• Elementary School (grades 3 – 4 only): May 9 – May 13
• Middle School (grades 5 – 8): May 3 – 20
• High School (some students in grades 9 – 11): May 12 – 19

Every day during their testing period, your student will need to bring their fully charged Chromebook with them to school. Preparing for PARCC testing is easy as 1-2-3:

1. Check your tech. Turn on your student’s Chromebook with them to make sure there are no issues with the device. 
2. Report problems to our Tech Team. If it is not working, or you are having problems with it, contact our Tech Team immediately by emailing techsupport@elhaynes.org, calling our helpdesk at 202-888-5066 (English) or 202-644-9274 (Spanish), or having your student talk with their teacher about the issue.
3. Make a plan to charge and bring your device every day. Students will need their school-issued Chromebook to complete testing. Make a plan to charge the device every night, and double-check that it’s packed in the morning. 

Students and families can support their testing experience by taking the following steps:

• Attend school every day, on time, until the end of the school day.
• Set and stick to a consistent sleeping schedule that provides a good night’s rest.
• Eat a nourishing breakfast or enjoy a school-provided breakfast after getting to campus.
• Provide a pair of headphones if you don’t want to use school-issued ones.
• Charge your Chromebook every night and double-check that it is packed in your backpack every morning. Let us know if you need a replacement charger.

Please contact your school principal with any questions.

Save the date to join us on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at 10 a.m.

Every graduating family will receive a set number of tickets, and we will send an email invitation to families in the coming months. Make a plan for the big day: mark it on your calendar and get ready for the festivities. 

Test to Stay Program (TTS)

In certain situations, students and staff who are identified as close contacts will now participate in our Test to Stay (TTS) program. This will allow us to make the most of in-person instructional time in alignment with current health guidelines. Participation in the TTS program requires daily rapid antigen testing for the five days following contact and one PCR test (unless the individual is a 90 day positive) on or after the 5th day following exposure. 

We strongly encourage all students, regardless of vaccination status, to participate in the TTS program. This is an expansion of our previous test-to-stay program for certain members of our staff and our youngest learners. This new program applies to all close contact cases where the contact occurred in a classroom setting (not including lunch, nap time, mask breaks, or fitness class).

Updated Quarantine Timeline

Students who test positive for COVID-19 and who have NOT experienced ANY COVID-19-related symptoms at any time beginning 48 hours before they took the test are eligible to shorten their quarantine period. To do so, they must receive a negative rapid antigen test on day 5 and every subsequent day until day 10. This policy applies whether or not your student is vaccinated. 

If the person who tested positive experiences symptoms at ANY point, they must quarantine for the full, or the remainder of their full, 10-day quarantine period or provide documentation from a medical provider that the symptoms are unrelated to COVID-19. Our COVID team will determine if symptoms are or have been present based on interviews and health evaluations. 

If your student meets the eligibility criteria and you want to shorten their quarantine, or they begin to experience symptoms and need to extend their quarantine period, please contact Evelyn Marquez, COVID-19 Operations Coordinator.

While some of these new policies reflect decisions by DC Health and OSSE, we continue to take a more conservative approach to protect our community’s health and safety by including additional layers of testing. As conditions change, we will continue to update our policies based on accurate scientific and public health guidance. 

Returning from February Break: Take-Home Testing Program

Building on the success of our take-home rapid testing program for staff and our youngest learners, we will implement a take-home testing program for ALL students and staff for return to school following February Break. All students and staff will receive a testing kit on Friday, February 18, 2022. The tests must be administered on Sunday, February 27, 2022 and reported through the Student Reporting Form by 1:00 p.m. 

We will review and discuss these new changes, in addition to feedback from the Q2 Community Survey, during our CEO Family Forums tonight and tomorrow:

• Tuesday, February 15, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. (Click here to join via Zoom)
• Wednesday, February 16, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. (Click here to join via Zoom)

Thank you for your flexibility and support as we continue adapting to meet the needs of our community.

Thank you for coming in for testing to help make sure we can quickly and safely return to in-person learning this week. Though the last week was challenging due to the snow and ice, our planned switch to virtual learning helped limit any disruptions to learning.

