Health Services is part of the Department of Student Services.  Here you will learn more about the Health Services program in the Grandview Heights Schools.  It is the goal of Health Services to protect and improve the health of the students and staff in the school community. It is our goal for children to enter the classroom in optimal health and ready to learn. When children miss school due to illness and other factors, they are excluded from the learning process.  If you have additional questions, please contact district nurse, Amy Elliott, RN, at amy.elliott@ghschools.org or by phone at the following numbers:

• Grandview Heights High School - 614-485-4002
• Edison Intermediate & Larson Middle School - 614-485-4102
• Stevenson Elementary - 614-485-4202

News & Announcements

Visit our COVID-19 Analytics and Targeted Surveillance Dashboard

Contact Franklin County Public Health with questions or concerns regarding quarantine, isolation, or other issues by calling 614-525-3160.  

GENERAL REMINDERS & INFORMATION (Posted 3.30.2021)

Please remember that in our all-in setting, students are far more likely to experience close contact with a COVID-19 positive student.  Please take the time to read through this important information.  I wanted to highlight one of the more important components of quarantine procedures below: 

1. In a classroom environment, which also includes the school playground and buses/transportation, a student with an exposed close contact between 3 and 6 feet for a cumulative 15 minutes may still attend school and school related sports/extracurricular activities.  However, the exposed student/staff must quarantine from all other non-school related sports and extracurricular activities.

Quarantine Protocols/Procedures  

Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) have issued new guidance, based on recently acquired data, regarding quarantining school contacts.  This new guidance only pertains to buses/transportation, playground, and classroom settings.  The new guidance impacts our students in two ways:

• Modified quarantine: If a student is exposed to a positive COVID-19 case and placed in modified quarantine, which allows the student to continue attending class, they will also be allowed to continue participating in school-related and organized athletic and extracurricular activities. A modified quarantine applies only for a close contact in a classroom setting with 3 to 6 feet of distance from the infected individual.

• Regular, non-modified quarantine: If a student is exposed to a positive COVID-19 case and placed in a regular, non-modified quarantine, the student would be required to quarantine at home from school and all activities, including athletics, for 10 days. If your student is quarantined, you will receive the specific dates as they apply to your student in the quarantine notification email from your school. A regular, non-modified quarantine would apply for close contact of less than 3 feet of distance in a classroom setting, or any close contact outside of school - including an exposure for any amount of time in a contact sport. Per the FCPH/ODH, individuals may consider ending quarantine after day 7 by obtaining a negative COVID-19 test (PCR or Antigen) on day 5 or later.

In both cases, students should continue monitoring for symptoms until day 14 after exposure. If a student develops symptoms, they should immediately self-isolate and contact their health care provider.

The following information is from ODH’s COVID-19 Fact Sheet.

The below guidance can be used to address COVID-19 exposures in K-12 in-person learning environments. This guidance is supported by recent studies and pilot evaluations, including the Ohio Schools COVID-19 Evaluation, which indicate that the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools may be limited with strict adherence to prevention measures in a monitored environment.

Students and adults in K-12 schools may continue to attend in-person school, even during a normal quarantine period, if the following conditions are met:

• The school has documented COVID-19 prevention policies, including universal mask wearing, social distancing, hand-washing, identification and management of students exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, and routine environmental cleaning and disinfection protocols.
• The exposure occurred within a classroom environment or while on required school transport (e.g., school bus).
• The person with COVID-19 and any associated contacts were wearing face masks that covered their nose and mouth at all times.
• If meals were consumed, a distance of at least 6 feet between students must have been maintained.
• Social distancing was maintained.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines acceptable distancing as a minimum of 6 feet. In accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics, desks should be placed ideally 6 feet apart and at a minimum 3 feet apart. This may be considered for school quarantine considerations (https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/)

The above guidelines only apply to classroom settings, playgrounds and busses. Students should not attend in-person school if they are exposed to COVID-19 outside the classroom, including during sports and other extracurricular activities, regardless of masking.

Further, close contacts should self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following exposure. Any contact who develops symptoms should be isolated away from other students and adults and evaluated for COVID-19. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 may be recommended in coordination with the local health department, school, healthcare provider, or parents or guardians.

