The Foundation for a Meaningful Life
Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
About
COVID-19 Updates

Frequently Asked Questions - COVID-19

Frequently Asked Questions

Fay School’s health and safety protocols are updated periodically in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).  You can read our full health and safety protocols here.

Please continue to check this page for new information and updates.

Health & Safety

List of 8 items.

  • What are your health and safety protocols?

  • Are COVID vaccines required?

    As of May 11, 2023, COVID-19 vaccines are recommended but not required.

     


  • Can boarding students get COVID vaccines in their home countries that are different from the vaccines that are currently approved in the United States?

    Yes. Boarding students may get vaccines in their home countries that are different from the vaccines currently approved in the United States for ages 12-17. Proof of vaccination must be provided in English.

  • Are masks required on campus?

    Masks are optional, with the following exceptions: 
    • If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, they must remain at home in isolation. They may return on day 6 after a positive test if they are asymptomatic, but they must be cleared by the school nurse, and they must wear a mask for the next five days.
    • If someone living in your house has tested positive for COVID and you are in contact with them on a daily basis, then you will be required to wear a mask for 10 days after last contact. 
    • If a boarding student is the roommate of someone who has tested positive for COVID, the boarding student will be required to wear a mask for 10 days after last contact.

  • Does Fay conduct COVID-19 testing on campus?

    Because boarding students live in a congregate setting, Fay will conduct rapid antigen testing of all boarding students when they arrive for the start of school in September and after all subsequent breaks.


  • What happens if a student tests positive for COVID-19?

    • Individuals who test positive for COVID will be required to isolate for five days. 
    • Boarders who test positive must leave campus with their Local Emergency Contact within 24 hours. They may return to campus after five days if they are symptom-free, or as soon as they are fully asymptomatic. They must wear a mask on campus for the full 10 days after the date of the positive test.
    • Individuals must be cleared by the school nurse in order to return to campus. Individuals will only be cleared to return after five days of isolation if they are asymptomatic. They will be required to wear a mask on campus at all times for five more days. If symptoms remain after five days, then the individual must isolate until they are asymptomatic or until the full 10 days have passed.

  • What is your policy regarding close contacts?

    • Fay does not conduct contact tracing, and the School does not notify parents if they receive news of a positive case in the class. Parents may notify their child's close contacts if they wish.
    • A close contact is defined as an individual who has been within three feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period during the two days prior to the onset of illness or a positive test. 
    • Close contacts are not required to quarantine. They should monitor for symptoms, and if they become symptomatic they should stay home and get tested.  
    • Any close contacts (vaccinated or unvaccinated) who become symptomatic should test, and positive cases should isolate for 5 more days. 
    • If an individual is identified as a close contact because of a positive case at home, and the positive case cannot completely isolate at home, then the individual is required to wear a mask on campus for ten days after the date of last contact.
    • While we do not require health attestations, we remind all families of day students to keep their children home if they are symptomatic or ill. If faculty or staff are concerned about a student’s health, they will send the child to the Health Office for an evaluation.

  • What is your policy for student absences?

    Any student who is absent from school due to illness of any kind for three or more days is required to provide the school nurse with a doctor's note in order to return. Upon reviewing the specifics of the absence, the school nurse may also require a negative PCR COVID-19 test.


Additional Fay School Resources

Fay School's Health Office
Welcome New Students Web Page

Early Learning Center - FAQ

List of 5 items.

  • Are ELC students and employees required to be vaccinated?

    As of May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 vaccination is recommended but not required for all community members.

  • Will ELC employees and students be tested for COVID-19?

    Fay does not conduct pooled COVID-19 testing.

  • Are masks required in the ELC?

    Masks are optional for ELC students, faculty, and staff, with the following exceptions:
    • If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, they must remain at home in isolation. They may return on day 6 after a positive test if they are asymptomatic, but they must be cleared by the school nurse, and they must wear a mask for the next five days.
    • If someone living in your house has tested positive for COVID and you are in contact with them on a daily basis, then you will be required to wear a mask for 10 days after last contact.

  • What is the quarantine policy for ELC students who are close contacts?

    Close contacts are not required to quarantine. If a household member is positive, the child should wear a mask for 10 days.

  • What is the ELC's absence policy?

    ELC students who are absent for three or more days must have a doctor’s note in order to return to campus and must be tested for COVID-19 if directed by a doctor. Please note that tuition is not refunded when a child is absent, including when absent due to COVID.

Academic Year 2023 - 2024 - Boarding Life

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  • Do boarding students need to have Local Emergency Contacts for potential quarantine and off-campus residence in emergency situations?

    Yes. All boarding students must have a Local Emergency Contact that is provided by the student’s parents. A Local Emergency Contact should be someone within the continental United States who can arrive to campus within 24 hours of notification. The School will contact the Local Emergency Contact in the event of:
    • The student’s positive COVID-19 test or a presumed positive case of COVID-19 based on symptoms assessed by the School’s physician
    • A campus closure as a result of a health emergency
    • Travel restrictions that prevent the student from returning home during school breaks or campus closure
    • Additional reasons as identified by the School
    Boarding parents must supply Fay with the name and contact information of the Local Emergency Contact no later than August 1. If the Local Emergency Contact is not available, it is the parent's responsibility to make alternate arrangements.

  • Do boarders go off campus for weekend activities?

    Yes, we are able to schedule off-campus excursions for boarding students on the weekends, while always being mindful of our students' health and safety. You can read more about weekends at Fay here.

For Prospective Families

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FaySummer

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For questions about:

Enrollment
Beth Whitney, Associate Head of School and Director of Enrollment Management
bwhitney@fayschool.org

Student health, testing, and screening
Diane Byrne, Assistant Head of School for Finance & Operations
dbyrne@fayschool.org

Academic Program
Julie Porrazzo, Director of the Educational Program
jporrazzo@fayschool.org

International student visas
Jake Sumner, Head of Upper School
jsumner@fayschool.org
48 MAIN STREET
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201