FAQs About the JBS Plan

Leaders at the national, state and county level have communicated their hopes that more students return to school. The Journal of American Medical Association published an article by three CDC scientists suggesting that students are safer at school than those who study remotely and that there has been virtually no transmission from students to teachers. Other recent studies (medRxiv.org; Wisconsin) report similar conclusions. 

About 90 percent of independent schools in St. Louis are back on campus, all using very different models. Some are in pods, some are attending half-days, and some are under-enrolled (so they have lower density). An increasing number of public school districts are offering daily in-person learning, again using very different models. 

Our head of school and school nurses meet weekly with heads and nurses from independent schools throughout St. Louis to consult with infectious disease doctors from Washington University. The Wash U doctors report that they are not seeing transmission in schools when people are masked and socially distanced. In fact, they report that rates are higher for students who are at home than they are for those at school, largely because of the constant supervision schools can provide.

We invited our seniors back to campus full time in late February, and the 7th and 9th grades after spring break. Given the success of their return, which confirmed the effectiveness of our safety protocols, we welcomed the rest of the student body to return in mid-April.

That is absolutely fine. We want everyone to be comfortable. It is important that students/families keep their principals apprised.

During the spring, any family which decides to transition from remote to on-campus learning must notify their principal at least one week in advance, and the principal will confirm their return date.

As currently planned, we will discontinue the hybrid learning model at the end of April—when all of our seniors will have completed classes and students in other grades will all be welcome to either learn remotely full-time or return to campus full-time. As soon as your family makes a decision, please notify your principal. It is very, very important for our teachers to know who will be attending class in person and who will be attending remotely.

Some schools have brought more students to campus by adhering to a three-foot standard, and data shows that this does not seem to pose a significant danger. However, at schools that have done so, the number of students who have had to quarantine has been high because less than six feet is deemed close contact. In our model, when everyone complies with six feet of social distancing, we can avoid requiring more students to quarantine.

Whenever possible, students are in their assigned classroom. When class size exceeds room capacity (maintaining six feet of social distancing), students Zoom from another location on campus, which in many cases is a nearby classroom. We have developed a rotation to minimize the number of days any student Zooms into a given class. An exception to our standard is in our science labs, where students may be closer together and are required to double mask.

We have increased supervision in common gathering areas and continue to remind the kids that failing to mask and/or social distance is not an option.

Fourteen days remains the CDC’s gold standard (and here’s a link to the CDC’s quarantine page). St. Louis County still requires 14 days, and we will continue to follow our County’s guidelines.

The CDC recently announced that those who are fully vaccinated (which means two weeks after they have received their second dose) do not need to quarantine, even if they’ve been identified as a close contact. At this time, St. Louis County still requires quarantining even if someone has been fully vaccinated, but this guideline is under review.

As we have shared throughout this public health crisis, we must continue to be responsive and adjust our plans to safeguard the health and safety of our community.
             
There are a number of situations that might cause us to move to all-remote learning, which include, but are not limited to the following:

• If we find that there is spread of the virus at school which lets us know that our mitigation plans need to be refined;
• If there are positive cases among many different grades and cohorts;
• If the local case counts, positivity rates and R numbers in our area are all on a steep rise;
• If St. Louis County issues a stay-at-home order or other more restrictive policies;
• If a significant percentage of our community cannot attend school because of quarantine restrictions, flu-like symptoms, or other reasons.

Buildings 
Only students, faculty and staff may enter school buildings. Exceptions may be made by appointment only.

Grounds 
Members of the JBS community (students, parents/guardians, alums, faculty, staff) are welcome to use our outdoor facilities—as long as they are masked and model appropriate social distancing. Except for approved athletic competitions, our grounds are closed to outside groups. 

Buildings open at 7:30 am.

The Athletic Center, Commons and Haertter Hall close at 7 pm (but the doors are locked at 6:30).

The Brauer Building & Schnuck Wing close at 6 pm.

The STAR building closes at 5:30 pm, and the library closes at 5:30 pm, Monday through Thursday, and at 3:30 pm on Friday.

School buildings are not open on weekends or in the evenings except with adult supervision of organized activities.

