Serra will continue to implement appropriate and thorough cleaning and disinfecting protocols throughout its facilities. Our maintenance team is supported by an outside cleaning service, Service by Medallion, to ensure thorough, daily deep cleaning during the evening hours. Medallion is also contracted to provide deep cleaning in the event of a positive COVID-19 case occurring on campus.

Students are advised 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.

Masks, particularly high-quality, well-fitting masks, remain highly effective, inexpensive and dynamic tools to protect oneself and mitigate transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens. In accordance with guidance from the California Department of Public Health face mask guidance, Serra supports and respects individual choice to wear a mask at school.

Each classroom is equipped with an XPOWER X-3780 air scrubber with a 600 CFM fan capable of 4.1 room changes per hour in the largest classrooms. It has a four-stage filtration system that includes HEPA filtration. Air purifiers will remain on during class periods; they will be turned to the highest setting between class periods, which allows at least one room change filtration of the air within the passing period.

All bathroom fixtures, faucets, paper towels dispensers, urinals and toilets feature touchless operation to limit contamination of surfaces. In addition, touchless bottle fillers are available 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.

Students who would like to use a locker will be able to sign up for one through the Dean’s Office. The sharing of supplies in classrooms--such as in science labs and art studios--will be appropriately cleaned between use. Student-athletes in season will be assigned an athletic locker for storage of sports gear.

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’s visitor policy reflects CDPH recommendations: 

• 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.

• Visitors may be asked to show proof of vaccination or may be asked to provide a negative test before entering campus.

According to CDPH, antigen tests should be considered the primary option for detecting COVID-19 in schools, instead of PCR tests. Antigen tests that provide rapid results are much better to guide immediate isolation to prevent transmission.

Serra will continue to test unvaccinated faculty, staff and contracted volunteers weekly in accordance with mandates established by the CDPH and the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Serra will rely on the good judgment of families to determine when it’s appropriate to test their sons (for example, following attendance at a crowded event or weekend trip out of town).

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

• Your son has tested positive for COVID-19, or
• Your son has been exposed and is experiencing COVID-like symptoms.

Please keep your son at home and send an email immediately.

Students, teachers and staff with no COVID-19 symptoms and regardless of vaccination status, do not need to quarantine, but should get tested 3 to 5 days after an exposure to someone with COVID-19 and wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings and when near those at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease.

Students who are close contacts may participate in extracurricular and athletic activities after an exposure to COVID-19 as long as they remain symptom free.

Serra strongly advises families to avoid any unnecessary travel during the school year. If travel is unavoidable, please review the CDC guidelines for recommendations and requirements concerning travel. Serra may request that students and staff test for COVID-19 prior to returning to campus after traveling. Serra also may request that all students and staff test for COVID-19 prior to returning to school following a scheduled school or holiday break. 

Among the many things that we have learned about COVID-19 over the past two years is how unpredictable it can be. We also have learned how to respond. In the case of an outbreak on campus, Serra will follow these protocols:

• Provide written notice of a school site outbreak (three or more cases in an exposed workgroup in a 14-day period) and major outbreaks (20 or more cases within a 30-day period).
• During any outbreak, masks are required regardless of vaccination status both indoors and outdoors when individuals are less than six feet from another person.
• During major outbreaks, six-feet physical distancing is required where feasible, both indoors and outdoors.