Frequently Asked Questions

Please immediately notify health@wornickjds.org if someone in your household tests positive. An administrator will respond with next steps. At this time, if the student is positive, they must isolate for 5 days. They may return to school six days after the onset of symptoms or positive test (the first day being day 0 if they meet the following conditions:

• They are asymptomatic.
• They take two consecutive antigen tests (on separate days) on day 5 or later and have a negative result. For example, tests should be taken on days 5 and 6, or 6 and 7.

If someone in the household is positive and your student has a negative test, the student must quarantine for five days following exposure and test on day 5 or later if they are unable to isolate from the positive individual. They may only return if they are asymptomatic, have a negative test, and clearance from an administrator through health@wornickjds.org. 

A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet of the positive individual for 15 minutes in a 24 hour period. This can be inside or outside.

Please immediately notify health@wornickjds.org. They will provide you with instructions on next steps. Testing will be required regardless of vaccination status.

Individuals who are exposed, regardless of vaccination status, may continue attending school as long as they: Are asymptomatic; wear a well fitting mask for 10 days following the date of the last exposure, except when eating; isolate from the positive individual (assuming the positive individual is household contact); test on day 5 following the last date of exposure unless they have had COVID-19 in the past 90 days; and monitor for symptoms. If symptoms develop they should isolate and get tested.

Please email health@wornickjds.org and advise of any symptoms. Testing will be required if anyone in the household is exhibiting symptoms. Please wait for the Head of School or Assistant Head of School to respond to you before bringing your child to school.

Our Health and Safety Committee has created standards and protocols that are set forth in our detailed Health and Safety Plan. The plan focuses on vaccines, masking, health & hygiene, ventilation, and testing.

Wornick also implemented mandatory COVID-19 testing for teachers, staff, and students. Cadence will depend on current conditions. Detailed testing information can be found on our Student Testing Resources page. 

Hot lunch will be available this year. More information can be found on our Hot Lunch page. Students eat with their cohorts and are monitored to maintain distancing. Students have lunch and snack outside. Lunch tables are sanitized between cohorts. 

We know that students benefit from in-person learning both educationally and in their social emotional development. We are focusing on in person learning. Limited remote learning will be allowed should a student need to quarantine with Covid symptoms or because of an exposure.

If it is tech related, please email Corine Brouwer at tech@wornickjds.org. If you or your student need clarification on an assignment, please email your teacher.

We believe our program is safe and goes above and beyond all guidelines. We are prioritizing on campus learning for the benefit of our students. If you have to quarantine for any reason related to COVID-19, or you have other minor symptoms, you will be able to Zoom into the classroom. This year, we will not be sending home materials, students will just be listening to the instructor. The parent must notify the main office at info@wornickjds.org and the homeroom teacher. Parents must continue to notify the teacher and office if a student must stay home for the above reasons and qualify to Zoom into the class.

Remote learning is not allowed for vacation or travel of any kind. However, if students have to quarantine post-travel, they will be allowed to Zoom into the classroom during those days. If a student is ill with symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or other major symptoms, please have your student take a sick day. They should not be on Zoom in that circumstance.

Wornick requires vaccines for all students aged 12 and up, including a booster. For students turning 12 during this school year, we are requiring that they be fully vaccinated within three months of their 12th birthday. Students 12 and above seeking an exemption should email health@wornickjds.org to request additional information. Students 12 and above who receive a medical, religious, or personal belief exemption for the vaccine will need to comply with certain restrictions for participation in school programming. It is important to note that once the state rolls out their vaccination requirements, (leading up to the first semester after full approval), there may be changes to the requirements or exemption process. Unvaccinated students who receive an exemption will not be allowed to go on school trips involving air travel.

At this time, we strongly recommend students 5-11 who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine receive it.

As of March 21, students and professionals who choose not to wear a mask indoors may remove their masks with some conditions (detailed below).

Students will need to remain masked indoors in a number of circumstances:

• We will allow two classes to be in the Ulam for Tefillah; those students will wear a mask during that time,
• When students are 48 hours post-symptoms but have a negative test and have returned to school, those students will wear masks while they still have resolving symptoms,
• When vaccinated students have had an exposure to someone who has tested positive and have produced a negative test, those students will wear a mask for 10 days.
• After air travel, vaccinated students will need to remain masked indoors for five days. Following CDC guidelines, unvaccinated students will need to quarantine for five days after air travel and need to produce a negative test between days 3-5. 
• Guests on campus who come indoors during school hours will remain masked.

Our health and safety committee also wanted to communicate that we reserve the right to require masks indoors (and potentially outdoors as well), if case rates increase significantly or if our understanding of transmission shifts.

Should the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceed 100, windows and doors will be closed and additional HEPA filters will be added in every classroom to assist with air filtration. PE, recess, lunch, and afterschool sports will be modified when air quality is between 100-150 AQI. Above 150 AQI, school instruction will be remote. As needed, notification of remote classes due to AQI will be sent via email the evening before at 7 pm.

Wornick is continuing a surveillance testing plan to address the possibility of asymptomatic cases in our professional community and our student population. Testing cadence will depend on current covid conditions. Detailed testing information can be found on our Student Testing Resources page.

Gesher, our extended care program after school, will be offered. Students will come from their class, check-in outside and have time for play, snack, and homework outside. A tent will be utilized for homework as well as during rainy days. Gesher will be prioritized as an outdoor activity, and inside, high-contact activities will be minimized. Pickup for Gesher will be via sign-up at either 4:45-5 pm or 5:45-6 pm. The main office will send a sign up to all registered Gesher families for them to choose their pickup time. To pick up students from Gesher, please park in the main parking lot and wait at the main gate at your pickup time. Students will be brought down to the gate and released to you. Learn more about Gesher here.

As we did during the 2020-2021 academic year, we will continue to provide transparency to the school-wide community regarding the school’s safety plans and any exposure. Our COVID-19 Safety Plan is accessible at https://www.wornickjds.org/for-our-families/school-year-info. If addendums are added, the school wide community will be notified.