Last Updated: November 16, 2022

COVID-19 Plans & Protocols

We are grateful to begin this school year in very different place from last fall and with a full complement of campus programs and activities. While there will be COVID cases in our community, the goals of our protocols are to prevent an outbreak, keep as many students and teachers possible on campus for teaching and learning, and maintain school operations as normal as possible.

The following protocols are based on the recommendations of the Pasadena Public Health Department and build in layers of mitigations at the beginning of the year during significant community transmission and following the summer travel season. Protocols will be reviewed frequently and updated as possible, and as needed, within the changing status of community spread within the local and Westridge communities.

We appreciate your flexibility and your adherence to community protocols. Should you have any questions regarding Westridge COVID-19 protocols, please contact Chief Finance & Operations Officer Linda Ross at lross@westridge.org.

如果您有任何疑问，请联系Liz Jin，ljin@westridge.org。

Campus Visit Protocols

Vaccination

All eligible students and employees are required to be up to date on all COVID-19 vaccines for which they are eligible by the August 24 start of school. Students not yet eligible for a booster based on the timing of their second shot should provide documentation of full vaccination when they are eligible. Please upload your students’ vaccination confirmation to their Magnus Health accounts as soon as possible, either via the app or online.

If you have outstanding questions about the vaccines, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health webpage or contact your physician.

PROOF OF VACCINATION

Please upload a photo of each student’s vaccination card to their Magnus Health account (under the "Immunization" section) at your earliest convenience. (Even if you previously noted vaccination status in your child’s account, we need to have a photo of the vaccination card.) Please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@westridge.org with questions about the Magnus Health app.

EXEMPTION

Families may request a medical or religious exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Please email notification of your request to Westridge Chief Financial and Operations Officer Linda Ross lross@westridge.org by August 15. You will be provided a form to complete and return with required documentation to the school for review and decision.
Students who receive exemptions will be required to isolate at home if they are a close contact of a person with a diagnosed case of COVID-19 or in the case of a COVID-19 outbreak on campus.

Masking Requirements

Indoor masking at Westridge is strongly recommended but not required.

This policy is based on support from Pasadena Public Health (PPHD), which is not mandating the use of masks indoors at this time while community levels (which impact hospitalizations) are low. However, because transmission rates remain high in Los Angeles, PPHD continues to recommend wearing masks indoors when possible.

Please note one exception to our updated protocol: indoor masking (N95, KN95, or KN94) is required for 10 days for close contacts of a diagnosed case of COVID-19.

Symptom Screening

Families must check students for symptoms at home each morning and keep students experiencing any symptoms at home.

Although we no longer require families to input symptom check results on the Magnus Health mobile app, it is imperative that families maintain the practice of daily symptom tracking. Students who arrive to school with symptoms will be sent home.

Symptom screening questions (PDF)

As per our broader, non-COVID-related sick policy, if students are ill they should stay home to recover and to help keep others healthy. Regarding potential symptoms, if any of the identified symptoms are a result of allergies or another non-contagious illness, then the student may come to school. If the identified symptoms are UNEXPLAINED, the student should stay at home. Unfortunately, any one of the listed symptoms can be the start of COVID-19 illness and should be treated with reasonable concern.

Testing

PCR Testing

On-campus PCR testing has ended as of October 25. Students may not come to school if they are sick or exhibiting any symptoms of COVID—students will be sent home if they exhibit any symptoms.

We will continue to work with Pasadena Public Health and will remain flexible should testing protocols need to be re-instated due to changes in community transmission through the fall and winter months.

Protocol for Thanksgiving Break: Rapid Testing

All students and employees should take a self-administered COVID-19 rapid test before returning to campus following break. To facilitate this, Westridge will provide two (2) COVID-19 rapid tests to each student and employee before break.

Tests need to be administered on Sunday, November 27, or within 24 hours of the individual's return to campus. (Those who have had COVID in the past 90 days do not need to test.)
Send only positive results to healthoffice@westridge.org. Note: Negative results do not need to be reported.
Stay home if you are feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms.

