Nativity's COVID-19 Protocols

Nativity of Mary Catholic School will adhere to the following in response to COVID-19 during the 2022-2023 school year. Changes to any items listed below will be discussed by the School Advisory Council and communicated to parents in a timely manner. 

MASKS

  • Masks are optional at school and on Bloomington Public school buses.

HEALTH SCREENING

  • Parents/caregivers should do a daily health screening of children BEFORE coming to school, and remain home if showing any signs of illness. Staff are required to follow the same protocol.
  • Standard school illness protocols remain in place (temperature must be under 100 degrees for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications, no vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours, no undiagnosed rashes, etc). Please contact the school nurse if you have any questions on whether your child is well enough to attend school.
  • Students who become ill at school will be sent home. Parents must pick up their child in a timely manner.

SAFETY

  • Frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers.
  • Classrooms and offices are equipped with ionization units

ISOLATIONS, QUARANTINES & CONTACT TRACING

Positive COVID-19 cases must be reported to the school (contact the school nurse’s office), and requires a five-day isolation from either symptom onset or date of a positive test. Siblings, family members and close contacts are not required to quarantine.

  • Parents/caregivers should notify the school nurse of a positive test. Staff must report a positive test to school nurse
  • Persons who test positive may return after five days and show improved symptoms (person no longer feeling ill, can go about their daily routine, and any symptoms, such as cough or runny nose, are improving or have resolved.
  • Negative test not required to return to school.
  • Persons returning to school or work after five days are required to wear a mask for an additional five days. With two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart during days 6-10, you may remove your mask sooner than day 10.
  • MDH no longer requires schools to complete contact tracing (individual case reporting), only a weekly reporting of positive cases by school.
  • We will no longer provide a COVID-19 weekly update of cases.
  • Parents will be informed via email of a positive case in a classroom for students in grades PK-5 and a positive case in the grade for students in grades 6-8.

TESTING

  • Recommend testing for anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and after known exposures. Nativity will have tests available in the school office.

VOLUNTEERS

  • All visitors and volunteers must check-in at the school office and be symptom free.

MASS

  • Students in grades K-8 will attend Mass weekly on Thursdays.
  • Students will sit in their “PALS” groups for Mass. 
  • Parents attending Mass can sit with their child’s PALS group or sit behind the student body towards the back of the church. Children may sit with their parents during Mass.
  • Masks are optional.

PICKUP AND DROP-OFF

  • We will return to our normal pickup and drop-off routine in which parents may park and walk their children to the doors of the school.
  • Parents will not be allowed to enter the building to escort their child(ren) to the classroom.
  • Students in grades 6-8 and preschool will enter and exit through door #14, students in grades 3-5 through door #13, and grades K-2 through door #12.

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