Close contacts who continue to attend in-person K-12 school should also follow normal protocols for quarantine when outside the K-12 classroom environment, including staying home and, if possible, staying away from people who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

If COVID-19 testing is warranted, please keep all members of your household home until results have been verified.

As well, the FCPH, partnering with the Emergency Medical Association (EMA), has provided At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits for students, staff and parents/family. The kits will be kept in the clinic and distributed per the clinic staff upon request. The kit is taken home, linked to an app on your phone, and will provide at-home instructions on how to administer the rapid antigen test.

• If asymptomatic, a negative test will be acceptable.
• If at-home testing is done due to COVID-19 symptoms and is negative, a follow up PCR test will be required prior to return to work/school.
• A positive test will indicate the need to isolate for 10 days and will be treated the same as a positive test that was done directly by a provider.

International Travel Recommendations/Requirements

Per the CDC, individuals or families that are returning from international travel are strongly recommended to have a negative test result prior to boarding a flight back to the United States. Please provide a copy of the negative test in advance of returning to school. Per CDC, even with a negative test result, quarantining for 10 days is recommended, and individuals should monitor their symptoms through day 14.

QUARANTINE GUIDELINE UPDATE 3.11.2021

Per Franklin County Public Health (FCPH), as of 3/8/21, the CDC updated the vaccine guidance and is no longer requiring the vaccine to have occurred within 3 months for immunity from quarantine due to COVID exposure. If exposed to COVID-19, it is recommended to still monitor symptoms and if symptomatic, quarantine and  follow up with a physician to determine if testing is warranted.

QUARANTINE GUIDELINE UPDATE 1.19.2021

Dear Students, Staff, and Families,

Based on our local CATS data, established decision framework, Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) recommendations, and our dashboard, Grandview Heights Schools will remain in our hybrid learning model.  Our current district dashboard indicates that our COVID-19 positive and quarantine numbers are low. 

FCPH officials reported today a positivity rate of around 12% down from 14.9% last week. The average number of new cases for Franklin County is approximately 597 down from 704 last week.  This number, 597 per 100,000, represents the total number of new cases per capita for the two-week time period, not a daily average.  Our local CATS Data for our district boundaries is higher than what FCPH is reporting. 

A breakdown of Grandview Heights Schools’ cases and CATS Data can be viewed on the Grandview Heights Schools Health Services page.  CATS Data that is specific to our district attendance area is updated each Friday.  Please note that this is a framework, not a binding decision tree.  We will continue to monitor Grandview Heights Schools’ situation daily.

FCPH extended their “Stay at Home Advisory” and curfew through February 1, 2021.  To read the announcement, visit https://www.ghschools.org/apps/news/article/1360668

New Quarantine Procedures for ALL Schools in Ohio

As mentioned last week, Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) have issued new guidance, based on recently acquired data, regarding quarantining school contacts.  This new guidance only pertains to bus and classroom settings.

School districts and their respective communities should not interpret these new guidelines as a complete overhaul to how schools should manage COVID-19. 

The following information is from ODH’s recently released COVID-19 Fact Sheet.

The below guidance can be used to address COVID-19 exposures in K-12 in-person learning environments. This guidance is supported by recent studies and pilot evaluations, including the Ohio Schools COVID-19 Evaluation, which indicate that the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools may be limited with strict adherence to prevention measures in a monitored environment.

Students and adults in K-12 schools may continue to attend in-person school, even during a normal quarantine period, if the following conditions are met:

The above guidelines only apply to classroom settings. Students should not attend in-person school if they are exposed to COVID-19 outside the classroom, including during sports and other extracurricular activities, regardless of masking.

Further, close contacts should self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following exposure. Any contact who develops symptoms should be isolated away from other students and adults and evaluated for COVID-19. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 may be recommended in coordination with the local health department, school, healthcare provider, or parents or guardians.

Close contacts who continue to attend in-person K-12 school should also follow normal protocols for quarantine when outside the K-12 classroom environment, including staying home and, if possible, staying away from people who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. During this quarantine period, students may not participate in extracurricular activities outside of a classroom environment, such as sports practices or games.

Grandview Heights Schools will be following these new protocols and tracking quarantines in accordance with these new guidelines. 