We know that the city is experiencing a widespread rise in cases of COVID-19 due to the omicron variant, and though we are still awaiting further guidance from DC Health to update our full health and safety guidelines, as part of our continued mitigation efforts, we are updating some of our critical COVID-19 policies, including our testing and quarantining processes, as well as our mask recommendations.

• Weekly Testing: We will continue our weekly testing program of 20 percent of all students, no matter their vaccination status. We will also increase our testing program to include 20 percent of all staff.

• Quarantining:
  • Positive Cases: All staff and students who test positive for COVID-19 must quarantine and isolate for 10 ten days. Following the isolation period, if the individual has been symptom-free for the final 48 hours, they may return to school. 
  • Unvaccinated Close Contacts: Unvaccinated siblings and other close contacts must quarantine for 10 days and closely monitor for any COVID-19 symptoms. They should receive a PCR test on or after the fifth day following their exposure. They may return to school following their quarantine period, along with a negative test result.    
  • Vaccinated Close Contacts: All vaccinated close contacts of a positive case must quarantine for 5 days. Following the quarantine period, the individual will receive a rapid and a PCR test when they return to campus. If the rapid test is negative, the student can return to in-person learning. 

• Masks Recommendations: Though it is not required, we recommend that staff wear KN-95 or N-95 masks on campus. 

Get Vaccinated and Boosted

If you have not done so, get your COVID-19 vaccine today, vaccinate your children, or receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster if you are eligible. Vaccines remain the best defense against COVID-19, and the more individuals who are able to be vaccinated in our community, the better. If you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (ages 5+) or the COVID-19 booster, you should receive it as soon as possible. The city continues to host walk-up vaccine clinics, and you can also contact local pharmacies (including CVS, Walgreens, and Safeway) to find a location and appointment near you. Has your student received the COVID-19 vaccine? Make sure you submit a copy of your vaccination card to a front desk staff member.

Our commitment to transparency. In the coming week, we will also share detailed information on testing, case rates, and more.

Testing Schedule and Details

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we conduct COVID-19 tests of our entire community. We believe this, along with our virtual learning strategy, will help us ensure we can return to in-person learning as quickly and safely as possible. 

All families should arrive via the Kansas Avenue Parking lot. On Monday, January 10, when elementary school students arrive, all Pre-K3, Pre-K4, and Kindergarten students should proceed to the elementary school doors. All students grades 1 – 4 should follow signage to the modulars for testing. On Tuesday, January 11, all students will be tested in the modulars in the Kansas Avenue parking lot. Please remember to dress warmly. You may need to wait in line outside.

REMINDER: If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are currently quarantining, you should NOT come in for testing. Please be sure to report your positive COVID-19 diagnosis HERE. If you are quarantining because you were identified as a close contact, you must report that HERE.

We know that some individuals will continue to test positive for COVID-19 for sometimes weeks following a positive diagnosis. If your student has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has completed the necessary isolation, AND is not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, we will need a letter from their doctor stating they can return to in-person learning in the event they test positive for COVID-19. 

Staggered Return to In-Person Learning

As a reminder, we will stagger our return to in-person learning next week in order to test all students and staff.  For our full schedule, click here. 

Extended Day, Athletic, and Extracurricular Programming

Before- and after-care, athletics, and in-person extracurricular activities are CANCELED from January 10 – January 14. There will be NO extended-day programs (before-care or after-care) at the elementary or middle schools from January 10 through January 14, 2022. During this time, all clubs and extracurricular activities at the middle school and high school should meet virtually. Additionally, all athletic activities, including games and practices, will be canceled until January 14. 

Get Vaccinated and Boosted

If you have not done so, get your COVID-19 vaccine today, vaccinate your children, or receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster if you are eligible. Vaccines remain the best defense against COVID-19, and the more individuals who are able to be vaccinated in our community, the better. If you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (ages 5+) or the COVID-19 booster, you should receive it as soon as possible. The city continues to host walk-up vaccine clinics, and you can also contact local pharmacies (including CVS, Walgreens, and Safeway) to find a location and appointment near you.

