Health & Safety

The health and safety of our students, staff, and families is our highest priority. Ferndale School District is closely monitoring this situation and is in frequent contact with public health authorities. As we are not experts in this area, we rely on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), the local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for information and guidance. You can get the most current available information at michigan.gov/coronavirus.

Updated Guidance 2022-2023

Please note that these new COVID-19 protocols were developed following the guidance of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Oakland County Health Department (OCHD). Requirements may change as conditions evolve – such changes could include the presence of a new variant that increases the risk to the public, or an increased number of cases that strains the healthcare system. A high number of cases in a specific classroom or school building could also alter requirements on those directly impacted.

All Ferndale Schools

Mitigation Strategies to Reduce COVID-19

Promoting Vaccination

Achieving high levels of COVID-19 vaccination among eligible students as well as teachers, staff, and household members is one of the most critical strategies to help schools safely continue full operations. Ferndale Schools continues to recommend that our community follow the guidance of the CDC regarding vaccination for all eligible students, staff and community members.

Stay home if you are sick

It remains district policy that if your child is sick, please report their absence to school and keep them home until their symptoms have improved. If a fever is present, stay home until you are fever free for a period of 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

If your child or someone in your home is awaiting COVID-19 test results, please do not allow them to attend school or school related activities until they have the results of the test.

Improving Airflow

We will continue to take steps to improve airflow to the extent possible. These steps will increase circulation of outdoor air, increase the delivery of clean air, and dilute potential contaminants.

Masking

Masking will be voluntary and not required to start the 2022-2023 school year. All students and staff members who wish to wear a mask are encouraged to do so.

It is encouraged (but not required) that those who have a known or suspected exposure to COVID-19 should wear a well-fitting mask or respirator around others for 10 days from their last exposure, regardless of vaccination status or history of prior infection.

Testing

According to the CDC testing is no longer required to determine the end of isolation or mask use following COVID-19 infection. Due to this change from the CDC Ferndale Schools has discontinued our daily testing clinic.

Limited testing will be available for students or staff who become symptomatic while in school or who require a test to participate in certain school sponsored activities. These tests are conducted FREE OF CHARGE for our students and staff.

Isolation/Quarantine Guidelines

If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID 19 they will isolate for 5 days after the onset of symptoms and can return to school when they are fever-free for 24 hours (without taking fever reducing medications) and symptoms have improved. A negative test is no longer required for students or staff to return to school.

Quarantine is no longer required for students/staff who are exposed to someone with COVID-19. Ferndale Schools highly encourages students and staff members who are exposed to COVID-19 to monitor for symptoms and to stay home if they become symptomatic until their symptoms improve and they are fever free for 24 hours (without taking fever reducing medications).

COVID-19 Notifications

Families will be notified by email if there is an "outbreak" of COVID-19 in their students' classroom, on their bus, or sports team. A K-12 school-associated outbreak is defined as an educational institution that has been found by their local health department to have multiple cases of COVID-19 comprising at least 10% of students, teachers, or staff, within a specified core group, AND that these cases are epidemiologically linked to the school setting or a school-sanctioned extracurricular activity.

COVID Testing Authorization Form

Now In MISTAR

Parents & Caregivers of Ferndale students can now use MISTAR ParentConnect to provide consent for COVID-19 Antigen Testing.

PDF Document COVID-19 Antigen Testing Authorization MISTAR Instructions

What To Do After Exposure (or Possible Exposure)

Isolation (With known infection)

Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must stay home regardless of vaccination status or history of prior infection for 5 days.
If symptoms have improved or no symptoms developed the student/staff member can now return after 5 days.
Additionally, if you have a fever, stay home until you are fever free for a period of 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

Household Exposure

Monitor symptoms for 10 days.
It is recommended (but not required) that you wear a mask around others (at school) for 10 days following exposure.
If you become symptomatic please stay home until your symptoms have improved and you are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Important Steps to Take

Be Responsible

Preventative Hygiene is the most important step to protect yourselves.

Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.
1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
Limit or avoid contact with people who are sick.
Stay home if you are feeling sick. Even if your symptoms are not similar to COVID-19, you may still be exposing yourself to unnecessary risk in your health-compromised state.

Be Considerate

Be sensitive to neighbors from varying backgrounds, treating everyone equally and respectfully. No race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation makes someone more likely to carry or communicate this disease. The world health organization has declared COVID-19 is a pandemic. The viral disease is not isolated to a particular country, and it is vital that we avoid stereotypical assumptions or discriminatory actions.