Dear Families,
Wynantskill UFSD is now required by the New York State Department of Health to test unvaccinated staff and to offer testing to unvaccinated students whose parents or guardians consent to this weekly testing.
We will be offering general testing in the near future to comply with this state requirement as well as expand point-of-care testing for students who are displaying COVID-19 symptoms.
General surveillance testing will be used to detect asymptomatic COVID-19 infections in unvaccinated students and staff using a rapid antigen test. Point-of-care testing will be conducted using rapid molecular testing involving the same shallow swab as the rapid antigen test. This will provide a quick result in the case of a student or staff member who began presenting symptoms while at school.
Today, we will be sending home a hardcopy of the consent form with your children; we are asking parents and guardians to please indicate their consent for these tests. You may consent to one, both or none. Please return the form by sending it in with your child or dropping it off in our main office by October 29, 2021.
We anticipate that both surveillance and point-of-care testing will begin early November. Members of our school staff along with Questar III BOCES nurses will oversee all testing, which involves gently swabbing the inner part of the lower nostril.
Regular testing will help protect everyone against COVID-19. Thank you for your continued flexibility, resilience, and patience as we work together to contain the spread of this virus.
Sincerely,
Mary Yodis
Superintendent of Schools
Wynantskill UFSD
Download copy of testing consent form here.