Contact Tracing & Montlake Elementary

COVID 19 Information 

Message from Nurse Meg:
 Dear Montlake Families,

As of Monday, March 14, wearing face masks has become optional indoors and outdoors at Seattle Public Schools buildings and on yellow school buses. As COVID-19 is still circulating in our community, wearing a mask is still strongly encouraged.
- Masks will continue to be provided at schools.
- We will respect and support staff and students’ individual choices to mask or not.
- We will continue to foster a climate of care for each other and our entire school community.
- SPS will continue to provide testing access at schools.

Read on for the latest masking, exposure, illness and return to school protocols:
- Masks will still be required in certain settings including all health room settings (at Montlake this includes the main office), and high aerosol activities such as singing.
- As always, students with any illness symptoms must continue to stay home until they meet the guidelines for returning to school.

What to Do for a Known COVID-19 exposure: Students and staff who have been exposed to COVID-19 (close contacts) no longer need to quarantine regardless of vaccination status but should monitor for symptoms and do the following:
- If exposed, it is best to wear a well-fitting mask for 10 full days after the last date of exposure.
- Get tested 3-5 days after the exposure. If test is positive, must isolate at home and follow guidelines below.
- Stay home for any symptoms of COVID-19.

What to Do for Symptoms of COVID-19:
- Isolate at home
- Follow this flow chart.
- If there is a single mild symptom that resolves in 24 hours without medication, may return to school.
- If there are 2 symptoms or 1 symptom that lasts more than 24 hours, the sick person must isolate at home and get a COVID-19 test.

What to Do for If Someone Tests Positive for Covid-19:
A COVID-19 positive person may return to school, childcare, and activities after five full days have passed since TESTING DATE* if:
1. No fever within the past 24 hours (without medication)
2. AND Symptoms have significantly improved
3. AND the ill person can wear a well-fitting mask around others for full 10 days (OR has a test negative with an antigen test.)
4. If a COVID-19 positive person cannot wear a mask and does not test negative after day five, they must continue isolating through day 10.

*SPS policy differs from the department of health policy on issue of when to return. SPS requires 5 full days of isolation from TESTING DATE. Day of the test is counted as day “0”.

Contact Tracing:
Per revised DOH guidance, only high-risk individuals are required to be notified of potential exposure. Montlake will, however, notify families if there is a positive case of COVID-19 at school.

SPS will continue to monitor COVID-19 rates in our schools and may return to masking, as necessary. Feedback or additional questions can be sent via the district’s Let’s Talk website found at www.seattleschools.org.

Please feel free to reach out to me or Anna Faraday with any questions or concerns.
Meg Watson,
School Nurse, BSN RN NCSN
[email protected]

Anna Faraday,
PHCR Monitor
[email protected]

What is the status of covid in SPS? 
Click the button below to go to the SPS COVID-19 dashboard.