Arriving to School Precautionary Procedures

In This Section:

Face Coverings

Symptoms of COVID-19 & School Attendance

It is important for all Sycamore families to be aware of the symptoms outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for COVID-19. People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
 
As a school district, we understand that school attendance is important, and we want your children to come to school. However, please keep your child home if they are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below:
 
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

The CDC and IDPH guidelines for students who are suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms, whether they are tested or not, state that 72 hours must elapse from the resolution of fever without fever-reducing medication and 14 days must pass after symptoms first appear.

This list does not include all possible symptoms. The CDC will continue to update this list as they learn more about COVID-19.

Each of our schools will designate a safe, supervised area to quarantine any individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 like symptoms. If a student becomes ill with COVID-19 like symptoms at school, they will be supervised by a student health professional until they are able to be picked up from school.

Finally, please note that this year, we will not be issuing awards for perfect attendance. The top priority of our school district is that your children are safe and healthy. If your child is sick, please keep them home.

Temperature Checks & Self-Certification

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our school community, Joint Guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health requires that every student undergo a daily symptom screening prior to utilizing School District transportation or entering any School District building. Parents/Guardians will be conducting this daily symptom screening prior to their student departing for school and reporting consistent with the parameters outlined below. Families are required to sign a form stating they will complete the self certification process prior to their student attending school in person each day.
 
As part of the daily symptom screening process, a parent/guardian will determine if their student is experiencing any of the following COVID-19 symptoms:
 
  • Temperature of 100.4 (or greater) degrees Fahrenheit/38 degrees Celsius;
  • Cough;
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
  • Chills;
  • Fatigue;
  • Muscle and body aches;
  • Headache;
  • Sore throat;
  • New loss of taste or smell;
  • Congestion or runny nose;
  • Nausea and/or vomiting;
  • Diarrhea; or
  • Any other COVID-19 symptoms identified by the CDC or IDPH.

By sending a student on District transportation and/or to school on any given day, a parent/guardian is certifying and verifying that their student has received a daily symptom screening and is not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.

Student Transportation

School arrival times may be staggered in order to support students in maintaining the social distance protocol. Due to our transition to four in-person days a week, our buses have seen an increase in ridership. Under the revised guidance, busses will continue to be required to have a maximum capacity of 49 students. Students will continue to be required to wear their face coverings at all times while on the bus. Because some bus routes will now have busses that are completely full, students may be seated closer than three feet while in transit. 

Updated transportation details for all bus riders was shared on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. 

Please review the following bus expectations with your children prior to the beginning of the school year:

 
  • Students will board the bus and fill the seats from the rear towards the front.
  • All students will self-certify prior to boarding the school bus. Details about self-certification procedures for our families are forthcoming.
  • Students will have assigned seats on the bus, with siblings of the same household being placed near one another.
  • All windows on the bus will be open to allow for sufficient air-flow throughout the bus. Students are encouraged to dress appropriately for all weather conditions.
  • Students are encouraged to maintain social distancing at their bus stops prior to the arrival of the school bus. Parents, please talk to your children about maintaining social distance between their classmates as they wait for the bus to arrive.
  • Drivers and monitors must wear approved and appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) and perform regular hand hygiene.
  • Drivers and monitors must complete a symptom and temperature check or self-certify prior to the start of their bus route.
  • Buses will be disinfected daily.