At Headwaters Outdoor School, the health and safety of our students and staff are of great importance. To minimize the risk of exposure to and the spreading infectious diseases, we take numerous steps mandated by local and state health codes to ensure a healthy and clean environment.
If you are sending your child or student to Headwaters, we ask that you respect our illness policy and help us keep our school safe. Please follow the guidelines below, and if you have any questions concerning whether or not your child should attend due to illness, please call the Headwaters Outdoor School Office at (530) 938-1304.
Should your child exhibit symptoms of communicable diseases after returning home, please inform HWOS Staff as soon as possible so we may initiate appropriate disinfecting procedures of camp facilities.
As difficult as it might be for your child to miss the trip to Headwaters, their wellness and the safety of our school and community is of greater importance. Below are listed our health guidelines for Covid-19 symptoms as well as common communicable disease symptoms,
COVID-19 Symptom and Isolation Policy:
- Students and staff experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, upset stomach, respiratory difficulties) must remain at home for 14 days after illness symptoms are gone before coming to Headwaters.
- Students and Staff exposed to COVID-19 patients at home, work, or in their community must remain at home for 14 days after being exposed to COVID-19.
Additional Communicable disease precautions and Policy.
You should not send your child to Headwaters if they have tested negative for COVID-19 but have symptoms for other illnesses:
- Vomiting in the past 48 hours-Your child should be symptom free for 48 hours without the use of medication prior to coming to Headwaters.
- Diarrhea in the past 48 hours, (3 watery or loose stools in one day with or without fever)-Your child should be symptom free for 48 hours without the use of medication prior to coming to Headwaters.
- Any rash with or without fever
- Stiff neck or headache with fever
- Unusual behavior change, such as irritability, lethargy or somnolence
- Jaundice (yellow color of the skin or eyes)
- Skin lesions that are “weepy”(fluid or pus filled)
- Colored drainage from eyes
- Brown/green drainage from nose with fever >100.5.
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; serious, sustained cough
- Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 72 hours before coming to Headwaters)
- Head lice –If your child has live lice, they should be treated with an appropriate “lice killing” shampoo/product prior to coming to Headwaters. Your child may come to Headwaters when all live lice are eliminated.
- Symptoms or complaints that prevent the student from participating in activities such as a persistent cough, with or without presence of fever or the student requires more care than the school can safely provide.
HWOS Communicable Disease Plan
If the Headwaters Outdoor School Staff believes, or if we are informed that student/s that are present are exhibiting symptoms of communicable diseases, we will undertake the following steps to ensure the well-being of the student and minimize the exposure to other students/staff.
Isolation of symptoms
Any student/chaperone exhibiting symptoms of a communicable disease will be given sleeping accommodations separate from the main camp. Private school group chaperones may be asked to sleep in an adjacent shelter/tent to provide assistance and supervision. Private School Group Leaders will consult with HWOS Staff to determine the best arrangement. Students in isolation will not be permitted to participate in activities or eat with other students. A separate bathroom facility may be arranged for isolated students.
Arrangement for Retrieval of Student
Depending on the timing of the week at HWOS, staff may recommend that the sick student be sent home. In the case of private school groups, class teachers will help make pickup arrangements with the child’s parent/guardian. If a parent/guardian or an approved chaperone is unavailable to retrieve the student, they will need to remain in isolation until a ride home is available, or the school group leaves.
Seeking Medical Attention
HWOS does not employ a camp nurse. While our staff are trained in emergency medical care and first aid, we are not trained medical professionals. In some cases, HWOS staff may suggest that a student be seen at the local Urgent Care or Emergency Room located in the town of Mt. Shasta approximately 10 miles away. Staff will consult with private class teacher and/or parent/guardian to determine the best way to get the student to medical care without unnecessarily disturbing the class. This may include the private class teacher, chaperone, or HWOS Staff driving the student into town, depending on availability and urgency of the situation. Possible symptoms that may prompt staff to seek medical attention for students include, but are not limited to: persistent vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, abdominal pain, rashes or injuries that need advanced medical attention.
It is imperative that the HWOS Staff has been provided with all medical history and consent forms for every student and attending chaperone no later than the arrival at Headwaters.
