Dear Patrick Copeland Parents and Guardians,
We want to make you aware that we have an opportunity for any student to be tested weekly for COVID if the parent wishes. We started this last week and want you to know that we plan for this opportunity to continue for the months ahead.
At PC, the testing usually takes place Monday mornings shortly after students arrive. It is usually very quick (five minutes or less altogether with only about 10 seconds for the swab) and is not painful. The student continues on to class as usual after the test. Parents then receive the result in an email usually the next day.
Participating in the testing can give a parent peace of mind that their child is negative and also helps us as a whole school ensure we are not having any asymptomatic cases we aren’t aware of, so that we can more quickly prevent any possibility of spread.
This is completely OPTIONAL. If you do want your child to participate, you need to complete the TWO online forms below. They need to be completed at least a full day before the testing date but only need to be completed once (not each week).
In addition to this weekly screening testing opportunity, we do have opportunities for drive-thru testing each week in case a child does have symptoms or has been quarantined. Those drive-thru opportunities are usually Mondays at 4:30-5:00 at the high school, Tuesdays at 4:45-5:15 at HEJ, and Thursdays at 5:00-5:30 at Woodlawn. Please note that due to school being closed this coming week on Election Day (Tuesday), the drive-thru testing at HEJ will instead be on Wednesday, November 3rd. If a student participates in a drive-thru testing event, they must have the consent form completed (only needs to be done once) and a registration form completed for the school where they are being tested - those forms are on the website.
If you have any questions, you can call 804-541-6400 and ask to speak with a member of the division health team.