KIPP DC NEWS

Updated Winter Break Return Plans – Out of Date

PLEASE VISIT THIS PAGE FOR OUR MOST UP TO DATE PLANS

KIPP DC Families,

We hope you’ve had a wonderful Winter Break. We wanted to provide an update on our return to school next week. There are slight shifts to what we previously shared based on new directives from Mayor Bowser.

This is an unprecedented time and we appreciate our families’ commitment to our collective community. The coming weeks are likely to hold unexpected changes and be challenging. In-person learning, with a robust health and safety framework, is vital to students’ long term academic progress. In the coming weeks, we’ll continue to closely monitor District COVID data, strict adherence to our own protocols, and make decisions aligned with public health guidance and grounded in the best interests of our community.

Updated Schedule:

Monday, Jan. 3

Tuesday, Jan. 4

Wednesday, Jan. 5

Thursday, Jan. 6

Friday, Jan. 7

No Instruction, Classes Cancelled for Students

Remote Asynchronous Instruction – teacher will provide details on Monday, Jan. 3

Required COVID Testing Pick Up at Schools:

8:30 – 5 pm

Remote Asynchronous Instruction – teacher will provide details on Monday, Jan. 3

Deadline to Submit Rapid Test Results:

10:00 am

Normal School Day – must show proof of negative test to return

Normal School Day – must show proof of negative test to return

Updated Testing Procedure: 

To minimize the impact of quarantining, KIPP DC will require every staff member and student to have a negative rapid antigen test before in-person learning resumes on Thursday, January 6.

We ask that you pick up a rapid antigen test for your child from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 4. We will share guidelines on how to administer the test at home with you at that time.  Note: high school students may pick up their own tests. We will also permit families to use rapid antigen kits provided by DC Health at area libraries if they are unable to make it to school during our pickup times.

On Tuesday afternoon, you’ll receive a unique link via email to submit proof/a photo of your child’s rapid test results by 10:00 am on Wednesday, January 5. 

If your child tests negative, please submit a photo of their results. They are cleared to return to school on Thursday, January 6.

If your child tests positive, please submit their results and a member of our COVID Response Team will update you on Wednesday with the appropriate quarantine instructions. We will use Wednesday afternoon to ensure that our records are updated and that we are prepared to only permit students with negative results into the school building on Thursday, January 6. 

When we hand out test kits, we’ll also be collecting your child’s insurance information to bring our weekly PCR testing program further into alignment with appropriate protocols. You will not be billed for our routine testing. Routine weekly PCR testing will resume the week of January 10.

The rapid antigen test kit you will receive on Tuesday will have two test kits in it. We ask you to use the second test on the evening on Sunday, January 9 or the morning on Monday, January 10 before returning to school on Monday, January 10.

At-Home Chromebooks:
If your child’s at-home Chromebook is not working for asynchronous learning, please submit a support ticket to our technology team. They will get back to you when they return to work next week.  Swap outs of broken devices will occur on Tuesday, January 4 from 8:30 to 5:00 pm at your child’s school, please still submit a support ticket so we have enough Chromebooks on hand.

COVID Vaccines:
We strongly encourage all families and students over the age of 5 to vaccinate or get a booster if they are eligible. Free, walk-up clinics are held nearly daily around the District, following this schedule. Being vaccinated greatly decreases the chance of getting COVID and fully vaccinated asymptomatic students do not need to quarantine from in-person learning if one of their classmates test positive.  KIPP DC also has several upcoming clinics planned at our schools, RSVP to receive reminder texts.

With gratitude,
KIPP DC Public Schools

Posted on January 1, 2022 in News