Dear Parents,

MVWSD has layers of measures in place to combat COVID transmission, including on-campus COVID testing, sanitation, masking, ventilation, and vaccine clinics that were held over winter break. Additionally, as part of a statewide effort, the California Department of Public Health is providing at-home COVID-19 testing kits for free to families (Preschool - Grade 8) to test students as they return from winter break. A box containing 2 tests was sent home with each student today.  

Here’s what to do with these tests:

1. Administer one of the rapid tests to your child this evening. Even if your child participates in COVID pooled testing that resumed on MVWSD campuses this week, today’s home test is an additional safeguard.
   
   

2. View and act on the results.
   NEGATIVE TEST?
   • If your student feels well and has no COVID-19 symptoms, come to school tomorrow.
   • If your student has symptoms or has been in contact with someone with COVID-19, please call your school before they return – even if the test is negative. More testing may be needed.

POSITIVE TEST?
* Keep your student home from school and contact your doctor and your school right away.
* Follow current isolation and quarantine guidelines for your child. Current guidelines require someone with a positive result (regardless of type of test or whether there’s a subsequent negative test) to isolate for at least 10 days and at least 24 hours after fever resolves and other symptoms improve.
* For unvaccinated members of your household: Their quarantine starts immediately and extends for 7 days (if test on/after Day 5 is negative) or 10 days (no test) from the end of your positive child’s isolation.
* For vaccinated members of your household: They should test as soon as possible and on/after Day 5 after last exposure. They may continue at school/work if their results are negative and they remain asymptomatic.

UNCLEAR TEST RESULTS?
* Retest at school or at a local testing site.
* Any symptoms? Known exposure? If your student has ANY COVID-19 symptoms, stay home. If you know they were exposed, and the test is unclear, administer the second test. If that test is unclear, schedule testing. Here’s how: https://covid19.sccgov.org/covid-19-testing.

3. Save the second test. This test can be used in the future if your child develops any symptoms, has a known exposure, if the results of the first test are unclear, or if there is a close household contact who needs testing.
   Please note, per County guidelines, the results of at-home rapid antigen tests cannot be submitted to school to be used to end quarantine for an asymptomatic child. We strongly encourage you to use this test for a little extra peace of mind as we navigate this stage of the pandemic.