We are relying on all students and employees to complete a rapid test before returning to campus after Thanksgiving Break. We are asking members of our community to look out not only for themselves, but also for others. Please direct any questions about these health protocols to healthoffice@westridge.org.

Exposure Management & Quarantine

Westridge follows the Pasadena Department of Public Health (PDPH) Exposure Management Plan, and we have trained health professionals and contact tracers on campus every day. Students, employees, and visitors who have had close contact* with an individual who has screened positive for symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will be notified of the potential exposure by the school.

(Last updated on May 10, 2022): Per PDPH guidelines and recommendations, Westridge has moved from individual contact tracing to group contact tracing, and therefore has updated the definition of "close contact." Please see below for our isolation and quarantine protocols.

*A close contact of an infected person is a person who shared the same indoor airspace at school with the infected person for 15 minutes or more cumulatively over a 24 hour period. In large indoor airspaces, those considered exposed may be limited to 1) those in a pre-defined or identifiable group (e.g. teammates, club members, cohort, etc.) or 2) those within 6 feet of the infected person for a cumulative ≥ 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.

Isolation Protocol

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for at least 5 full days following the onset of symptoms or, if asymptomatic, the testing date. This is regardless of vaccination status, previous infection, or lack of symptoms.

Isolation may end only when the student or employee meets ALL of the following criteria:

Completed 5 full days of isolation since symptoms appeared, or if asymptomatic, from the testing date
Fever-free for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications)
Not currently experiencing symptoms or symptoms have significantly improved
Negative rapid antigen test result on day 5 or later
- Students and employees returning from quarantine should report to the health office immediately upon return for an antigen test. Please note that the antigen test must be performed by the school nurse, or by a healthcare professional. We will not accept any home antigen test results.

If the above criteria are not met, individuals need to isolate for a full 10 days from the onset of symptoms or, if asymptomatic, the testing date.

Support for Quarantined Students

For students who must quarantine, we will provide individualized plans and support.

Students who are out of school for 1-9 days due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis should email their teachers to coordinate assignments. Advisors are available to assist students with organizing their workload if they need support.
Students who are out of school for ten days or longer due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis will be contacted by their advisor to coordinate their workload, which may include a combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities.

Quarantine Protocol

If a student or employee is deemed a close contact* to someone who is COVID-19 positive, unless exempt they are required to quarantine for a full 5 days from the last date of exposure.

Individuals are exempt if they meet the following criteria:

Are not currently experiencing symptoms AND
Have completed a full vaccine series AND booster dose if eligible, OR
Have completed a full vaccine series but are not yet eligible for the booster, OR
Have been infected with COVID-19 in the past 90 days

Individuals who are exempt from quarantine should:

Monitor symptoms closely for 10 days post exposure (and isolate immediately if symptoms appear)
Wear a N95/KN95/KF94 mask indoors and outdoors for 10 days post exposure
Get tested 3-5 days after the last date of exposure
Avoid eating and drinking around others

Individuals are required to quarantine for a minimum of 5 days if one or more of the following apply:

Are experiencing symptoms, OR
Are unvaccinated

In order to return to school, these non-exempt individuals are required to:

Be symptom-free by the time they return to campus
Monitor symptoms closely for 10 days post exposure (and isolate immediately if symptoms appear)
Wear a N95/KN95/KF94 mask indoors and outdoors for 10 days post exposure
Receive a negative result from a viral diagnostic test BEFORE returning to school
- Note that we will accept both PCR and rapid antigen tests. If choosing a rapid antigen test, it must be performed by the school nurse or by a healthcare professional. We will not accept any home antigen test results.

Questions?

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT
HEALTH & SAFETY:

Health & Wellness Office
healthoffice@westridge.org

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT TESTING:

Linda Ross
Chief Finance & Operations Officer
lross@westridge.org

Public Health Resources

For general information on coronavirus (COVID-19) and current public health recommendations, visit:

Recent COVID-19 Updates

Click below to view our archive of all email communications sent to families regarding COVID-19.

VIEW EMAILS

COVID-19 Plans & Protocols

Questions?

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTH & SAFETY:

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT TESTING:

Public Health Resources

Recent COVID-19 Updates

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT
HEALTH & SAFETY: