Coronavirus 2021-2022
Marin Academy is tracking news and information related to the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it may impact our community. This page provides information and resources for MA families and will be updated as the situation evolves.
Public Health and State Resources
- Marin County Public Health, CDC, & Marin County Office of Education Resources
- California Department of Public Health Resources
- CA Safe Schools for All
- Home Test Kits
- Vaccine Information
Marin County Public Health, CDC, & Marin County Office of Education Resources
- Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines (live document that is frequently updated) - change the name to match document name
- Marin County Public Health
- Exposure Notices from Marin County Public Health:
- May 12 COVID-19 Update - English Spanish
- Marin County SMARTER Schools Plan (English and Spanish)
- Visit MCOE Rethinking Schools Website with updated information
California Department of Public Health Resources
CA Safe Schools for All
Parent Page: Safe Schools for All - move this under the CDPH above
Home Test Kits
MCPH encourages everyone to have a stockpile of home test kits on hand. FEMA funds will be expiring soon and home test kits may become very difficult to find again, so please stock up now while supplies are available.
- Please order your allotment of 8 tests per member with your commercial (employe) provided insurance. Many allow this program free of charge and without having to submit forms or pay out of pocket.
- Order your test kits via USPS. Each order now includes 8 rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
- Please do not dispose of expired home test kits, many are still good far beyond their expiration date.
Vaccine Information
The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks. Rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) in adolescents and young adults have been reported more often after getting the second dose than after the first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. These reactions are rare; in one study, the risk of myocarditis after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech in the week following vaccination was around 54 cases per million doses administered to males ages 12 through 17 years. In general, adolescents ages 12 through 17 years have a higher risk for myocarditis than children ages 5 through 11 years. Therefore, we are not sure if the cases of myocarditis that occurred after COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents will predict the cases that could occur in children after COVID-19 vaccination.
Interim Clinical Considerations
Marin Academy Updates
- TW@MA Update
- May 20, 2022: COVID Update
- May 18, 2022: Masking Update
- January 27, 2022: COVID Update
- January 14, 2022: COVID Update
- January 7, 2022: COVID Update
- January 5, 2022: COVID Update
- December 14, 2021: COVID Update
- December 3, 2021: Updated Basketball COVID Protocols and Testing
- November 19, 2021: COVID Update
- November 2, 2021: COVID Update
- September 9, 2021: New On-Campus Guidelines
- August 13, 2021: Updated COVID-19 Protocols
TW@MA Update
COVID Guidelines |
Marin County is now experiencing a second Omicron wave. MCPH advises that attending in-person gatherings or events carries a risk of exposure to COVID-19. To keep our community safe, we now require masks indoors in all MA buildings and at all MA functions. This temporary measure is in place to ensure that we can host the end-of-year gatherings and traditions that we hold so dear. Masks will also be required for all attendees at indoor events, meetings, and gatherings. In addition to masking:
- We strongly recommend taking an at-home test on the day of the event and testing again 5 days after the event.
- Students should stay home if they have ANY symptoms or test positive, and upload all tests to Primary.Health (both positive and negative).
- Parents/guardians can confidentially self-report home test results here.
- If event guidelines are different from the above, they will be indicated in that event's description.
Test Kits
- As a reminder: If you have commercial health insurance (e.g., through an employer), each enrolled member is eligible to get 8 tests every 30 days, free of charge and without paperwork or upfront costs. Show your insurance card at your regular pharmacy. Kaiser members can also go to Rite Aid and Safeway. MCPH advised to stockpile tests as much as possible for future needs.
- USPS is now offering a third round of COVID-19 test kits - 8 per residence.
May 20, 2022: COVID Update
Good Afternoon MA, Our return to indoor masking has been smooth as we find ourselves again adapting to the rising tide of COVID-19 transmission in our community. Our goal is to hold as many of our end of year celebratory community events, including graduation, as possible while considering health and safety. We are grateful for your continued flexibility and willingness to take the extra steps to protect our community’s health. We have a few other new safety measures and important reminders to share this afternoon. We’ve opened up passive zooming options for all students. We continue to request that students communicate their plans to Zoom into class with their teachers, and Zoom links will be posted on Canvas. Please note that passive zooming will generally be a less robust experience than attending class in person. On Monday, May 23 all students must take a home test in the morning and upload their results to Primary.Health before 8:30 a.m. We distributed test kits today through advisory groups. All Primary.Health results will be checked, and students will not be allowed in class if they did not test on Monday and upload their results to Primary.Health. We are adjusting our end-of-the-year schedule to respond to our current health and safety needs. More detailed information will be shared next week, but please take note of the following schedule changes.
