• COVID-19 Surveillance in District 41

    Saliva Collection Schedule

    All students who are attending the full in-person school schedule are required to submit a saliva sample for a COVID-19 screening each week. All in-person students should bring their saliva sample to school with them on Monday. If your child forgets or there is an issue with the collection, the schools will also be collecting samples on Tuesday and Wednesday. If your child does not submit a sample, the school will be calling home to follow up.

    If your child is new to saliva screening, please click here for more information on how to collect and submit the sample. If your child experiences difficulty in producing a saliva sample, please contact Katie Adduci to participate in BinaxNOW rapid antigen testing as an alternative at kadduci@d41.org.

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    The Board of Education approved a COVID-19 screening agreement with SafeGuard Surveillance,LLC on November 9. The District will continue sharing information about the process of screening as more logistics are finalized. This website will be adjusted regularly to provide the most up to date information. 

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    All students and staff who attend our schools in-person are strongly encouraged to sign up for COVID-19 Saliva Screening. Login to Skyward and look for the Safeguard Consent & Waiver.
    The more participation we have in this screening program, the safer our schools will be for everyone.
    Please help us use this additional mitigation strategy to its full potential and sign up today. Over time we believe the screenings will allow us to keep COVID-19 out of our schools so that we can continue to increase our ability to offer in-person learning.
    NOTE: You will be contacted by the school nurse only if your child tests as a probable positive.

    Post Holiday Break Screenings
    Screenings will be conducted post holiday breaks from school to determine if it is possible to bring students back to in person learning. For example, the first opportunity for saliva screening tests took place after Thanksgiving break. Kits will be delivered to the homes of those who sign up. A box for the saliva samples will be outside the main entrance of each school. Samples for multiple D41 students can be dropped off at one school.


    Weekly Screening
    When the district is offering the blended in person model of learning, testing will be provided weekly for both in-person students and staff. A schedule for weekly testing will be provided by the school district closer to the date that the testing would begin. For weekly testing, kits will be sent home with students. We ask that parents guide the students through the saliva collection and send the sample back to school with the students the next day. Click here for a video about the collection process.

     

    Having this program in District 41 provides another layer of mitigation to keep all school communities safe. We ask all families and staff to please continue to help slow community spread in the five communities we serve (Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Carol Stream, Wheaton and Lombard). Please avoid gatherings, wash hands frequently, wear masks, and social distance at least 6 feet from anyone outside of your household. Thank you for your partnership.
     

    • The primary goal of the screening program is to allow for more consistent in-person instruction for students by serving as a more accurate way to assess the risks of reopening and by lessening community spread by identifying asymptomatic individuals who would otherwise be in our schools. In order to achieve this goal and achieve the best results from this investment, the program must have high levels of participation from students and staff. We ask that everyone who is in person in our schools give thoughtful consideration to participating. During a pandemic such as COVID 19, our choices not only impact ourselves but also others.

     

    • The tentative plan is for samples to be collected on a weekly basis at home and returned to school for lab screening, offering same-day results. All necessary supplies will be sent home with students who participate in screening. Students will return their samples in a small baggie that will also be provided. Upon arriving at school, students will place their baggie in drop boxes that are placed around the school. 

     

    • For students to participate, parents/guardians must submit an online consent form. The form will be provided to families and staff who will eventually transition back to the blended model. 

     

    • Screening after holiday breaks (Thanksgiving break, winter break and spring break) will help the district determine if in-person learning is safe after being away from school for a number of days following a time of travel, family gatherings and other events that significantly increase the risk of COVID 19 transmission and positivity. This screening process will look different than the weekly screening plan. We will confirm the details of these special testing dates as soon as we confirm.

     

    CLICK for D41 Covid-19 Screening FAQ's

    Also, please watch the video below for information about how to provide a saliva sample for screening: 


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