COVID FAQ 2021-2022

List of 10 items.

• What will the health and safety protocols be in the fall?

  Please click here to read our health and safety protocols.

• Are COVID vaccines required?

  For the 2022-2023 school year, all Fay and ELC employees and students are required to be fully vaccinated or to receive a medical or religious exemption approved by Fay.

  
  

  Definition of "fully vaccinated"

  Individuals are fully vaccinated if they have received the full course of two vaccines AND if they have received a booster shot (for those who are eligible).

  
  

  Booster shots

  According to current guidelines, all individuals ages 5 and older are now eligible (and are therefore required) to receive a booster shot. All eligible individuals must be fully boosted prior to the start of the 2022-23 school year. Moving forward, students who become eligible to receive the booster shot will have 30 days from the date of their eligibility to get boosted. Children under five years of age may not have completed their initial series of immunizations, but the process must be underway.

  
  
  

• 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.

• If all students 5 and older must receive a booster shot, what happens when my child turns 5?

  Fay students who become eligible to receive the booster will have 30 days from the date of their eligibility to get a booster shot.

• How do I request a religious or medical exemption for vaccinations?

  Please contact Diane Byrne, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations, at dbyrne@fayschool.org regarding any vaccine exemptions.

• Are masks required on campus?

  As of June 21, 2022, 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?

  Fay will conduct rapid antigen testing of all boarding students when they arrive for the start of school in September. The School will not conduct weekly pooled testing for the 2022-2023 school year.

  
  
  

• 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 will not conduct contact tracing for the 2022-2023 school year.
  • 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 who are fully vaccinated are not required to quarantine. They should monitor for symptoms, and if they become symptomatic they should stay home and get tested. They are required to wear a mask on campus for 10 days after exposure.
  • Close contacts who are not fully vaccinated (as defined above) must quarantine for 5 days. They may return on day 6 and must wear a mask for the full 10 days after exposure. 
  • 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 required 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.

  
  
  

List of 1 items.

List of 7 items.

• Are ELC students and employees required to be vaccinated?

  Yes. Consistent with CDC recommendations, all ELC students, faculty, and staff are required to be fully vaccinated.

  
  

  Individuals under 5 are fully vaccinated if they have received the full course of vaccines:
  - Moderna (2 doses): Both vaccines must be administered prior to the start of classes on September 6.
  - Pfizer (3 doses): The first two vaccines must be administered prior to the start of classes on September 6, and the third does must be administered on or before September 30.

  
  Individuals ages 5 and older are fully vaccinated if:
  - they have received the full course of two vaccines AND they received their second shot less than five months ago
  OR
  - if they have received the full course of two vaccines AND they have received a booster shot.

• Does the school require ELC children to receive the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine?

  Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are accepted for ELC children. For children attending the ELC in Fall 2022, the timeline is as follows:
  
  Moderna (2 doses): Both vaccines must be administered prior to the start of classes on September 6.
  
  Pfizer (3 doses): The first two vaccines must be administered prior to the start of classes on September 6, and the third dose must be administered on or before September 30.

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

  Fay will not conduct pooled COVID-19 testing for the 2022-2023 school year.

• Are masks required in the ELC?

  As of June 21, 2022, 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 who are fully vaccinated are not required to quarantine unless they are the close contact of a positive at home and are not able to complete isolate from that individual.

• 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.

• Will ELC students continue to be grouped in cohorts?

  ELC children will no longer be grouped solely by classroom. Students from the three classes will be combined for AM and PM Care and at additional times when necessary. 

List of 5 items.

• What are the health and safety protocols for campus visitors?

  All campus visitors are required to observe the following health and safety protocols, which are updated periodically in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health:

  • On the morning of their visit, prior to arriving on campus, visitors must complete Fay’s online Health Attestation Form.
  • Masks are optional for visitors.

• Can families continue to tour campus and participate in interviews and screenings virtually?

  Families may still opt for a virtual campus tour in lieu of an in-person visit. In some cases, the School will continue to allow virtual interviews and screenings for boarding applicants and Upper School day students who are relocating from another part of the country, but there are required in-person components of the application for those applying to Kindergarten through grade 6. Please contact the Office of Admission at admission@fayschool.org for more information.

• Will standardized testing be optional for applicants applying for the 23-24 school year?

  The SSAT and ISEE are both optional for applicants to grades 5-9 for Fall 2023. Applicants to grade 7-9 whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL or TOEFL, Jr. test. Applicants to grades 4, 5, and 6 are required to take the iReady at home. Login credentials for the iReady will be provided to applicants by Fay after the application form has been submitted. Applicants to grade 3 will participate in a one-on-one online assessment.

• Will Fay be a public test site for the SSAT and ISEE?

  We will provide additional information in the coming months.

• What is all the construction on campus?

  In September, Fay will open the Center for Creativity & Design, a 7,000-square-foot space that will open in Fall 2022 and serve as the home for our signature Creativity and Design Program. Tour routes may change slightly throughout the summer to accommodate this project, but don’t worry--you’ll still be able to see plenty of Fay’s campus!