COVID-19: Information & Resources

Yes. Every student, faculty, and staff member who is not learning or working remotely will be required to test for COVID-19 at GFA after winter break. Anyone who is not tested on campus will be required to submit proof of a negative test result before returning to campus. GFA will also require COVID-19 testing after MLK and Presidents’ Day weekends and after spring break.

If you are unable to participate in on-campus testing, you will need to submit written proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test prior to the resumption of in-person learning. The timing of the PCR COVID-19 test is contingent upon travel and potential exposure over the course of the breaks, so please contact Kathleen Raby, RN, if you have specific questions (kraby@gfacademy.org).

Nucleic acid tests such as reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests are the only acceptable testing option. Neither rapid antigen tests nor antibody tests for COVID-19 satisfy the testing requirement.

In line with the new Connecticut State policy, GFA now requires all students and employees who spend more than 24 hours outside of Connecticut, except for New York, Rhode Island, and New Jersey, to self-quarantine for 14 days when they return to Connecticut. The current level of transmission of the coronavirus in the place of destination does not exempt an affected traveler from the self-quarantine requirement. 

The Connecticut State Travel Advisory allows any affected traveler to be exempt from the self-quarantine requirement if they test negative for COVID-19 using a PCR test that was administered 72 hours prior to arrival in Connecticut or later. At GFA, we ask that as a rule, affected travelers who pursue this exemption wait 72 hours after their return to Connecticut to be tested, and to stay home while awaiting test results. Positive test results should be reported to the school via Kathleen Raby, RN, (kraby@gfacadmy.org). 

If a member of your family travels to an affected state, as determined by the State of Connecticut, we ask that you follow state guidelines.

Saliva tests allow a patient to spit into a tube rather than get their nose or throat swabbed. Saliva tests may be more comfortable for some people and safer for health care workers who can be farther away during the sample collection.  The nurses on site will have swab tests available as well for anyone who prefers that testing method. You can indicate your preference when you check-in on the testing day.

In an effort to further enhance the health and safety of those on the GFA campus, GFA has incorporated periodic PCR saliva testing to complement our virus transmission mitigation measures and to identify and isolate asymptomatic carriers of the novel coronavirus. This protocol will allow us to respond promptly to a positive case, minimize the presence of COVID-19 on campus, and maximize our ability to remain open for in-person learning throughout the 2020-21 academic year. We will continue to monitor and maintain all CDC-recommended health and safety protocols throughout the 2020-21 academic year.

Yes — students who plan to be on campus will be required to complete the saliva test.  If a student does not participate in the testing program or produce their own negative COVID-19 PCR test, they will not be permitted on campus and will need to engage in our hybrid learning program.

Students who are not tested at GFA will not be permitted on campus until they have been cleared via a diagnostic PCR test. Results of antigen tests (commonly referred to as "rapid tests") will not be accepted due to the possibility of false negative results.

Upon arrival on campus, there will be a team of medical professionals to help you navigate the process. On the day of the testing, we ask that you bring a copy of your insurance card, front and back.

• The testing team will provide you with clear instructions and will help you every step of the way.

• The test requires students to submit a vial of saliva. The vial itself will be provided on-site by the testing company.

• There will be a final location for you to drive up to and submit your saliva sample before exiting the campus.

The average time you will spend getting through the drive-thru is approximately 5-10 minutes.

Everpoint and its lab partner created systems and protocols that meet and exceed all HIPAA privacy protections afforded every individual. There will be limited transmission of personal information (student's birth date and identification number assigned by GFA) in connection with a student's test sample. Saliva samples will be used for COVID-19 testing only. Only approved GFA administrators will be able to view testing results.

Our testing program relies on the school knowing test results so we can manage individual positive cases and the potential impact of community spread. All test results will be kept in strict confidence and not disclosed to any other parties. Please note that on average, test results will be provided to GFA one to two days after the saliva sample is collected.

Greens Farms Academy will absorb the costs associated with the testing program, which include laboratory analysis and additional infrastructure to support implementation so no out-of-pocket costs will be incurred by families. However, in an effort to reduce the economic impact to GFA, we ask that if you have insurance, to please provide your insurance information on the day of the test. Please note that if your insurance carrier does not cover the cost of the tests, the school will be billed directly. If your family does not have insurance, or if you have an insurance-related question, we're prepared to help. Please contact Jennifer Campbell, CFO.

Sign-up information will be sent to you via email in the week leading up to each break. 

Testing is a requirement so that we can further enhance the health and safety of those on the GFA campus. Absent any necessary compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students whose families do not consent to testing, or produce their own negative COVID-19 PCR test, will be moved to hybrid learning. Parents or guardians requesting an accommodation of this nature should make their request in writing to the Rapid Response Team.