Below are the critical pieces of information to remember:
Thank you for your continued support and patience. We will be sending out additional information as soon as possible. With gratitude, |
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May 18, 2022: Masking Update
Para ver este mensaje en español, haga clic aquí. |
Dear Marin Academy Community, As you likely read in yesterday's TW@MA, a new, more contagious subvariant (BA.2), has caused a second Omicron wave in Marin County. We are seeing increased case counts at Marin Academy as well, and we would like to direct you again to the universal exposure letter from MCPH. You can also find more information on our Coronavirus Updates page. To ensure our community’s safety during this surge, we will require masks indoors in all MA buildings and at all MA functions beginning tomorrow, Thursday. This temporary measure is in place to ensure that we can host the end-of-year gatherings and traditions that we hold so dear. The café will remain open, and students will still be able to take down their masks to eat or drink in the café and in the classroom. We will continue to have masks available in the front office for those who need them. Masks will also be required for all attendees at indoor events, meetings, and gatherings. As we mentioned in TW@MA, MCPH advises that attending in-person gatherings or events carries a risk of exposure to COVID-19. To keep our community safe, we strongly recommend taking an at-home test on the day of the event and testing again 5 days after the event. Below are the critical pieces of information to remember:
We truly appreciate your support and adherence to these guidelines. We anticipate these measures will be temporary as we navigate this current spike of coronavirus in Marin County. If you have any questions please reach out to our COVID-19 Coordinator, and review the most current content on our website. Thank you again, |
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January 27, 2022: COVID Update
Dear Marin Academy Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff,
As you may have seen yesterday in the news, Marin County has eased the COVID-19 restrictions in schools. With that, we are eager to share our updated policies that will allow us to return to having parents and visitors back on campus for after-school activities, along with returning to in-person, full school events.
- We’ve been able to pivot back this week to in-person, all-school assemblies that feature senior speeches and student announcements.
- For events with under 500 people, we will no longer be verifying vaccination status. Please make your own risk assessment when attending in-person events.
- Everyone must wear a mask at all times indoors. Properly fitted upgraded masks (N95, KN95, or KN94) provide the highest level of protection. Well-fitting surgical masks and double masking a cloth face covering worn over a surgical mask also offer enhanced protection. Single cloth masks provide the least protection and are not recommended.
- Masking is no longer required outdoors but is encouraged especially when around others in crowded situations.
Below are some of the on-campus events we are excited to welcome you to:
- The end of the winter sports season is coming up, and we’d love everyone to cheer on the Wildcats as they contend for the playoffs. Our girls and boys basketball teams have home games and senior night festivities on Friday, January 28 at 5:45 and 7:45 p.m. respectively. Boys soccer plays University at home Friday, January 28 starting at 3:15 p.m.
- We hope you will join us for the Advanced Bands Concert on Wednesday, February 16 - Friday, February 18. Information on how to purchase tickets will be available on the website in the upcoming week.
- The Winter One Act Play Festival is on March 10, 11, 17, and 18. Ticket information will be on the website in February.
We are delighted to bring our community back to campus and hope you will join us for an upcoming event. Go Cats!
