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Kamehameha Hawaiʻi Surveillance Testing program is an additional layer of safety to help preserve in-person learning for haumāna.

Required Weekly Surveillance Testing for Grade 6

Dec. 21, 2021

Contributed by Shaundor Chillingworth

For the required weekly surveillance testing program to remain at school in-person, a consent form in your keiki's electronic health record (EHR) needs to be completed by Jan. 4, 2022. ʻOhana should have received an email today on whether or not a consent form has been received, is still needed, or if their keiki is exempt from the testing requirement by registering as fully vaccinated. 

In October, it was announced that starting next semester, grade 6 will join the rest of their middle school peers in Kamehameha Schools' required weekly surveillance testing program.

  • If you haven't already, complete the consent form in your child's EHR by January 4. 
  • Surveillance testing will begin for grade 6 on January 10, with kits distributed the first week back. The primary method is the ShieldT3 saliva PCR take-home test kit that we have used since March. Test kits will be due the first  school day of every week (typically Monday) before 7:45 a.m. and can be dropped off to the white middle school tent that morning. Additional instructions can be found below.
  • If your keiki is fully vaccinated, see instructions on how to register their vaccination card to be exempt from the testing requirement. 
  • Rapid antigen testing also available on-campus, and used for Thursday/Friday required screening, if students return later in the week. 


Surveillance testing, when done consistently, is a way to minimize spread. All Kamehameha Hawaiʻi middle and high school students are required to participate in weekly surveillance testing. Students may be exempt from the testing requirement if they have registered with KS as fully vaccinated, or have recovered from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis within the past 90 days. Even after becoming exempt from the requirement, vaccinated students may continue to participate in weekly screening using the same process.   

This shift to bring grade 6 in line with grade 7 & 8 students will allow for more consistency with all of the grades at our Kula Waena. With vaccinations now also being available for the entire grade, it made sense to make the adjustment so all Kula Waena grade levels have the same layers of protection in place. Nearly half of grade six students have opted into voluntary testing as well with many participating over the past four months, and the previous school year before that.

Required testing is our alternative to requiring vaccination–so that we can maintain vaccination as a personal choice for students–and still provide an added layer of safety for those who choose to remain unvaccinated. Our safety protocols, taken together, are what we believe is necessary to continue in-person learning, keep our school community safe, and prevent spread. 


COMPLETE THE CONSENT FORM

A new form is needed for this 2021-2022 school year. The consent form allows the testing vendor to share results with KS so we can notify you in the event of a positive test, initiate all of the steps involved in contact tracing in timely fashion, and distribute test results to testers via their EHR. Instructions on how to complete the consent form can be found here


SALIVA TESTING PROCESS AND INSTRUCTIONS

Reminders will be sent prior to January 10, but here are the basic instructions:

  1. Make sure your keiki has a test kit
    Kits will be distributed upon returning from break to those participating in required testing. Volunatary testers can pick up kits from the white tent on Wednesday, or from the front office or health room each day. 
  2. Make sure to collect saliva no sooner than the evening before you turn it in
    It is important that samples are not collected too early so they remain viable. So please try not to collect your sample until either the morning of when you plan to turn it in or the evening beforehand at the earliest. 
  3. Hydrate
    Since the test is saliva-based, the better hydrated you are, the easier it will be to fill the tube. The recommendation is to consume at least 64 oz. of water the day before to ensure proper hydration.
  4. Don't eat, drink, or chew gum for at least one hour prior to the test
    Not even water should be consumed for at least an hour prior to the test.Eating or drinking is allowed once testing is completed.  
  5. See the instructions below on how to collect your sample
    Test kits include a collection tube. We’ll collect 1.0-1.5 mL of saliva. Drooling is preferred as spitting can add air bubbles and mucus to the sample. Once done filling the saliva tube, seal and place the tube in the collection materials provided and testing is complete. 
  6. Prepare your kit to be submitted upon arrival to school
    To prepare the kit for submission, make sure you put the absorbent pad in the bag with your sample. Students should make sure the sample is ready to go so all you need to do is drop it off once you arrive to school. Make sure it is sealed and clearly labeled (student I.D. number and birthdate are on the included card and birthdate is on the tube). If there are any questions on the procedure, please contact the health room. 

 

REGISTER YOUR KEIKI'S VACCINATION CARD IN THEIR EHR

Kamehameha Schools does encourage all who are eligible to get vaccinated and register with KS. Registering as fully vaccinated does exempt students from the testing requirement (though they may still participate on a voluntary basis). 

At this time, being fully vaccinated is also the only way to avoid a mandatory quarantine if identified as a close contact of a positive case.As many in our grade 6 ʻohana found out over the past semester, a quarantine can be a big disruption. By taking an additional precaution through vaccination, if students remain asymptomatic, they can avoid quarantine. See instructions on how to upload your keiki's card

 

ALTERNATIVE RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING (IF NEEDED; FOR THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS)

There is also a short nasal rapid antigen testing station from Premiere Medical Group (PMG) on campus at Lunalilo Hale available Monday - Friday from 6:30 - 9:30 a.m. (with drive-thru testing on Monday afternoons from 3:30 - 5 p.m.) for students and employees. The rapid antigen test does fulfill the criteria for weekly surveillance testing and is another option for voluntary testing. 
 
Saliva tests can be only be processed by Shield T3's lab if received by KS between Monday - Wednesday. Anything later than Wednesday will require a different testing method, which is another reason for the rapid antigen testing. Students participating in the required surveillance testing program, who are absent or unable to submit their test kit samples by Wednesday, should utilize the rapid antigen testing station if returning to campus on Thursdays and Fridays. The testing process utilizes a short nasal swab, rather than saliva, and you will receive results within 15 minutes. There is a different registration process, and parents will need to consent each time. Middle School students also need to receive approval from the front office before heading to Lunalilo. See registration instructions for PMG testing.   

 

If assistance is needed in completing the consent form, contact the health room, or reply to this email for kōkua or more information.
 
Mahalo nui loa for your commitment to this important kuleana!
 


See instructions on how to submit your sample.


Vaccination is encourage and is still the most effective way to preserve in-person learning and prevent against severe infection. If fully vaccinated, ʻohana are encouraged to update their keiki's electronic health record with KS.


Since late September, Premiere Medical Group has offered a testing station on-campus daily from 6:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. providing short nasal rapid antigen testing, which also fulfills the weekly testing requirement and is available for voluntary testing.



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ks hawaii,covid-19,hawaii campus,covid testing,kula waena

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Kaipuolono Article, Hawaii Newsroom, KS Hawaii Home, Hawaii Middle School, Newsroom, Campus Programs, Hawaii, Hawaii campus, Kapalama campus, Maui campus

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