First of all, everyone is expected to attend! Whether a student is on campus or at home, they should attend class. Class recordings are a fallback—not an alternative—to attending class. We are trying to create routine and responsibility, and watching a video is rarely as helpful as actively taking part in a lesson.

When students are absent—whether from on-campus or at-home learning—for an unplanned reason, parents/guardians should call the front office before the start of the school day. When students have a planned absence from school, they should notify their teachers via email with a copy to their principal.

Students, faculty and staff have been given individualized links to a daily online screening form which they should complete before coming to campus.

Everyone verifies their daily online screening and undergoes a temperature check before being admitted to indoor spaces. 

Any student, faculty or staff member who is sick or displays symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home to prevent the spread of illness. Anyone with a fever of 100.4ºF or higher must stay home.

Every day, assembly is livestreamed to students, faculty and staff. 

Seniors attend assembly in Haertter Hall. All others watch assembly in their first-period classrooms.

Students learning remotely watch from home.

Lunch is outside whenever possible. On days when weather forces us indoors, students eat in large designated areas allowing for social distancing.

• Boxed lunches are available from multiple assigned pick-up points to reduce crowding, and there is a designated pick-up spot for students who need allergen-free meals.
• Students may pick up lunch on days they are learning remotely, or they may pick it up the day before.

Fruit (wrapped when necessary) is available throughout the day in the Snack Shack.

The junior-senior snack is distributed at check-in every morning.

Students should bring a charged laptop to school each day for use in the classroom and free periods. They should also bring headphones with a mic.

By the end of each week, teachers post the following week's assignments on Canvas, our learning management system. Students should use Canvas to access their assignments as well as their Zoom invitations for class each day.

Students should remember to check their Burroughs email every day.

Students may bring personal cell phones to campus, but they cannot use their phones during the academic day. Phones in the front office are available to leave messages or make calls.

Whenever a student does not feel well—for any reason— please do not send them to school. If they're supposed to be on campus, please call the front office. If they feel well enough to attend classes remotely, great. If they don't, we are recording classes which will help anyone who misses school because of an illness.

If a student has a known exposure (see CDC guidelines below) to a positive COVID-19 case within the past 14 days, a new respiratory illness and/or symptoms of COVID-19, are quarantining or are waiting for COVID-19 test results, they absolutely must stay home.

If any of these apply, please notify the school.

COVID-19 SYMPTOMS INCLUDE

• Fever or chills (100.4ºF or greater)
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

The CDC continues to provide updates as it learns more about COVID-19.

CDC guidelines define exposure for an individual as having close contact (less than six feet for 15 minutes or more) with

• a person with COVID-19 who has symptoms (in the period from two days before symptom onset until they meet criteria for discontinuing home isolation; can be laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness)
• a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (laboratory-confirmed) but has not had any symptoms (in the two days before the date of specimen collection until they meet criteria for discontinuing home isolation)

Even if you have no symptoms but have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, the CDC recommends:

• Stay home until 14 days after last exposure and maintain social distance (at least six feet) from others at all times.
• Self-monitor for symptoms.
  • Check temperature twice a day.
  • Watch for fever (100.4ºF or greater), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
• Avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
• Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

Students, faculty and staff have been given individualized links to a daily online screening form which they should complete before coming to campus.

Everyone verifies their daily online screening and undergoes a temperature check before being admitted to indoor spaces. 

Any student, faculty or staff member who is sick or displays symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home to prevent the spread of illness. Anyone with a fever of 100.4ºF or higher must stay home.

I THINK OR KNOW I HAD COVID-19 AND HAD SYMPTOMS.
You can be with others after (all must be true):

• At least 24 hours with no fever (without medication) and
• Symptoms have improved (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and
• At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared.

I TESTED POSITIVE BUT HAD NO SYMPTOMS.
If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after:

• 10 days have passed since you had your positive test

If you develop symptoms after testing positive, follow the guidance above for “I think or know I had COVID, and I had symptoms.”

I HAD COVID-19 OR TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AND I HAVE A WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM DUE TO A HEALTH CONDITION OR MEDICATION.
If you have a weakened immune system (immunocompromised) due to a health condition or medication, you might need to stay home and isolate longer than 10 days. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.