Sincerely,
Lynne Hansen
Marin Public Health, CDC & Marin County Office of Education Resources:
- Marin Public Health: (https://coronavirus.marinhhs.org/schools)
- Visit MCOE Rethinking Schools Website with updated information (https://bit.ly/MCOERethinkingSchools)
- Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines (live document that is frequently updated)
- Exposure Notices from Marin County Public Health:
- Universal Marin Schools COVID-19 Exposure Notice | Omicron Surge 1/14/22
- MCPH Omicron Update January 24, 2022
January 14, 2022: COVID Update
To view this message in Spanish, click here . |
Dear MA Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students, Thank you for your continued patience as guidelines and policies from Marin County Public Health (MCPH) are changing rapidly. We have been experiencing a high volume of calls and emails which is causing delays in our replies. On Wednesday, MCPH announced a major shift in policies. Dr. Matt Willis shared that MCPH policies have been designed for prior COVID-19 variants. With our current understanding of the importance of keeping students in school and the widespread nature of Omicron, MCPH is now removing barriers to student attendance and easing the strain on school resources. Indeed, MCPH believes that we are all exposed. We, therefore, must continue to wear masks indoors, stay home, and test at the onset of symptoms. The following changes will be implemented: Exposures that occur in the classroom are now no longer considered to be high risk exposures nor are they considered close contacts. Marin Academy will discontinue sending in-school exposure notices. Any individual who tests positive must still notify the school and isolate for 5-10 days. However, the positive individual will now be responsible for notifying their own close contacts. We define close contacts as people with whom you live, eat lunch, carpool, and anyone else you’ve spent time with (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes, masked or unmasked). Athletics guidance has also changed, but athletic exposure notices will continue for athletic close contacts. Please see the most recent communications from MA athletics regarding updated guidance and exposures and spectators. The Isolation and Quarantine Guidance from MCPH evolves constantly. If you have been exposed or tested positive please refer to this document. MCPH has removed the 14 day post-booster criteria and the majority of restrictions from attending school. Students who have symptoms of COVID-19, are sick, or have tested positive must stay home until they have received clearance from the COVID-19 Coordinator to return to school. All students and staff are required to have their boosters by March 1. Upon receiving the booster dose all students and staff will be considered fully-vaccinated and up to date. Students and Staff received a home test kit this week. These home test kits are to be used for symptomatic testing, clearance testing after testing positive, or for exposure testing only. Results of ALL HOME TESTS (whether a school test or one purchased at a store) need to be uploaded to Primary Health with a photo. If you lost the personalized link, find it here at Primary.Health. Using Zoom for Classes It’s time to upgrade your masks. N95, KN95, KN94 are the best, but you can also wear a surgical mask under your cloth mask or at a minimum a medical-grade surgical mask. Wear masks in carpools and when around others outside. Our MA community has now spent nearly two years navigating this pandemic; we’ve continued to work together for the greater good and remain steadfast in our commitment to protect one another. Even with the ongoing complexities of new variants and changing policies, we will continue to move forward into a future where we can gather again safely. Warmly, Travis |
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January 7, 2022: COVID Update
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January 5, 2022: COVID Update
Para ver este mensaje en español, haga clic aquí.
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December 14, 2021: COVID Update
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December 3, 2021: Updated Basketball COVID Protocols and Testing
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November 19, 2021: COVID Update
Dear MA Community,
As we head into the holiday season, I want to take a moment to share some thoughts and offer another update on our COVID-19 policies. Every year around this time, before I even begin to plan my family’s Thanksgiving meal, I find a moment of stillness to reflect on the past year. Last year, in the grips of the second wave of COVID-19, our community had only been together a handful of times and the majority of our precious human connections were marked by distance. Filled with gratitude, this year I’m savoring the normalcy of school life we’ve been able to create. We recently filled the MA Theatre with applause during the incredible fall production of The Arsonists. Our gym has been bursting with cheers as several teams have been able to compete in playoffs again. None of this would have been possible without our entire community’s commitment to care. We have come together, followed safety protocols, and we are thankful for our ability to share the following updates with you.
Upon our return from Thanksgiving break, students will no longer need to fill out the daily health assessment on the Ruvna app.Instead, students must self assess every morning before they leave for campus. If you, or your student, is presenting any signs or symptoms of any illness they should not come to school. COVID-19 symptoms are not the only symptoms to consider as you self assess. We are asking for your partnership here—please do not come to school sick. We need anyone with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher to stay home until they have been fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for a minimum of twenty-four hours. If you become symptomatic at any time you should immediately test.
Additionally, parents and visitors to campus will no longer be required to fill out a health assessment. Parents and visitors will still need to check-in, show proof of vaccination each visit, and wear a mask indoors on-campus. Again, if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses do not come to campus.
As I mentioned in my previous communication, we are delighted to be able to offer expanded COVID-19 testing on campus. Many of our staff, myself included, are now certified as testers in the California Department of Public Health K-12 School Rapid Testing Program. We’d like to again encourage our community to sign up for Primary Health in order to support this effort. We will be holding open testing on Thursday and Friday, December 2 and 3, for students who have traveled over break, as well as those who would like to test. You may also book on-campus testing at other times, including PCR testing, by contacting the COVID-19 coordinator, Brett Laronde.
As a reminder:
- If you have traveled out of state, MCPH strongly recommends you to get tested for COVID-19 on day 5.
- If you have traveled out of the country, we require a COVID-19 test on day 5.
- If you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated there are different requirements. Please check with the COVID-19 coordinator, Brett Laronde.
MCPH and CDPH have recently revised policies around Molecular/PCR/NAAT testing (formerly referred to as PCR). Molecular/PCR/NAAT tests continue to be required for high risk activities including some sports, dance, theater, singing, band, music, etc. as listed in the testing policy and procedures.
