Health Services

Friends’ Central now requires that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 and be up-to-date with any boosters for which they might be eligible. Please upload your student’s vaccination card through the Magnus portal to verify that they are vaccinated and up-to-date. 

The CDC states that a person is up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines when they have received all doses in the primary series and all boosters recommended for them, when eligible. Vaccine recommendations are different depending on age, the vaccine first received, and time since last dose, as shown here. 

If your family/child applied for a medical or religious exemption last year and were approved, you will not need to go through that process again. The exemption is still in place. Those who wish to seek a medical or religious exemption from this COVID-19 vaccination requirement are expected to complete the process outlined in these forms. Forms are due no later than August 22, 2022. 

Students without proof of up-to-date vaccination in Magnus or whose families have not been approved for a medical or religious exemption will not be able to return to or begin school in September.

Families, students, and employees should monitor themselves closely for symptoms. Anyone who feels unwell or is experiencing symptoms should stay home and test for COVID-19. Symptoms? Stay home! Click here for the list of symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19. If a student stays home while feeling unwell, we ask that you test your child to confirm that the illness is not COVID-19.

Friends’ Central follows the CDC guidelines for quarantining after suspected or confirmed exposure to COVID-19 or if someone is considered a close contact. Please click here for that guidance. Families should be in touch with FCS Health Services for assistance navigating exposure or being a close contact. 

• Household Contact: Friends’ Central follows the CDC guidelines for a person who lives in a household with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.  Please click here for that guidance. If up-to-date with vaccinations, the close contact:

  • Must watch for symptoms for 10 days

  • Wear a well-fitting mask at school (indoors and outdoors) for 10 days except when eating

  • Test at home each morning of the 10 days and email a photo of the negative test to Health Services prior to coming to school

  • The above guidance assumes that the person who is positive is able to isolate themselves per the CDC guidelines 

There is no more remote learning. Students who are absent due to quarantine or isolation related to COVID-19 or any other illness should rest and recover. If they feel well enough to do work, they should follow along with assignments shared by the teacher (Lower School) or posted online (Middle and Upper School).

Friends’ Central follows the CDC guidelines for isolation after a person tests positive for COVID-19. Please click here for that guidance. Families should be in touch with FCS Health Services when a student tests positive. 

There is no more remote learning. Students who are absent due to quarantine or isolation related to COVID-19 or any other illness should rest and recover. If they feel well enough to do work,  they should follow along with assignments shared by the teacher (Lower School) or posted online (Middle and Upper School).

Communicating a Positive Case with the Community
Lower School: Because students are with the same group of students all day, positive cases will be reported to families by the school nurse. At that point, the families will be notified if masking for 10 days is necessary or if further precautions need to be taken. 

Middle & Upper School: Individual cases in Middle and Upper School will not be communicated home to families because accurate contact tracing is nearly impossible. 

If there is a sudden or significant increase in cases in the community, families will be notified. 

Friends’ Central is a mask-friendly community. Masking is optional indoors and outdoors, but community members can choose to wear a mask at any time. All students should have a well-fitting mask with them at school and be ready to put it on if and when asked. We recommend surgical masks, KN95, N95, or KF94 masks. 

For the start of the school year, we will require that students and teachers mask when we are gathering indoors in large groups, such as for Meeting for Worship and assemblies. We will evaluate this as the school year continues. 

Families may want to consider their child masking for busing and public transportation. 

There may be times during the year when the School decides that indoor masking should be reinstated due to community cases or considerations. This will be communicated to students and families.

Friends’ Central will not be conducting Covid-19 testing. 

If a student is a household contact, at-home testing will be required. Please refer to our household contact information. 

If a student stays home while feeling unwell, we ask that you test your child to confirm that the illness is not COVID-19.

We do encourage families to test their children prior to overnight field trips and when students will be in close and extended contact.

The cafeteria at Lower School and dining hall at City Avenue will be open and utilized for eating. Whenever possible, we will encourage students to enjoy the outdoors for snack and recess. 

Music lessons will return to being in-person. Instrumental and choral offerings will resume as normal.

Athletics will return to normal, with full capacity for spectators at home games. In the case of games that have many spectators, fans might be asked to mask indoors. 

The Friends’ Central campuses are open for parents/caregivers and visitors. Those visiting campus should report to the Lower School office (Old Gulph) or the Main Building (City Ave) to sign in and will then be able to proceed to their final destination on campus.

Admissions: We are pleased to offer indoor tours and in-person visits for prospective families and students.