COVID-19 FAQs

Published July 10, 2020. Updated August 16, 2021.

Will the students be in school?

Yes, we will be holding in-person classes for the 2021-2022 school year, starting on Wednesday, August 25th for all our students.

Will the students have to wear masks?

Per CDPH Guidance, masking is required for all indoor settings. Moreover, we are asking that everyone entering or approaching the Saklan campus wear a mask. Please plan for you and your child to put on your masks as you exit your car to enter campus. Here is additional guidance on masking:

Whether on campus or on a field experience, when students are participating in a school event or being supervised by school staff, face masks must be worn in all indoor settings. This includes on the bus and any other public transportation.
Students may take their masks off outside, when permitted by a teacher.
Please make sure your child has a properly fitting mask that is at least double-layered and does not have a valve.
Students also need to bring two back up masks in a labeled Ziploc bag to store at school.

Will the school day be the same length?

The school day will return to the regular dismissal times:

Owlets & Hoot Owls - 2:00 p.m.
K - 5th Grade: 3:00 p.m.
6th - 8th Grade: 3:30 p.m. (3:00 p.m. on Fridays)

What is the protocol for letting students on campus?

All students and adults will need to be masked and attest that they don't have any COVID symptoms before entering campus.

What happens if a student needs to stay home because they are not feeling well or need to quarantine?

We will toggle to the online learning program for students who will need to quarantine at home, or are ill for an extended period of time. Students who are out for shorter periods will follow the usual protocols.

What will be the cleaning schedule to ensure that the campus is as clean as possible?

Cleaning will be done each night per CDC guidelines and throughout the day while students are on campus.

Will the buses this year?

Durham Bus Company will be running buses again this year. All passengers need to be masked while riding the bus.

Will there be a hot lunch service or will families have to bring their own lunches?

Yes, there will be hot lunch service this year. Our hot lunch provider provides pre-packaged meals that are sealed.

Will there be specialist classes?

Yes.

Will middle school students transition to different classrooms or remain in one room and teachers rotate?

The students will resume transitioning to different classrooms during the 21-22 school year.

Will desks be spaced 6 feet apart in the classrooms?

No.

What will happen with the annual overnight field experiences?

Like all experiential learning opportunities, these present a problem in the age of COVID. We are hoping to bring back as many of our annual field experiences as possible, in a safe way. For those that we are not able to attend as we normally do, we are working on finding alternative experiences for the students that will replicate the same learning outcomes. A few of our field experiences and productions and other activities may be pushed towards the last few months of the school year in the hope that we may be able to run them.

If someone develops symptoms at school that could be COVID-19, what needs to happen?

Students who develop symptoms of illness while at school should be separated from others right away, in an isolation room. Any students or staff exhibiting symptoms will immediately don a face covering (if they are not already wearing one) and wait in an the isolation area until they can be transported home.

If a student or teacher tests positive, with or without symptoms, will we need to close a class or an entire school?

Not necessarily. Next steps are determined on a case-by-case basis. CCHS will conduct contact tracing to determine who, if anyone, may have had close contact with the person who tested positive and will provide guidance to the school, including whether a school or class modified quarantine or closure is recommended. Whenever a positive case is confirmed on campus, the school will perform a thorough cleaning of areas where the person spent time, especially high-contact surfaces.

What qualifies as a “close contact” with a person who has COVID-19?

A person is considered to have had close contact if they were within six feet of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes. During the contact tracing process, CCHS will work with the person who tested positive to determine who, if anyone, had close contact, and will communicate directly with them.

Is the process for testing children different from adults?

The process for testing children is the same as it is for adults. Community testing is available for both children and adults. Talk to your healthcare provider, or call 1-844-421-0804 to make a fast, convenient appointment at no cost to you at a county testing site.

When should I consider getting a COVID-19 test for myself or my child?

CCHS recommends a COVID-19 test for anyone who believes they may need one, whether or not they have symptoms. People who have symptoms of illness are encouraged to get tested. Visit coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-tested to learn more about testing in Contra Costa County.

Will you continue to offer a distance learning program?

Saklan will not be offering a distance learning program for the 21-22 school year. If students need to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or illness, we will offer a modified distance learning program. Students may be able to zoom in on some of the classes, they may view a recording of the lesson, or be given individual work to keep up with what students are doing in class. Individual check-ins at the end of the day with the teacher will be available as well.

How will symptoms/positive cases be handled? Will the whole class need to be tested or self-quarantine before coming back on campus?

This is dependent on many factors having to do with time, proximity and exposure.However, the California Department of Public Health has updated their quarantine guidance to allow for a modified quarantine when both parties are wearing well-fitting face masks at the time of a school-based exposure to COVID-19. Under the modified quarantine, students can continue in-person learning after exposure, if they:

Are asymptomatic;
Continue to appropriately mask, as required;
Undergo at least twice weekly testing during the 10-day quarantine; and
Continue to quarantine for all extracurricular activities at school, including sports, and activities within the community setting.

What is the policy for students attending school if a family member tests positive? Will they need to provide a negative test result?

Those students will most likely need to quarantine for 10 days. If they develop symptoms during that time, they would need to quarantine longer. Any student that tested positive would not be able to return until they had a physician's approval. (That does not necessarily mean a negative test.)