Health, Wellness, & Covid-19

All of our classroom desks, tables and seating arrangements in every building provide at least 3 feet of distancing and have been certified by administrators. This is consistent with IDPH/ISBE guidance.

All of our classroom desks, tables and seating arrangements in every building provide at least 3 feet of distancing and have been certified by administrators, and therefore there will not be any close contacts in the classrooms. 

Students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student are not considered close contacts and do not require quarantine as long as both the case and the contact were consistently masked (see question number 1 above). Timothy will provide for the maximum space possible between students and between students and staff, within our physical capabilities. Individuals who are solely exposed to a confirmed case while outdoors will not be considered close contacts.

Reminder: Timothy saw more than 450 students in quarantine during the 2020-2021 school year, and only 8 of them reported symptoms (1.8%) -- several of which noted close contacts/exposure in places other than school, too. To state this differently, more than 98% of all close contacts by definition never got sick during the 2020-2021 school year. 

If your student is in close contact (within 3 feet for more than 15 cumulative minutes over a 24 hour period) of a positive case at school or on the bus, your student will be required to quarantine at home for 10 days since the last contact (unless your student is fully vaccinated and without symptoms or has had a positive Covid test result from the previous 90 days).  

No. We have consistently reported this since March. However, we will have a practical and user-friendly education plan for those students who are out of school for an extended period due to Covid. This plan will closely resemble conventional plans from previous years for extended sickness or other reasons.

Yes. But at this time, Timothy will not require the daily reporting form that was in place last year. Even so, let’s continue to be strict in keeping sick students home -- the single most important part of our plan. We need everyone’s cooperation!

• Yes. Covid-related questions and reporting will continue to be submitted to covid@timothychristian.com. Our nursing staff and health team members will closely monitor the inbox.
• In place of the daily reporting form, we will continue to track all absences due to illness, so please report any illness/symptoms to covid@timothychristian.com or to the appropriate building secretary and a member of our health team will follow up.

• We are anticipating full sports seasons this year; however, we are awaiting direction from the IHSA for high school athletics. Depending on the direction we receive from the IHSA, we may have pivots in our health plan for the high school. We have always placed a high value on our relationship with the IHSA.
• Protocols for our middle school sports programs will be directed primarily by our athletic conference.

• No. Timothy will not require or track this. However, at this time, you will see some shortcuts in the health plan for families who volunteer this information.
• The Health Task Force would also like to note that vaccines have shown effectiveness. Consider talking with your personal physician about whether this vaccine is right for your children.

• Students with a fever, loss of taste/smell, sore throat, and/or body aches will require clearance from a medical provider before returning to school. For these specific symptoms, vaccinated students may return after 24 hours of no symptoms.
• Students with a cough, runny nose, vomiting, and/or diarrhea will require 24 hours of no symptoms before returning. This is true for all students, regardless of vaccination status.
• Siblings without symptoms may come to school.

• If anyone in the student’s household tests positive for Covid, the student must quarantine for 14 days. Fully vaccinated children in the same household will not need to quarantine if they are without symptoms. This information would have to be confidentially volunteered to our health team, as the health team will not ask.
• If someone in the student’s household has an exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID, and the student remains symptom free, the student is not required to quarantine and may come to school.
• Please note that Timothy does not recognize OTC self-tests.

• Please report all positive (and negative) test results to covid@timothychristian.com or 630.782.4087.

• Upon reporting the positive test to the health team, you will receive specific instructions for your child, which may include isolation of your child and quarantine of others in your household. As a reminder, fully vaccinated children in the same household will not need to quarantine if they are without symptoms. This information would have to be confidentially volunteered to our health team, as the health team will not ask. 

• While your child or anyone in your household waits for test results, please stay home.

• Your child will be able to continue with their Timothy education during quarantine, although significantly different and more simplified than the plan for the 2020-2021 school year.

In general, we do not plan to continue this practice, but may if needed. All of our classroom desks, tables and seating arrangements in every building provide at least 3 feet of distancing and have been certified by administrators. This is consistent with IDPH/ISBE guidance.

While social distancing is no longer required by the CDC, IDPH, or ISBE, Timothy will implement physical distancing to the extent possible within the school and will provide for maximum space possible within the school’s physical capabilities.

All students will be required to wear a mask on the bus. Once again, household members will sit together on the bus. At this time, students are not able to ride another bus with a friend. Seating charts will be used on the bus. Please explain to your students the importance of sitting in their assigned seats. 

• The free lunch program has expired and is no longer available.
• For the most part, we will discontinue lunch in the classrooms and return to our designated lunchrooms on campus.
• Lunch will provide for the maximum space possible between students, and students will spend less than 15 minutes in their assigned lunch space. 

• We will continue with nightly cleanings using approved and effective products. We have contracted with a professional company for this once again.
• We also will continue to maintain our hand sanitizing stations throughout the campus and encourage regular handwashing. Good hygiene practices will be a regular topic with our students.

• Yes. We will continue this practice daily.
• On a related note, where and when possible, we will continue to open windows and find time to be outdoors.

For answers to questions not found above, please reference the IDPH Updated Guidance for Schools found here.