Thank you for your support and cooperation. 

As part of this plan, E.L. Haynes will transition to virtual learning from January 5 through January 10/11, 2022.  In order to prepare for this transition, as well as test all staff members, we will be CLOSED on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. Beginning January 11, we will have a staggered return for each campus. We will transition our scheduled parent-teacher conference day on Friday, January 14 to an in-person learning day for all students. Additionally, ALL students MUST receive a COVID-19 test prior to returning to campus. Click here to learn more about our COVID-19 testing sites on January 10 and 11. We have outlined the schedules for instruction and testing below:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: All elementary school students must be tested on Monday January 10, and will return to in-person instruction on Tuesday, January 11.  On Monday, January 10, all elementary school students will participate in asynchronous virtual instruction. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL: All middle school students must be tested on Tuesday, January 11, and will return to in-person instruction on Wednesday, January 12.  On Monday, January 10 and Tuesday, January 11, students will participate in asynchronous virtual instruction. 

HIGH SCHOOL: All high school students must be tested on Tuesday, January 11, and will return to in-person instruction on Wednesday, January 12. On Monday, January 10 and Tuesday, January 11, all high school students will participate in asynchronous virtual instruction.

Families will receive additional instructions and information directly from your campus teams.

To keep everyone in our community healthy and well, we will host virtual Open Houses until further notice.

Please sign up here to attend any of the open house events listed below.

• Wednesday, January 12, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. (Virtual)
• Wednesday, January 26, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. (Virtual)

Note: If you previously registered for an in-person session, we will contact you to update your registration.

To keep everyone in our community healthy and well, we have converted all of our middle school’s in-person Open Houses to virtual sessions.

Please sign up here to attend any of the open house events listed below.

• Saturday, December 18, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Virtual)
• Saturday, January 22, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Virtual)
• Saturday, February 12, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Virtual)

To keep everyone in our community healthy and well, we updated our Open House session schedule to be fully virtual moving forward.

Please sign up here to attend any of the open house events listed below.

• Saturday, December 18, 9 – 10:30 a.m. (In-Person)
• Saturday, January 22, 9 – 10:30 a.m. (Virtual)
• Wednesday, February 9, 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. (Virtual)
• Saturday, February 12, 9 – 10:30 a.m. (Virtual)

We believe this is the best public health decision — for our staff, for our students, and for our families. We also know that vaccines save lives, and that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective.  We will support our current unvaccinated staff members and our student athletes through their next steps. We believe this decision brings an important additional layer of protection to our community and will continue to review the best strategies to keep us all safe. As always, we will keep you posted as we update our processes.

All student-athletes over the age of 12, must be fully vaccinated by December 13, 2021 to be eligible to practice or compete in school-based extracurricular athletics.  And though Mayor Bowser mandated the vaccine for staff and student-athletes over the age of 12, we strongly encourage all eligible individuals receive the COVID-19 Vaccine. 

Next Steps for Students Who are Eligible to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine (12+):

• Sign up to receive the COVID-19 Vaccine. To continue to support our staff, students, and families in becoming vaccinated against COVID-19, we will host our next vaccine clinic on Friday, October 1, from 4 – 6 p.m. At the clinic, participants will receive the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine. You can sign up here. For students who attend, they will receive a $25 gift card for each dose, and be entered in a raffle to win an Apple watch or an Oculus VR system. You can also find a full list of free, walk-up vaccination sites here. 
• Submit your student’s vaccination card to your school’s front office staff. If your student has received the COVID-19 vaccine, be sure to contact a member of your campus office staff to submit the proof of vaccination. If you or your student have already shared a copy of their vaccination card, please confirm with the front office that the card has been logged appropriately.

Vaccines are critical to protecting ourselves and each other, and together with our other practices, we are successfully minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Thank you to everyone — students, staff, and families — for their commitment and participation. From arrival procedures, health screenings,  to mask-wearing and more, these practices keep us all safe, and provide students full access to our educational program.