Everpoint Health develops tailored COVID-19 testing solutions to meet the needs of day and boarding schools, colleges, universities, businesses, and other organizations. Everpoint Health is the sister company to Greenwich Medical Partners.

Further information can be found on their website: www.everpointhealth.com.

We welcome your questions or concerns. Please submit comments or questions to the Rapid Response Team. We will either respond personally or update our FAQ.

All families are encouraged to monitor for symptoms daily.

The single most important step to take if any symptoms¹ of COVID-19 are evident is to STAY HOME. Our collective health relies, in part, on individual attention and responsibility.  Note that some symptoms of COVID-19 are the same as the flu or a cold; please do not assume it is another condition. WHEN IN DOUBT, STAY HOME. 

In contrast, if an individual is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, home isolation will be required until the individual is recovered.  Clearance to return to school would be based on a combination of factors: time since the first appearance of symptoms, time without fever, clinical improvements, and guidance from the individual’s physician. Our practice in this area will be guided by the local and state health authorities.

• If any GFA faculty or staff member or student should become symptomatic during the school day, they will be sent to the isolation room which will be staffed by school personnel and be required to leave campus as soon as possible.

• Any symptomatic community member will then be directed to follow up with their physician.

• If the community member is tested, any positive result for a COVID-19 test will be reported immediately to the school, and we will then employ our reporting protocol to the Westport/Weston Health District as mandated by the Town and the State.

• Any community member with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will isolate at home and follow the direction of their physician and the protocols of the local and regional health departments.

• A communication will be sent to families whose students have been in close contact with a positive case, notifying them that a positive case has been identified, without naming the individual student (or faculty/staff member), and that testing is recommended.

• In instances of multiple cases of confirmed COVID-19 in the school at one time, or if there are a series of single cases in a short time span, school leaders will work the Westport Weston Health Department and the State to assist them in their determination of whether it is likely that there is transmission happening at the school.

¹COVID-19 symptoms range from asymptomatic to a combination of one or more of the following symptoms: fever (100.4 degrees F or greater) or chills, 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, and diarrhea.

Current guidance from the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Department of Public Health recommends that schools monitor the following key symptoms of COVID-19: 

• Feeling feverish, measured temperature of 100.4 F or above

• Chills 

• Uncontrolled new cough 

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 

• Loss of taste or smell

• Keep your child at home

• Notify Kathleen Raby, RN (kraby@gfacademy.org) and 

  • Maureen Fracassini (mfracassini@gfacademy.org) in the Lower School 

  • Carolyne Skiba (cskiba@gfacademy.org) in the Middle School 

  • Teresa Furegno (tfuregno@gfacademy.org) in the Upper School 

• Call your doctor to get a diagnosis. Please do not schedule a COVID-19 test without a referral from your doctor. 

• Update the school on the diagnosis by emailing Kathleen Raby, RN. 

• Your student can return to school with a doctor’s note provided that symptoms significantly improve (e.g. the student has been fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medications).  

• Without a doctor’s note, the student should quarantine for 14 days.

COVID-19 patients can present a number of additional symptoms such as runny nose, congestion, muscle or body aches, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and fatigue. While these symptoms are related to COVID-19, they are nonspecific and might have alternative causes. 

For example, if you child has a runny nose but no fever, we encourage you to:

• Keep your child at home. 

• Notify the Kathleen Raby, RN (kraby@gfacademy.org) and 

  • Maureen Fracassini (mfracassini@gfacademy.org) in the Lower School 

  • Carolyn Skiba (cskiba@gfacademy.org) in the Middle School 

  • Teresa Furegno (tfuregno@gfacademy.org) in the Upper School 

• Your child can return to school after symptoms significantly improve (e.g. the student has been fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medications). 

• Notify the school nurse Kathleen Raby, RN (kraby@gfacademy.org) immediately upon diagnosis.

• Isolate your child for 10 days since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. 

• Before returning to school, your child should be fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medications. 

Close contact with someone with the COVID-19 virus is defined by the CDC as an individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. (For more information on the definition of "close contact," click here.)

• Notify the school nurse Kathleen Raby, RN (kraby@gfacademy.org) immediately. 

• All close contacts can return to school after 10 days of self-quarantine since their last exposure provided that

  • they test negative for COVID-19 with a PCR test administered no earlier than 72 hours prior to their return, and

  • they present no symptoms without the help of medication. In the absence of a negative PCR test result, close contacts will need to quarantine for 14 days. 

• Notify the school nurse Kathleen Raby, R.N. (kraby@gfacademy.org) immediately. The nurse will guide parents in the necessary next steps, including a visit to a primary health care provider for diagnosis and testing for COVID-19: 

  • Individuals who test negative for COVID-19 can return to school once recovered (24 hours fever free without fever-reducing medication and symptoms improved, or on the advice of a healthcare professional). 

  • Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate until 24 hours fever free without fever-reducing medication and 10 days after the onset of symptoms.  

  • Individuals who are not tested must isolate until 24 hours fever free without fever-reducing medication and 10 days after the onset of symptoms. They can return to school earlier with a note from a healthcare provider with alternate diagnoses.

If an individual presents with at least one COVID-19 symptom during the school day:

• The individual will be instructed to keep their face covering in place (unless there is a medical reason not to do so).
• The individual will visit with the school nurse for an evaluation of symptoms.
• In light of the risks presented by COVID-19 and in the interest of the health and safety of students their families, and GFA’s faculty and staff, if the student presents with one or more symptoms of COVID-19 and there is no definitive, alternative cause immediately identifiable, the nurse will act with caution and treat as a suspected case of COVID-19.
• The individual will be placed in an isolated area, under the supervision of an adult wearing PPE and remaining six feet away, while waiting to leave campus.
• An isolation room has been prepared near the nurse’s existing office space.
• The parents will be notified and must pick up their child within 60 minutes.
• Parents will be asked to consult with their primary healthcare provider for further diagnosis and testing.
• Parents or caregivers and all school employees must immediately notify the school if they or if a member of their household is diagnosed with or is presumed to have COVID-19.

Students in the class of a confirmed source (determined by a positive test result or assessment of a healthcare provider) will be assumed to have been in close contact with the student (or faculty/staff member), and quarantine/testing protocols will be followed accordingly.  

In addition to students in the source’s class (most relevant for lower school, where cohorts can be maintained), the school will identify other close contacts, based on assigned seating charts in subject classes, and scheduled or known activities in which the source has participated. All close contacts will be required to quarantine.

• Should your child show symptoms before coming to school, we ask that you keep them home.

• If appropriate, your child should see their doctor and be tested for COVID-19 before returning to school.

• If able, your child should participate in their classes through Remote Learning.

GFA will work closely with the local Westport/Weston Health District to ensure that we respond in the most responsible fashion when community members develop symptoms, test positive, or are exposed to someone who subsequently tests positive. Best practices in this regard are evolving rapidly, and we will communicate a detailed plan based on the most up-to-date guidance later in August to address, among other things:

• Contact tracing protocols: the Westport/Weston Health District will take the lead with assistance from GFA.
• Communication with families: we will share information transparently, though without naming individuals, to protect privacy.
• Additional protocols for testing, quarantine, and any return to remote learning. 

GFA will not require students to be tested for COVID-19. This position is based on guidance from medical advisors as well as schools that have already reopened. Testing has several limitations and is only valid from the point of the test until that person has come in contact with another individual. 

All members of our on-campus faculty and staff were tested before the start of school and all tests came back negative for the virus. 

We will work diligently to create an environment where we place emphasis on key mitigation strategies and behave as if everyone is an asymptomatic carrier. We will continue to monitor and potentially revise our policy as testing becomes more widely available.

We will, however, recommend testing if an individual presents with COVID-like symptoms.

All staff and students are required to wear face coverings throughout the day except when outside and physically distanced or in designated locations.

• We recommend that every student come to school with two face coverings every day.  

• No gaiters are allowed.

• No slogans and written statements are permitted on face coverings, but we encourage you to label face coverings with your child’s name. 

• GFA can provide face coverings on campus on an emergency basis only.  

• For more general information on face coverings, please refer to the latest guidance from the CDC. 

GFA has created the conditions for physical distancing inside the school. Physical distance means keeping a safe space between yourself and other people who are not from your household. To practice physical distancing, we recommend that all staff and students stay at least 6 feet (about two arms’ lengths) from other people in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Students, faculty and staff will follow a regular schedule of hand cleaning — when possible, with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, and otherwise using an alcohol-based sanitizer. Portable sinks and hand sanitizer stations will be at school entry points, in every classroom, and in other key locations. Hand cleaning will be required prior to entering school, before and after going outside, before and after lunch, and after using the bathroom. 

Parents, friends, and non-essential visitors are not allowed on campus, except for student drop-off and pick-up. All school and/or Parents Association-sponsored events will be virtual, delayed, or canceled at least through September.

Lunch will be delivered to assigned spaces for all students, faculty and staff prepared by an outside vendor, York Street Market, as well as Flik, our Food Service team. No food delivery vendors will be allowed to come to campus.

• Those students traveling by B&B, CTS and Dattco (Town of Westport) will follow the safety procedures implemented by the providers, following guidelines set forth by the State of Connecticut.

• All of our vehicular transportation providers plan to operate van and bus service close to capacity with heightened health and safety protocols, and operators and students are required to wear face coverings.