2021-2022 COVID-19 Response Plan

Breck will return to its pre-COVID method of arrival and dismissal for all students. Parents dropping off their children in the school must wear a mask while in the building.

Car line Arrival: Students may enter and exit the building based on their location in the school and assigned transportation method or after-school activities. Preschool students being dropped off in car line must be dropped off at the Middle/Lower School Door (Door D).

Parent Drop-off:  All parents who walk their child to the classroom should park in visitor parking. All parent visitors to campus must wear a mask while in the building. Preschool parents are encouraged to walk their children to the classroom. 

Students arriving to campus via bus: Our Breck Transportation professional drivers will drop students from each division off at Door K at the back of the building.

Dismissal: At the end of the school day, students will proceed to their exit points based on their transportation and/or after-school activities. Students riding home via Breck transportation will be directed to their exit door by their teacher. Students getting picked up in car line will exit from the Middle/Lower School or Salas Commons Doors. All students in car line must be picked up on the sidewalks in front of campus.

School dismissal is at 3:20. Buses will leave the campus at 3:30pm for afternoon routes and 5:45pm for activity routes.
 

Lower School students participating in Before School Supervision may be dropped off in the Extended Day room beginning at 7:45am. Children must be escorted by their parent/guardian for early drop off.

Lower School Students participating in Extended Day/BASE may be picked up at either entrance by talking with the receptionist/security guard. Parents will have the choice to pick up at the door or meet their child at their BASE location.

If a student stays home or is sent home from school for any ONE major symptom of COVID-like illness the individual must stay home until a negative PCR molecular test or rapid antigen test is received for the symptomatic individual. If using a rapid antigen test, the Minnesota Department of Health suggests students who are symptomatic with a negative rapid antigen test should retest and should not return to school until symptoms have improved and the student has been fever free for 24 hours. 

Household members of the symptomatic person do not need to stay home unless a positive test result is received.

Major Symptoms include, as defined by the Minnesota Department of Health:
Loss of taste/smell
Fever of 100.4
New cough or a cough that gets worse
 

If your child’s test result is positive, notify the Breck Health Center by email at healthreporting@breckschool.org as soon as possible. COVID-positive individuals must follow the Minnesota Department of Health Decision Tree.

Please Note: Isolation guidance for any lab-confirmed positive case of COVID-19:

• Isolation remains a minimum of 10 days AND
• Symptoms must be resolved for a minimum of 24 hours before a return to normal activity.

If a Breck student, staff or faculty member is identified as a close contact to a lab confirmed positive case, 

• If vaccinated and not experiencing symptoms, no quarantine is required.
  • If the vaccinated close contact is symptomatic, they must quarantine and testing should be pursued as soon as possible; a rapid antigen test is sufficient.
• If NOT vaccinated, the close contact must quarantine and seek testing following exposure to the positive individual. 
  • If the close contact is asymptomatic, testing should be pursued by PCR method on day 3-5 post exposure to the positive individual. If the test is negative, the close contact may return to Breck on day 7.
  • If the close contact is symptomatic, testing should be pursued as soon as possible; a rapid antigen test is sufficient. 
• Household members must stay home once a positive test result is received, regardless of vaccination status.

Regular testing

• Breck recommends all students, faculty, and staff get tested regularly for COVID

Students, Faculty, and Staff should seek testing when:

• They have been identified as a close contact to a confirmed COVID case

• Individuals participated in high-risk activities such as large-group concerts, events, or activities where the groups vaccination status is unknown or participants were not wearing a mask

Faculty and staff who are not vaccinated

• Must submit proof of a negative COVID test to the Health Center weekly

Families can schedule tests by following one of the paths below:

1. Contact your Primary Care Provider: Families may contact their primary care provider to obtain testing.
2. At-home Antigen Testing: Breck will accept at-home antigen tests for symptomatic individuals. These tests can be purchased over-the-counter at most major retailers. A photo of the negative test submitted to healthreporting@breckschool.org is considered validation of the negative test result.
3. Minnesota Department of Health Find-a-Test: Breck families may also find tests using their own methods or via the Minnesota Department of Health's Find-a-Test webpage.
4. Minnesota Department of Health at Home PCR Testing: Breck families living in Minnesota can request an at home PCR test at this link.