Lastly, vaccine boosters have now been approved for anyone over age 18. We strongly recommend getting your booster shot. You can find information about getting a booster here. Please stay safe over the break and we look forward to seeing you upon your return.
With gratitude,
Travis Brownley
Head of School
November 2, 2021: COVID Update
Para ver este mensaje en español, haga clic aquí.
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,
With the holiday season fast approaching, I would like to update you on our COVID-19 policies and procedures. With our community’s high vaccination rates and attentive care of our health and safety, we’re predicting a slow and deliberate reduction of restrictions as the school year progresses. That said, please continue to stay vigilant in hand washing, indoor mask use, filling out your Ruvna accurately, and staying home if you have any COVID symptoms.
Here are some outlines of new or relevant policies to keep in mind:
- Masks are no longer required outdoors. It is a personal choice, and we welcome continued use for high-risk individuals or those who feel more comfortable wearing masks. Masks are still needed indoors.
- We are delighted to share that our on-campus testing capacity is expanding. We anticipate holding a free drop-in testing clinic on day five after Thanksgiving break. To do this, we will soon share additional testing information, including new permission to test forms for our new COVID-19 testing partner. We appreciate your continued support, and we expect this will be a great benefit to our community.
- The availability of FDA/EUA approved home test kits has grown considerably, and we accept both PCR and antigen tests. We highly recommend picking up an antigen kit or two to have on hand. Having one on hand will allow you to test quickly and easily if symptoms appear. The tests below are home antigen test kits available at CVS/Walgreens/Target etc.:
- We recognize that some families will want to travel, especially for the holidays. When returning from out-of-state travel, all students should report their recent trip on Ruvna. Based on recommendations from the CDC and MCPH, Marin Academy strongly recommends everyone test (antigen or PCR) on day five upon return from out-of-state travel. These test results should be sent to Brett Laronde. All out-of-state travelers should continually monitor for symptoms for 14 full days after returning home and immediately isolate and test for COVID-19 if symptoms develop.
- Unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated individuals may attend school and ride the bus but will be under modified quarantine for 8-11 days. Marin Academy requires these individuals to test (antigen or PCR) on day five upon return from out-of-state travel. These test results should be sent to Brett Laronde. During modified quarantine, you may not participate in high-risk activities/classes such as dance, music, theater, athletics, band, singing, and any extracurricular or co-curricular activities. Students who test negative on day 5 may exit modified quarantine on day 8. Visit the Travel P&P on MyMA for additional details.
- For international travel, all students should report their recent trip on Ruvna. Marin Academy requires a test (antigen or PCR) on day 5 after international travel for everyone. These test results should be sent to Brett Laronde. Upon return from international travel everyone must monitor for symptoms for 14 full days after your return home and immediately isolate and test for COVID-19 if symptoms develop.
- Unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated individuals may attend school and ride the bus but will be under modified quarantine for 11 days. Marin Academy requires these individuals to test (antigen or PCR) on day five upon return from out-of-state travel. These test results should be sent to Brett Laronde. During modified quarantine you may not participate in high-risk activities/classes such as dance, music, theater, athletics, band, singing, and any extracurricular or co-curricular activities. Visit the Travel P&P on MyMA for additional details.
- Unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated individuals may attend school and ride the bus but will be under modified quarantine for 11 days. Marin Academy requires these individuals to test (antigen or PCR) on day five upon return from out-of-state travel. These test results should be sent to Brett Laronde. During modified quarantine you may not participate in high-risk activities/classes such as dance, music, theater, athletics, band, singing, and any extracurricular or co-curricular activities. Visit the Travel P&P on MyMA for additional details.
I’m genuinely grateful for this community. This ongoing pandemic has tested all of us in different ways, yet we have found that the Marin Academy community has continued to be responsive and responsible when considering the health and well-being of our community as a whole. We are grateful for your patience, care, and commitment.
With gratitude,
Travis
Staying Safe from COVID-19 While Traveling
Great Way to Have a Safe Holiday Season:
- Reduce the risk of anyone in your group getting seriously ill
- Avoid infections that would lead to quarantine or other disruptions
- Avoid spreading an infection to others, especially vulnerable persons
4 Easy Steps:
- Vaccinate all eligible people in your household (and get your flu shot, too!)