I HAVE HAD CLOSE CONTACT (LESS THAN 6 FEET FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES) WITH A PERSON WITH COVID-19 OR A PERSON WITH COVID SYMPTOMS.
It is important to remember that based on the time it takes to develop the illness, anyone who has close contact with someone with COVID-19 must stay home for 14 days after exposure. A negative COVID-19 test does not reduce the 14-day quarantine.

Also, if you have been in close contact with anyone experiencing COVID-like symptoms, please stay home until that individual has been cleared by their healthcare provider.

I AM NOT FEELING WELL (NON-COVID-19).
Remain home until:

• You feel better and symptoms have improved.
• You have no fever (temperature reading of less than 100.4º F) for 24 hours without using medication to lower fever

If a student, contact school nurse Casie Tomlinson (314.993.4045 ext. 209). 

If an employee, contact assistant business manager Mary Bieker (314.993.4045 ext. 247).

During the school day

• Faculty and staff members who become sick with COVID-19 symptoms will be sent home immediately. Students who become ill at school will be sent to a safe and separate space in the nurse’s office until they can be picked up. Parents, guardians and emergency contacts must remain outside the Clayton Road entrance for their child, and call Casie when they arrive. Any other family members at Burroughs will be sent home at that time. Anyone who is sent home due to symptoms of COVID-19 should follow up with their primary healthcare provider and must follow our guidelines for returning to school (see previous question).
• If a student needs to visit the nurse’s office, but is not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, they will enter the office via the athletic training room door and will be assisted in an area that is separate from those students presenting with COVID-19 symptoms.

At home

Students, faculty and staff who become sick with COVID-19 symptoms at home or who have a positive COVID-19 test should stay home and notify Casie/Mary about their situation. 

We expect that from time to time, there will be positive cases in the community, and when that occurs we will be as transparent as possible while working to honor the privacy of the individuals affected.

To protect student, faculty and staff privacy, no identifying information about a student or staff member who tests positive will be released to the community. However, the school needs to notify county health officials and will ask for cooperation from anyone who has tested positive in identifying those they may have come in close contact with (less than 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) in order to complete contact tracing. The school will notify any students, faculty or staff identified as having been in close contact with the individual as part of the contact tracing process and provide information on next steps. Again, the individual will not be named.

Burroughs will communicate with families and staff about positive cases among students, faculty and staff, but will not disclose the names of those impacted. We will complete contact tracing, and take appropriate quarantining steps for the impacted student, faculty or staff member, per CDC guidelines and in conjunction with St. Louis County Health Department.

To protect student, faculty and staff privacy, no identifying information about a student or staff member who tests positive is released to the community. However, the school will need to notify county health officials and will ask for cooperation from anyone who has tested positive in identifying those they may have come in close contact with (less than 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) in order to complete contact tracing. The school will notify any students, faculty or staff identified as having been in close contact with the individual as part of the contact tracing process and provide information on next steps. Again, the individual will not be named.

Burroughs will communicate with families and staff about positive cases among students, faculty and staff, but will not disclose the names of those impacted. We will complete contact tracing, and take appropriate quarantining steps for the impacted student, faculty or staff member, per CDC guidelines.

Working with health department officials, we will determine whether the school will need to close temporarily for cleaning and disinfection. Parents/guardians, faculty and staff will be notified accordingly.

During any school closing, we will pivot to 100 percent remote learning until we can return to campus.

During school closures, extracurricular activities, athletics and all events will be canceled. 

Our middle schoolers are engaging in skill work, general exercise and fun during 7th and 8th periods, Monday through Thursday, when they are attending school on campus. If you do not want your children to participate in this program, please contact Meridith Thorpe or Alan Trzecki.

Students who are remote learning may participate in the Fitness Training Course published on Canvas.

We will sponsor opportunities in boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls track, girls soccer and baseball from mid-March through mid-May. 

NOTE: If you have questions about PE uniforms, please contact Hollie Cosentino.

Upper school athletics are optional for the 2020-2021 school year. Throughout the spring, we will follow St. Louis County's very clear guidelines for health and safety with regard to youth sports.

For the spring season, we will participate in competition. At this time, Burroughs is allowing 2 spectators per athlete for all sports/activities with the exception of track. Unfortunately, spectators are not allowed for track meets per county guidelines.