QUARANTINE GUIDELINE UPDATE 12.11.2020

Public health recommendations for COVID-19 continue to evolve as new scientific evidence becomes available. In alignment with the new Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health information, Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) has updated its quarantine guidance to 10 days from 14 days if no symptoms have occurred (with or without a negative COVID-19 test).  This guidance is effective today, December 11, 2020.  

Per FCPH, any person currently in quarantine will need to continue under the 14 day guidance.  

If in close contact of a person with COVID-19, please quarantine immediately and adhere to these updated guidelines:

• If you have not had any symptoms, self-quarantine may end when 10 days have passed since last contact with the person with COVID-19. 
• All close contacts should continue to monitor for symptoms and assure proper mask wearing for 14 days after close contact with a person with COVID-19.
• All residents are advised to continue mask wearing, keep social distancing, avoid large gatherings, and frequently wash your hands.

COVID-19 SYMPTOMS

AT-HOME COVID-19 TEST KITS AVAILABE

Franklin County Public Health (FCPH), partnering with the Emergency Medical Association (EMA), has provided At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits for students, staff and parents/family. The kits will be kept in the clinic and distributed per the clinic staff upon request. The kit is taken home, linked to an app on your phone, and will provide at-home instructions on how to administer the rapid antigen test. 

• If asymptomatic, a negative test will be acceptable.
• If at-home testing is done due to COVID-19 symptoms and is negative, a follow up PCR test will be required prior to return to work/school. 
• A positive test will indicate the need to isolate for 10 days and will be treated the same as a positive test that was done directly by a provider. 

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Per the updated recommendations of the CDC and FCPH, if a member of a household has COVID-19 symptoms, the following protocols are to be in place:

• Siblings and housemates should remain home and quarantine until either an alternative diagnosis is provided by the physician and/or there is a negative COVID-19 test result.
• When possible, isolate the family member that is having COVID-19 symptoms until the test results are back. 
• Please provide documentation of the alternative diagnosis and/or negative COVID-19 test result to your child’s school. 
• Once an alternative diagnosis or negative COVID-19 result is received by the principal/school nurse, the sibling/staff member may return to school/work. 

• If the COVID-19 test is positive, that member of the household should isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms. 
• Other members of the household will begin their 14 day quarantine from the last known contact (less that 6 feet distance for accumulated 15 minutes of time) with the positive COVID-19 person. 

In the event of a student being “exposed” or in “close contact” to the positive COVID-19 case in the school setting, the parents/guardians will be notified by a district employee involved in the investigation. The school health officials, with the assistance of the building principal, will work together to investigate any potential “close contact exposure” (i.e., contact tracing) based on FCPH guidelines. All positive COVID-19 cases are reported to the Franklin County Public Health department. The health department will also notify anyone who has met the definition of “close contact/exposed,” in the event of a close contact situation outside of the school setting that might lead to exposure.

When there are confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the district, the district is mandated to send communications to our families.  Please see below for the levels of communication when such a situation occurs:

Response Protocol for Sick or Positive COVID-19 Students or Staff

What To Do When Your Child Has COVID-19 Symptoms?

CDC Contact Tracing Infographic

Hand Washing Guidelines

Can’t say it enough. Whether or not you get a flu shot, the best way to keep any disease from spreading is hand washing. Children should be taught to wash thoroughly:

• Before eating or handling of food.
• After using the bathroom.
• After cleaning up their rooms or toys.
• After touching any animal including family pets.
• After coughing, sneezing or blowing their noses.
• After being outside playing or working.

Immunization Requirements - 7th and 12th Grade

The immunization requirement for 7th grade states that prior to entry into 7th grade all students should have 1 dose of Tdap (Adacel) and 1 dose Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4).  Watch for the information sheet in the monthly newsletter. This dose is to be given during the Middle School years. The 7th Grade Immunization Requirement Form is below. 

The immunization requirement for all students entering the 12th grade are required to receive 2 doses of the Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4) prior to entry into the 12th grade.  The second dose of the vaccine must be administered on or after the 16th birthday.  There must be at least an eight week time span between the first and second dose.  If the first dose of the vaccine was administered after the 16th birthday, a second dose is not required.  The 12th Grade immunization Form is below.