About
2020-21 School Year
In-Person Learning

COVID-19 Testing

Testing as part of Baldwin’s Plan for Returning to Campus


The Baldwin School will provide COVID-19 testing the week of April 5 before resuming in-person instruction on April 12. To make this health and safety protocol as easy as possible, Baldwin is offering all students, faculty and staff a COVID-19 test. Because testing has recently become more widely feasible, available, and therefore more affordable, we have added the “return to campus testing requirement” at no additional cost to our families. All students, faculty and staff must test negative in order to return to campus for in-person learning.

Please note: Fully vaccinated students or faculty and staff will still need to be tested on April 7 and 8 or provide a negative test before April 12.

Baldwin has contracted with Fusion Healthcare Solutions and Anywhere Testing and the testing will be provided at sites on our campus. It will support the key risk mitigation measures we will use as we return to campus for in-person learning, which include daily symptom checking and the wearing of masks, social distancing and good hygiene practices while on campus. In combination with community members' commitment to abide by Baldwin’s CLAWS UP Community Compact, we hope this will help keep all students as healthy as possible for the remainder of the school year.
 
 
 

Return to Campus Testing

We are testing all Baldwin students, faculty and staff before returning to campus to establish Baldwin's community-specific positivity rate to reassure our families and our teachers that we are in a good position to return to in-person learning.

We are not using testing to create a "bubble" for Baldwin because, as a day school, this strategy would not be feasible or affordable. We will continue to evaluate the availability, feasibility and costs associated with testing throughout the 2020-21 school year to determine whether additional testing protocols may be added. 

What Type of Test Will be Used?

After consulting with health experts and reviewing the latest research on COVID-19 testing, we have elected to use a newer, more comfortable COVID-19 PCR test. The tests will be conducted via a self-administered saliva swab. The process requires that you wipe a swab along your lower gum line ten times, Baldwin’s Wellness Team will be there to direct you throughout.

Logistics

Testing will be administered from 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7 and from 12 - 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 8 in a "drive thru" format. Please see the details below about logistics of testing while on campus and paperwork that must be completed prior to arrival. If you cannot attend one of the below dates, you will need to schedule PCR testing for your daughter and submit documentation of a negative result to be cleared to attend school beginning on Monday, April 12.

Please note: Fully vaccinated students or faculty and staff will still need to be tested on April 7 and 8 or provide a negative test before April 12.

Paperwork

A parent (or, for students 19 and older, the student) is required to fill out a Patient Requisition Form and fill out a consent form. These forms can also be found on our Parent Portal and may be signed in advance or on-site. Your daughter may get her COVID-19 test without a parent or guardian present but must have a completed/signed consent form with her to do so. For the test provider’s Patient Requisition Form, the biological gender, race and ethnicity questions are optional. 

Plans for testing day

In order to make this as simple and quick as possible, we plan to conduct the test in a "drive thru" style. We ask that you come with your daughter in the time frame below, according to your daughter's division. We hope this will help us manage the traffic flow and speed up the testing process. Students may only come to campus for testing if they are symptom-free, with no possible exposure within the last 14 days.

On the day of testing, please do not eat or drink for 30 minutes prior to the test. If you are unable to come to campus for a test at the times provided or would like to get a PCR-test elsewhere the week of April 5, please let Kerrie Snead know.

To minimize wait times, we ask that families/students plan to arrive for testing in the following time frames, as possible.



Testing will take place in front of the Lower School and the Athletic Center. We ask that everyone stay in their cars during the test (i.e., do not park and get out), so that we can process everyone most quickly and safely. Our maintenance team will be on campus to help direct you when you arrive.

Students and families should wear a mask when you roll your car window down to talk with staff, get tested, exchange greetings, etc. We appreciate everyone practicing the utmost safety precautions throughout. 

After Your Daughter is Tested

After successfully being tested and awaiting results, all students should continue to adhere to the health and safety protocols recommended by the CDC and listed in our CLAWS UP Community Compact, which include social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands for at least 20 seconds throughout the day, refraining from attending off-campus social gatherings and limiting all unnecessary personal travel.

Test Results

Once sample collection is complete, Baldwin will work with the test provider to ensure tests are processed rapidly. We will be informed of the test results and share with you those results, as appropriate. Unlike testing this past fall, there will not be a website for you to visit to collect your results separately but we will be sure to keep everyone informed as to the status of test results.

Testing Dates

Wednesday, April 7
Upper School Testing 
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.: Last name begins with A through H 
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.: Last name begins with I through P 
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Last name begins with Q through Z 

Wednesday, April 7
Middle School Testing 
12 - 1 p.m.: Last name begins with A through H
1 - 2 p.m.: Last name begins with I through P 
2 - 3 p.m.: Last name begins with Q through Z

Thursday, April 8
Lower School Testing 
12 - 1 p.m.: Last name begins with A through H 
1 - 2 p.m.: Last name begins with I through P 
2 - 3 p.m.: Last name begins with Q through Z 

Fully vaccinated students or faculty and staff will still need to be tested on April 7 and 8 or provide a negative test before April 12.
  

