2021-22 COVID-19 Policies and Protocols

Noted below are the Jackson Academy COVID-19 policies and protocols that are in place for the 2021-22 school year and are effective immediately. As circumstances change with the pandemic, these policies and procedures can change. Please continue to refer to this website area for the most updated information. 

Use the menu below to view information by Division

Lower School
Middle School
Upper School

Vaccination

  • JA encourages vaccination for all eligible faculty and staff.
  • JA employee vaccination status is required to be reported to JA School Nurse Kathy Sheffield immediately or as vaccination status changes.
  • JA encourages all eligible students to be vaccinated but ultimately respects the decisions of parents and health care providers concerning the vaccination of individual students 5 years of age and older.
  • Students’ vaccination status is only required on a need-to-know basis and should be reported to Kathy Sheffield.

Mask Use

  • JA encourages all faculty, staff, and campus visitors to wear a mask while they are in indoor school settings. (Updated 1/22)
  • JA encourages all students K3 through 12 to wear a mask while they are in indoor school settings. (Updated 1/22)

Distancing and Other Measures

  • JA will make every reasonable effort to maintain 3 feet of distance between students in classrooms.
  • At this time, school transportation on buses continues to be based on coaching staff and faculty/staff recommendations. Masks are required at all times during bus travel. For the safety of all, meals and snacks will be consumed prior to or after travel. (Updated 9/21)
  • Campus water fountains will be used as water bottle fillers only.

Screening and Testing

  • JA will not require routine screening of asymptomatic, unvaccinated students, teachers, and staff; we do, however, continue to ask that students, staff, and faculty not come to school when they exhibit signs of any infectious illness.
  • The JA school nurse may ask that a student or staff member who shows any health-related issues or symptoms be sent home and/or requested to be tested.

Symptom Checker

Positive Cases

  • JA students, staff, and teachers who test positive are required to contact the school nurse Kathy Sheffield by email at ksheffield@jacksonacademy.org or through the school hotline number 601-364-1059. 
  • Those persons with a positive COVID test will be required to:
    • Isolate for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or the date of the positive test prior to returning to school, whichever comes first.
    • If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving and you are fever free, after 5 days you may return to school masked for the remainder of the 10 day quarantine.  Masks should be worn in indoor common areas, during times of interior transition, and in a classroom setting. 
  • Those persons with a positive COVID test may also choose to isolate themselves for 10 days before returning to school.
  • Please note: K3 and K4 students will need to quarantine for the full 10 day period.  Returning after 5 days and masked is not an option for this age group.

Close Contact

Close contact within the household

  • Those persons* in close contact with someone within their household who recently had a positive COVID test will need to:
    • Isolate for 5 days prior to returning to school 
    • After isolating for 5 days, those persons may then return to school and have the option either to:
      • Wear a mask for 5 days at certain times such as indoor common areas, during times of interior transition, and in a classroom setting. 
      • Provide a negative Covid test after day 5
  • Those persons in close contact with someone within their household may also choose to isolate themselves for 10 days before returning to school.
  • Please note: K3 and K4 students should provide a negative test in order to return to school or isolate for the full 10 day period. Returning after 5 days and masked is not an option for this age group.

*except essential employees

Close contact outside the household

Those persons in close contact with someone outside their household who recently had a positive COVID test should watch for symptoms.