08-25-2021 update

We remain in close communication with the Pasadena Public Health Department regarding the Covid protocols and procedures we've implemented on campus. As we continue our efforts to safeguard the health of our students and staff, we ask for your cooperation in following those procedures when on campus. Our students are being reminded to wear their face masks properly (covering their mouth and nose) whenever indoors, and to maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet when unmasked outdoors. Though this is sometimes challenging for them, we are seeing improved compliance. Our highest priority remains the health and safety of everyone on campus so that we may continue to serve the educational needs of our students.

Please note the following:

VACCINATION STATUS REPORTING

All parents are reminded that they must complete the student medical form posted to each parent's account in myMHS, regardless of whether their child is vaccinated or un-vaccinated. More details are provided below.

MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING (NEW)

With current high levels of community COVID-19 transmission in Pasadena and LA County, routine testing is now REQUIRED for all athletes and staff currently participating in athletics. Beginning next week, we are requiring weekly Covid testing of all student athletes (regardless of vaccination status) who are participating in either in-season or pre-season practice, as well as testing of all un-vaccinated students.

Students need to register online HERE by noon on Tuesday, August 31, for the first weekly Covid-19 test to be administered on campus next Thursday and Friday, September 2 and 3, from 3:00-5:00 pm in the south end of our parking garage. Registration is only required one time. See additional instructions below. The test will be administered by PacTox (Pacific Toxicology Labs) personnel. This safe, simple test utilizes a mouth swab - instructions will be provided by trained professionals at the time of testing.

If preferred, weekly testing may be performed at a facility of your own choosing. Simply email the test result to us at covidinfo@mhs-hs.org by Sunday evening. Testing and reporting is required weekly with a PCR test, at minimum.

VOLUNTARY COVID-19 TESTING

Students who are fully vaccinated also have the option to be tested by completing the online registration form HERE prior to noon on Tuesday of the week they wish to be tested.

We encourage families to consider getting their students vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccine is available even without an appointment at multiple locations throughout Pasadena (CLICK HERE for details).

COVID TOWN HALL MEETING

If you are interested in hearing about Covid in high school students from the perspective of a parent and medical doctor, please join us next Wednesday, September 1, at 7:00 pm in the Student Center as Dr. Michael Neely, MD, MSc, FCP shares his knowledge and insight on the current status of Covid-19. Dr. Neely is the Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the Director of Laboratory of Applied Pharmacokinetics and Bioinformatics at the Saban Research Institute, and a professor of Pediatrics and a Clinical Scholar at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in maintaining a safe and healthy campus. As the status of the pandemic in our community continues to evolve, we will keep you updated to any changes in health directives or mandates from local health authorities. If you have any specific questions about our school's COVID procedures, please email them to covidinfo@mhs-hs.org.

Blessings in Christ,

John Rouse

Head of School

More Details...

REGISTERING FOR COVID TESTING OFFERED ON-CAMPUS: To register online for the free on-campus Covid testing, CLICK HERE to begin. Enter "Maranatha High School" as the Organization Name, then complete the form using the student's information - name, date of birth, insurance (if the student is covered by health insurance), etc. Once you submit the form, you will not have to complete it again each subsequent week. If you have questions about how to complete the form, please email covidinfo@mhs-hs.org.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR VACCINATION STATUS REPORTING: All parents are required to complete the form on behalf of their student - designating if their student is un-vaccinated or fully vaccinated. Parents of students who are fully vaccinated will then upload a photo or scan of the student's Vaccination Record card that will be stored in our secure database and can only be viewed by authorized school personnel. This will assist with contact tracing (more details below) when there are exposures or positive cases of Covid-19 on our campus. Additionally, this information will need to be disclosed to the Health Department in the event of a Covid outbreak. Please note, students who are unvaccinated or unable to submit proof of vaccination, will be treated as an unvaccinated person in the event of an outbreak.

CONTACT TRACING AND REPORTING: When we receive a report that an individual in our campus community has tested positive for COVID-19, we immediately begin the process of contact tracing and communicating with anyone who may have been a close contact, per our protocols. If your student was a close contact with the individual who tested positive, you will be contacted by our Covid Exposure Management Team. Fully Vaccinated students who are a close contact to a confirmed case should test 3-5 days after exposure and are not required to quarantine provided they remain asymptomatic and test negative. They must self-monitor for symptoms through day 14 from last exposure.

Please refer to THIS DOCUMENT for more information and answers to commonly asked questions.

A student that is required to quarantine can learn more about our Remote Learning plan HERE.

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