology
Ami Berger, Director of Communications
Mary Hill, Director of College Counseling and Academic Planning
Rick Johns, Interim Athletic Director

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