Serra is using the online tool, Ruvna, to complete health screening for students before they arrive on campus. Parents and students will receive a text and an email on the morning that students are expected to be on campus from Ruvna. This message will include a link to a survey that must be completed before the student arrives at school. Once the survey is completed, students will receive an electronic “entrance ticket” on their smartphone that will be scanned by the supervisor at their campus entrance that morning.

Accommodations will be made for students who do not have a phone or whose phone is not available when he arrives on campus. If a student arrives at school without having completed the pre-screening, his temperature will be taken and the supervisor will ask him the screening questions before he is allowed to enter campus. Since this will delay his entrance into school and impact the entire program, it is important that all students comply with the Ruvna pre-screening requirement on a daily basis.

Serra has developed enhanced campus cleaning protocols that meet or exceed the local, state and federal guidelines. Common areas will be cleaned throughout the day, and Serra’s maintenance team is supported by an outside cleaning service, Service by Medallion, to ensure thorough, daily deep cleaning during evening hours. Medallion is also contracted to provide deep cleaning in the event of a positive COVID-19 case. In addition, the school has made a significant investment in upgrades to the ventilation systems throughout the campus.

Students will be instructed to wash or sanitize their hands in transition between classes and before and after lunch. Each classroom has a hand sanitizer station and hand washing is available in every restroom. Additional hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the school campus.

As of Monday, March 14, 2022, individuals on campus have the option as to whether or not to wear a mask. All individuals vaccinated or not vaccinated will have this option.

All bathroom fixtures, faucets, paper towels dispensers, urinals and toilets have been converted to touchless operation to limit contamination of surfaces. In addition, touchless bottle fillers have been installed throughout the campus. Communal drinking fountains are not permitted and have been turned off. Students and staff are required to bring their own water bottles.

Serra will continue to test unvaccinated faculty and staff weekly in accordance with mandates established by the state of California, the San Mateo County Pandemic Recovery Framework and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Optional BiNaxNow testing is available in the main office from 7:20 a.m.-7:40 a.m. each school day, as well as PCR testing through Virus Geeks every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the parking structure.

Families must notify the school immediately if any of the following applies to their son:

• Student has tested positive for COVID-19
• Student is being tested for COVID-19 based on his symptoms
• Student is prompted to get a COVID-19 test as a result of a Ruvna screening
• Student is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. In this case, the rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated students differ. Details are outlined in Serra’s School Safety Plan.

Please keep your son at home and send an email immediately to covid@serrahs.com. Mrs. Matt Vinal will contact you and will work with your family and with San Mateo County Health.

*Common Symptoms of COVID-19 (CDPH)*

• Headache
• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Muscle or body aches
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Diarrhea

Review Serra’s School Safety Plan for more information.

Symptomatic:

• Get tested immediately.
• Send results to covid@serrahs.com
• If positive:
  • stay at home for at least five days
  • isolation can end after Day 5 if no symptoms or resolving symptoms and a negative test (Antigen test preferred) on or after Day 5
  • if no test and asymptomatic or resolving symptoms, can end isolation on Day 10
  • if fever is present, isolation should continue until fever resolves
  • if symptoms, other than fever are not resolving, continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after Day 10
  • wear a well-filling mask around others for 10 days (both in and out doors)
• If negative (or has documented condition diagnosed by healthcare provider:
  • Stay home until
    • At least 24 hours have passed since the last fever without the use of fever-reducing medication and
    • Symptoms have improved

Asymptomatic:

• get COVID tested 3-5 days after last exposure
• If positive:
  • stay at home for at least five days
  • isolation can end after Day 5 if no symptoms or resolving symptoms and a negative test (Antigen test preferred) on or after Day 5
  • if no test and asymptomatic or resolving symptoms, can end isolation on Day 10
  • if fever is present, isolation should continue until fever resolves
  • if symptoms, other than fever are not resolving, continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after Day 10
  • wear a well-filling mask around others for 10 days (both in and out doors)
• If negative:
  • Student may continue to participate in all aspects of schooling, including sports and extracurricular activities
  • self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after exposure

Due to strict safety screenings upon arrival to campus, students should not arrive earlier than 7:40 a.m. unless they are scheduled for an early morning class or event. Students can enter campus at any of the five points of entry where they will present their RUVNA entry ticket to a campus supervisor.

Families are asked to strictly abide by the student drop off and pick up procedures outlined in the Parent-Student Handbook. Any student who takes Uber, Lyft or a similar transportation service to school should instruct the driver to drop him off on the 20th Avenue side of the school.

We have submitted our 2021-2022 School Safety Plan to the San Mateo County Office of Education as required by San Mateo County Health.

Students are required to display their official Serra student ID photo card at all times; Serra will provide lanyards. This will allow staff members to identify students when they are masked. Students who violate this policy will be sent home.

Students will be required to keep all of their books and supplies in their own backpack while on campus. Students will not be assigned nor use a locker; they must bring their books and supplies to and from home every on-campus school day. The sharing of supplies in classrooms--such as in science labs and art studios--will be allowed following appropriate cleaning protocols between use. Student-athletes in season will be assigned an athletic locker for storage of sports gear.

Given the very low risk of transmission of COVID-19 from surfaces and shared objects, there is no need to limit food service approaches to single use items and packaged meals; therefore, FLIK Independent School Dining, Serra’s food-service vendor, will provide a complete dining program for students and staff. 

Serra will arrange for students and staff to eat outdoors as often as feasible. When students and staff are eating indoors, we will maximize physical distance as much as possible.

Serra has adopted the CDPH’s recommendations for visitors to campus and has developed a visitor policy.

• Serra will limit nonessential visitors, volunteers, and activities involving external groups or organizations with people who are not fully vaccinated, particularly when there is moderate-to-high COVID-19 community transmission.
• Serra may request that visitors provide proof of vaccination status before entering campus. If visitors are not vaccinated or refuse or are unable to provide this information, they must follow all school policies related to unvaccinated individuals.
• Serra will not limit access for direct service providers but will require they comply with school visitor policies.
• Anyone, including visitors, who have symptoms of infectious illness, such as flu or COVID-19, should stay home and seek testing and care.
• All visitors are required to wear masks while indoors on campus.
• Serra will implement measures to communicate to all visitors the mask requirements on their premises.

• Students may continue to participate in extracurricular and athletic activities after an exposure to COVID-19 as long as they are asymptomatic and provide a negative test result by day 3-5.

• All students who participate in indoor sports and other higher-risk activities must continue to wear masks unless they are actively participating and complying with the weekly testing protocols

• Any student who tests positive and participates in athletics or any conditioning programs on campus, must provide a note from their primary healthcare provider stating that they are cleared to fully participate in athletics without restriction or stating the steps of the return to play plan. This release must be emailed to covid@serrahs.com before returning to respected sport/activity.

We strongly advise families to avoid any unnecessary travel during the school year; this is particularly important for students who are not vaccinated because they will be subject to testing and quarantine requirements as outlined by the CDC. See our School Safety Plan for more information.

Our success in returning to campus last November in the midst of the pandemic was the result of the commitment and collaboration among our school community and community partners. Once again, we will ask our Padres to make a pledge to do what it takes to keep themselves, their friends, and our community safe and healthy—because being a Padre is about doing the right thing for the greater good. Students will review and sign this pledge upon their return to campus in August.