A copy of the test result must be forwarded to healthreporting@breckschool.org. 
 

Breck strongly recommends all vaccine-eligible individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Students, faculty, and staff who have received a vaccine, must submit their vaccination record to the Health Center via Magnus Health (students) or by emailing healthreporting@breckschool.org (faculty and staff). Faculty/staff choosing not to receive a vaccine are therefore expected to wear a face covering and submit a copy of a negative molecular PCR test weekly to the Health Center.

Updated August 23: Breck will have a situational face covering policy to begin the year. Face coverings are required indoors for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors regardless of vaccination status, however, individuals in small groups, classrooms, or one-on-one meetings may remove their face coverings only if they are vaccinated. Masks are not required outdoors.

We strive to make reasonable decisions guided by scientific information. In late July and early August, our Breck Summer Program participants had the option to wear a face covering on campus. During this time, we saw no COVID+ cases nor did we have any close contacts. However, with the surge as a result of the Delta variant and with the return to normal activities for our 1,175 students, we will require face coverings as noted above. It is our hope to be mask optional for all students on campus after we've held on-campus, in-person activities amidst the Delta variant and observed other schools who have mask-optional policies return to normal operations. We recognize that our mask policy could fluctuate throughout the year pending the state of COVID in our Breck community and in the environment around us.
 

The Breck campus allows for an expansive space for students and staff to spread out during daily events and activities. A minimum of 3' will be available for all students to physically distance during the day. 

The Breck Compliance Team has measured every space for all classrooms and meeting rooms on campus to ensure the appropriate capacity can fit in each location. They have also supplied signage reminders throughout the building to encourage appropriate distancing. 

As in 2020-2021, we have continued our contract with McGough to guide our HVAC-related decision-making, based on industry standards and best practices, and to implement proven solutions, including implementing improved airflow/turnover, outdoor air dilution and HVAC filtration systems. 

Additional bipolar ionization units have been installed to provide expanded supplemental air sterilization and neutralization. Continued monitoring and tracking of HVAC system performance remains a key component of Breck’s COVID response.

• Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the campus and outside every classroom door.
• Fillable water fountains available
• Students should bring their own water bottles
• Restrooms will be cleaned every hour
• Locker Room usage should be brief and will be allowed with time limits

Breck is excited to re-open our campus to parents and visitors this school year. At this time, we ask that all parents and visitors in our building wear a face covering while in common spaces and public areas on campus. Visitors meeting one-on-one with staff members may choose to remove their face covering during their appointment if all parties are vaccinated and comfortable with removing their face covering during the visit. 

Most meetings will still be provided with a virtual option. Please see the calendar in Veracross or check out the weekly Bulletin Board email for more information on upcoming events and activities.

Breck Transportation is resuming normal operations -- including after-school activity routes. You can learn more about riding the bus here. All riders will be required to wear a face covering while on the bus.

Breck Athletics will continue to follow the guidelines of the Minnesota State High School League. Spectators at indoor events while on campus will be expected to wear a mask.

Breck is excited to welcome our student-artists back to the stage this year. Participants in the performing arts who are participating in a wind-ensemble or choir will be required to wear a mask.

Breck students' learning is enriched with off-campus experiences. Students will participate in off-campus activities as assigned by their teachers and/or division. Students will follow Breck's mask guidelines or the guidelines of the off-campus location.

Families traveling domestically or internationally should follow the CDC recommendations for their region of travel and self-monitor for symptoms of COVID upon their return. Breck will not require families to report their travel. If families participate in high-risk activities where they do not know the vaccination status of the individuals around them, we expect families to obtain a negative molecular PCR COVID test prior to returning to campus.