- Stay home if you are sick
- Test before celebration (antigen test day of the gathering)
- A positive is a positive - stay home
- Test after gathering (antigen Test 5 days after gathering or sooner if you develop symptoms)
September 9, 2021: New On-Campus Guidelines
Dear Families,
We are so grateful we have been able to welcome our students back to campus safely, and we hope your school year is off to a fantastic start. COVID-19 continues to be a serious public health issue, and this pandemic is not over. Our goal is to keep school open and our community safe. We continue to consult with Marin County Public Health (MCPH) and Marin County Office of Education (MCOE), as we pivot and adjust to new data and information. At assembly today, I shared the new guidance with students. Below are the current changes that we are implementing:
- Students will eat and drink outdoors only, although they may continue to sip water with straws under their masks in class. We expect students to maintain a distance of six feet when they are actively eating and drinking.
- We will continue to have an open campus; however, students must distance themselves at lunch. Marin Academy has an incredibly high vaccination rate; therefore, we avoid having assigned seats at lunch. Should we be required to have assigned seating at lunch, we will likely need to change our schedule. Let’s avoid that!
- We are reducing the number of people who can gather together indoors. Through public health and scientific guidance we’ve determined caps on the number of people in indoor communal spaces, including the library, during lunch, and tutorial. We are moving large class meetings outdoors.
If you are looking for information about testing or updated quarantine guidelines, our MyMA Resource Board contains detailed COVID practices and protocols.
I thank you for your cooperation in reminding your student to do their Ruvna each morning before leaving home, taking health precautions in daily life, and keeping students home from school if they have even the mildest symptom. Your partnership is invaluable.
Warmest regards,
August 13, 2021: Updated COVID-19 Protocols
Dear Marin Academy Community,
I hope you have enjoyed your summer and are as excited for the new school year as we are. As you are undoubtedly aware, the new wave of coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant has led to renewed vigilance and updated health and safety mandates. While many of us wish we could finally remove our masks, we are confident knowing that we are entering this year with the knowledge and experience garnered from last year. We are ready to safely welcome our students back to campus.
Let’s start with the four main things we all must do to keep our community safe:
- Masks are required for everyone on campus, both indoors and outside.
- We will require vaccinations for all students, faculty, staff, and all visitors on campus unless medically exempt.
- Vigilant hygiene and handwashing will continue.
- If you are sick, even experiencing very mild symptoms, we need you to stay home.
We are delighted to report that after our summer call for vaccination information, Marin Academy had 100% of faculty and staff and 97% of students fully vaccinated. Unless medically exempt, the entire population will now be at least partially vaccinated by the beginning of school. We also will now require parents, volunteers, and visitors to be vaccinated to come on to campus or attend any MA events.
Mandates and guidelines will change, and we will continue to adjust as needed. You can always find more detailed information about all of our COVID-19 protocols and procedures updated on the resource board in MyMA. As we begin the year, here are additional updates to our protocols:
- We will return to an open campus, and students will now be able to leave campus during lunch and free periods. That said, we must continue to follow safety protocols even off-campus. Unfortunately, a lack of compliance with masking and distancing off campus may require us to return to a closed campus.
- Our classrooms will look much more like we are used to as physical distancing in hallways and classrooms is no longer required as long as masks and hand hygiene remain.
- We will continue to require daily assessments with Ruvna.
- Our beloved café will reopen! Although students will now be able to eat lunch where and with whom they wish, masks are to be removed only when actively eating or drinking.
- Clubs and tutorials will be in-person again, with safety protocols in place.
- We will continue to follow the CDC regarding travel guidelines for both domestic and international travel.
- As of today, there are no updated guidelines regarding athletics, drama, music, or dance. We will continue to follow last year’s guidelines until new ones are issued.
Lastly, students will not have the option to attend class virtually this year, regardless of circumstances. Students should plan to attend all of their classes in person. If students are sick, even with mild symptoms, they should stay home and rest in order to protect our community.
There will be a Public Health Update for the School Community to review the guidelines for all Marin County schools on August 17, 2021, at 1:00 PM. We encourage you to join this meeting or view the most updated guidance from the county here.
Thank you for your continued support, we are looking forward to seeing you soon
Warmest regards,
Travis
Additional Resources
COVID-19 School Site-Specific Protection Plan
COVID-19 School Site-Specific Protection Plan (Spanish)
Vaccination Stats for Marin Academy
Total Employees: 114 (Faculty and Staff)
-114 Fully Vaccinated: 100%
-69 Up-to-Date (Boosted): 60.53%
Total Employees, Contractors, and Subs: 197
-197 Fully Vaccinated: 100%
Total Students: 445
- 442 Fully Vaccinated: 99.32%
- 2 Unvaccinated/Partially Vaccinated (1-shot): 0.45%
- 1 Medical Exemption (Unvaccinated): 0.23%
-227 Up-to-Date (Boosted): 51.01%