If your child is experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms, they should get tested immediately and/or seek guidance from a health care provider. For the purpose of returning to school, they must stay home and isolate until COVID-19 is ruled out as the cause of symptoms.

For students experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms, there are three paths to return to school based on testing, and visiting a health care provider.

Path A: Negative Test

If your child receives a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or an antigen test, they may return to school when:

• It has been at least 24 hours since they had a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine); AND
• They have felt well for at least 24 hours. AND
• You have verbally or physically shared their negative result with us.

Path B: Alternative Diagnosis from a Health Care Provider

If your child visits a health care provider and receives an alternative diagnosis that explains the COVID-19-like symptom(s), they may return to school when:

• It has been at least 24 hours since they had a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine); AND
• They have felt well for at least 24 hours; AND
• The School has received a digital or hard copy of a doctor's note stating the alternative diagnosis.

Path C: Isolate at Home

If you choose to forgo testing or your health care provider is unable to identify an alternative diagnosis that explains the COVID-19-like symptoms, your child is presumed positive for COVID-19 for the purpose of returning to school. They must follow the path to return to school for students diagnosed with COVID-19.

If your child has had close contact with someone with COVID-19, they may continue coming to school as usual, as long as they:

• Do not develop any symptoms of COVID-19; AND
• Can consistently wear a well-fitting mask at all times (except when eating) for 10 days following their date of exposure, unless an exemption to mask use applies; AND
• Get tested on the fifth day after their last close contact, unless the person has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days.

Please note:

• If you choose to forgo testing, your child will need to complete a 10-day quarantine from their last known exposure.
• If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they will need to stay home from school, isolate, and get tested immediately. If you choose to forgo testing, your child will need to complete a 10-day isolation from their date of symptom onset (the date symptoms first appear is day 0).

If your child lives with someone with a current COVID-19 diagnosis, your child is considered an ongoing close contact of someone with COVID-19. The risk of transmission of COVID-19 within the home may be high if isolation and quarantine measures aren’t in place. Your child may continue to come to school, as long as:

• Your family is following CDC guidance for isolation and quarantine in the home; AND
• Your child does not develop any symptoms of COVID-19; AND
• Your child can consistently wear a well-fitting mask at all times (except when eating) for 10 days following their last date of exposure, unless an exemption to mask use applies; AND
• Your child gets tested on the fifth day after their last known close contact, unless they have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days.

Please note:

• If your family cannot follow CDC guidance for isolation and quarantine in the home, your child may test to continue coming to school on a daily basis while your child is an ongoing close contact of someone with COVID-19.
• If you choose to forgo testing, your child will need to complete a 10-day quarantine from their last known close contact with the household member with COVID-19.
• If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they will need to stay home from school, isolate, and get tested immediately. If you choose to forgo testing, your child will need to complete a 10-day isolation from their date of symptom onset (the date symptoms first appear is day 0).

We will support any family who chooses to keep their children home due to an ongoing household exposure. This extra precaution helps limit the spread of COVID-19 from home to School.

If your child has presumed or confirmed COVID-19, they should stay home and isolate from other people for at least 5 full days (day 0 is the first day of symptoms or for asymptomatic students, the specimen collection date from their positive viral test). They should wear a mask when around others at home and in public for an additional 5 days (days 6 through 10). If they are unable to wear a mask when around others, they should continue to isolate for a full 10 days. People who are confirmed to have COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19 need to isolate regardless of their vaccination status.

For students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, there are two paths to return to school based on symptom development.

Path A: Students without Symptoms

If your child has COVID-19 and never develops symptoms, they may return to school when:

• It has been at least 5 days since the specimen collection date of first their positive test (day 0 is the date of specimen collection); AND
• They receive a negative result from an antigen test performed the morning they are scheduled to return to school (day 6); AND
• They can consistently wear a well-fitting mask at all times in the classroom (except when eating), unless an exemption to mask use applies.

Please note:

• If your child tests positive on the antigen test performed the morning they are scheduled to return to school (day 6), they must continue to isolate until day 10 and may return to school on day 11.
• If your child develops symptoms after testing positive, their 5-day isolation period starts over. Day 0 is their first day of symptoms.

Path B: Students with Symptoms

If your child has COVID-19 and develops symptoms, they may return to school when:

• It has been at least 5 days since the first day of symptoms (day 0 is the first day of symptoms); AND
• It has been at least 24 hours since they had a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine); AND
• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving; AND
• They receive a negative result from an antigen test performed the morning they are scheduled to return to school. Testing may be performed at Greensboro Montessori School or a medical testing facility (e.g., CVS, urgent care, pediatrician's office, etc.); AND
• They can consistently wear a well-fitting mask at all times in the classroom (except when eating), unless an exemption to mask use applies.

Please note: If your child tests positive on the antigen test performed the morning they are scheduled to return to school (day 6), they must continue to isolate until day 10 and may return to school on day 11.