Read our February 2023 Health and Safety Update to learn more about:

  • COVID-19 Test-To-Stay Program
  • Layered Mitigation
  • Masking
  • Vaccination and Additional Preventative Measures
  • Communications

Health guidance from the CDC and DC Health, lessons learned from other schools, community transmission trends, and feedback from staff and families inform our policies for the 2022-2023 School Year. We are committed to ensuring an in-person school experience that is rooted in our EL Education model while maintaining an approach that also maximizes safety for students, staff, and families.

We will provide transparency on planning, frequently communicate, and offer many opportunities for feedback. Families can always reach out to our Family Engagement Team with questions at families@ccpcs.org or 202-556-3815.

WEEKLY COVID DASHBOARD AND NEWSLETTER

Families can access COVID-related data and information in our weekly dashboard sent to all families in our Monday newsletter. Stay connected by reading this newsletter weekly. 

Lower School student thumbs up

MULTI-LAYERED MITIGATION STRATEGY

The health of our community is a top priority. We will continue to implement a multi-layered mitigation strategy that includes promoting vaccination and a robust test-to-stay program.  We will keep indoor spaces well ventilated, use air filtration, and provide enhanced cleaning. Hand sanitizer will also be available at entrances and throughout the building. 

Middle School students learning

TEST-TO-STAY

To minimize the need for quarantines, Capital City will conduct rapid antigen tests for all students and staff who are symptomatic or close contacts. All students will participate in our testing program unless a family completes an opt-out form

With support from the Health and Safety Team, and under a CLIA waiver, students will self-administer rapid antigen tests at school. The Health and Safety Team will monitor results and follow up with families of students who test positive.

kids playing outside

MASKING

Masking is recommended, but not required. Capital City will continue to make masks available at our entryways and front desk.

We will continue to track COVID-19 cases within our community and pay attention to citywide metrics. Masking for 10 days will be required for individuals, specific grade levels, campus, or the LEA as a whole under the following circumstances:

  • Individuals who are close contacts of someone who contracts COVID-19
  • Grade levels with more than 3 cases within a 5-day period
  • Campuses with more than 10 cases within a 5-day period
  • More than 15 cases across the LEA within a 5-day period


Additionally, DC moving to Medium or High community level, as per DC Health metrics, would result in an LEA-wide mask requirement until DC returns to Low community level.

Capital City is encouraging all families to keep their children up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations to ensure the highest level of protection against severe disease.

The CDC, DC Health, and Capital City strongly encourage all individuals 6 months and older to get vaccinated — including boosters when eligible. Vaccines significantly lower the risk of serious disease and hospitalization. Vaccinations are free and readily accessible. Find a location to get vaccinated here.
 

  • Staff: All Capital City staff must be up-to-date (fully vaccinated with a booster vaccine when eligible) or be approved for a religious or medical exemption. 100% of all staff are up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination or approved for an exemption. 
  • Students: Vaccinations for children ages 6 months and older are encouraged. The DC Council has postponed mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students until the 2023-24 school year. 
Vaccine clinic

Have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? Check out this article by doctors from Johns Hopkins Medicine regarding myths vs facts about the vaccine.

ABSENCES AND SITUATIONAL DISTANCE LEARNING

All students will learn in person during the school year. If students must isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, teachers will provide work through our Learning Management Systems (Seesaw, Google Classroom, or Canvas) when feasible. The focus, however, will be catching students up when they return to the classroom. Absences will be excused during quarantine or isolation. 

Capital City will only move to situational distance learning if we do not have adequate staff to operate the school (25% absent) or for any weather or facilities-related closure beyond one day.

ABSENCES

If a student will be absent from school for any reason, a parent or guardian should notify the school stating clearly: their child’s name, parent/guardian’s name, the date of the absence, and the reason for the absence. Notification before the student is absent is preferred and should happen in one of the following ways: 

  1. Submit absences via google form (Lower School, Middle School, High School)
  2. Contact your campus office manager. If possible, also notify your child’s teacher/crew leader/advisor.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

We will use a single arrival time (8:30am) and dismissal time (3:30pm with early dismissal on Wednesdays at 1pm for teacher professional development) for all grades and continue to use three entrances: 

  1. High School students will enter & exit by the fields
  2. 1st-5th graders will enter & exit through the main entrance on Peabody Street
  3. 6th-8th graders will enter through the main entrance on Peabody Street and exit through the High School entrance
  4. PreK & K students will enter through the cafeteria entrance
     

VISITORS

  • Parents/Caregivers: Due to the high volume of people, families will not be allowed in the building during arrival and dismissal. However, families will be welcome in the building for events and other opportunities. All family members must have no symptoms of COVID-19. For contact tracing, we will require a record of attendance and contact information. If family members will be in classrooms and working around children, a negative rapid antigen test or PCR test result is required. Proof of vaccination is not required.
  • Non-Parents/Caregivers: For the safety of our community, all external visitors must have no symptoms of COVID-19 and submit a negative rapid antigen test or PCR test result. For contact tracing, we will require a record of attendance and contact information. Proof of vaccination is not required.
  • Events: We will welcome visitors for events when community transmission levels are Low/Medium and with the following conditions: no symptoms of COVID-19 and a record of attendance and contact information (for contact tracing). Proof of vaccination is not required.
     

QUESTIONS?

  • For general support, email families@ccpcs.org.
  • For questions related to our health and safety protocols, including COVID-19, contact our Health and Safety Team at health@ccpcs.org
  • For campus-specific questions for Lower School, contact Office Manage Carolina Romero at carolinaromero@ccpcs.org.
  • For campus-specific questions for Middle School, contact Office Manager Veronica Ramirez at vramirez@ccpcs.org.
  • For campus-specific questions for High School, contact Office Manager Yanira Cuellar at ycuellar@ccpcs.org.