Points of Contact

List of 2 items.

Frequently Asked Questions

List of 9 items.

  • What if my daughter cannot make the assigned test date?

    If you cannot make the testing date assigned to your daughter, please be in touch with our Wellness Coordinator, Kerrie Snead, to see if we can accommodate her on another available date when testing will be conducted on campus. If no on-campus testing date will work, we ask that you get a PCR test on your own and submit documentation of a negative result within a week of starting class or returning to campus. Students will not be allowed to begin class in the absence of a negative PCR test; we are not accepting antibody testing.

    If you have questions about the logistics or medical aspects of testing, please contact a member of our Pandemic Response Team: Baldwin’s Wellness Coordinator (Kerrie Snead) or School Nurses (Kim Elgart, Doreen Jones or Diane Lacing).

  • What if my daughter is an online learner for the semester?

    It is not required to have a negative test if your daughter is learning online. However, we do require that a student have a documented negative test to participate in in-person learning. If your daughter transitions to in-person learning, we will require that you submit to our Wellness Coordinator and her division’s nurse documentation of a negative test conducted within 7 days of her planned return to campus for in-person learning.

    Baldwin is offering testing to all students, including our online learners. We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to have your daughter tested, as it will help our community establish a more accurate Baldwin-specific community positivity rate.

  • Can my daughter be tested without a parent present?

    Your daughter may get her COVID-19 test without a parent or guardian present. A parent (or, for students 19 and older, the student) is required to fill out a Patient Requisition Form and a consent form. Your daughter must bring the forms with her in order to be tested. These forms can also be found on our Parent Portal and may be signed in advance or on-site. 

  • What kind of test will be used?

    After consulting with health experts and reviewing the latest research on COVID-19 testing, we have elected to use a newer, more comfortable COVID-19 PCR test. The tests will be conducted via a self-administered saliva swab, which each person will do themselves while supervised by our school nurses. The process requires that you wipe a swab along your lower gum line ten times, Baldwin’s Wellness Team will be there to direct you throughout.

    Baldwin has contracted with Fusion Healthcare Solutions and Anywhere Testing to offer testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID19. The test is performed using an RT-PCR method approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization. The laboratory with which Fusion Healthcare Solutions and Anywhere Testing has contracted to analyze our tests is Phi Life Sciences a CLIA and CAP accredited laboratory.

  • How will I know my daughter's test results?

    Once sample collection is complete, Baldwin will work with the test provider to ensure tests are processed rapidly. We will be informed of the test results and share with you those results, as appropriate. Unlike testing this past fall, there will not be a website for you to visit to collect your results separately but we will be sure to keep everyone informed as to the status of test results.

  • What happens with the test results?

    We expect results from testing within 48 to 72 hours of the end of each day of testing. 

    A negative result means the test did not detect COVID-19 or you did not have enough virus to be detected at the time of collection. If your result is positive, indicating the virus was detected, you will be contacted directly by the test provider. The test provider (Fusion Healthcare Solutions and Anywhere Testing) is also required to notify the CDC and the local Office of Public Health of any positive results, and will share positive results with Baldwin’s Pandemic Response Team (our Wellness Coordinator, Kerrie Snead, and School Nurses, Kim Elgart, Doreen Jones and Diane Lacing), who would then be in touch to ensure we can support your daughter and family and help you determine whether to quarantine at home or take other next steps. Contact tracers from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health would likewise be in touch to determine any close contacts that may need to be notified.

    Once sample collection is complete, Baldwin will work with the test provider to ensure tests are processed rapidly. We will be informed of the test results and share with you those results, as appropriate. Unlike testing this past fall, there will not be a website for you to visit to collect your results separately but we will be sure to keep everyone informed as to the status of test results.

  • What if I do not want to take the test?

    In order to make our return to school as safe as possible for students, Baldwin is requiring students to complete COVID-19 testing prior to their return to campus. If you have questions or concerns, please contact a member of our Pandemic Response Team: Baldwin’s Wellness Coordinator (Kerrie Snead) and School Nurses (Kim Elgart, Doreen Jones and Diane Lacing).

  • Are we testing throughout the remainder of the school year?

    We are using testing to establish the community-specific positivity rate for students and to reassure community members about our return to campus. Requiring all students to have a test before returning to campus will also establish a solid foundation to ensure maximum effect of the risk mitigation measures that we have been using this year - including daily symptom checking and the wearing of masks, social distancing and good hygiene practices while on campus. In combination with community members' commitment to abide by Baldwin’s CLAWS UP Community Compact, we hope this will help keep all students as healthy as possible throughout the remainder of the year.

    We will continue to evaluate the availability, feasibility and costs associated with testing throughout the remainder of the 20-21 school year and determine whether or not additional testing protocols will be warranted.

  • Can family members or non-Baldwin siblings get tested?

    No. We are not offering testing for family members or non-Baldwin siblings.

Questions?

Please contact Kim Heuer (2019-20 BSPA President) bspa@baldwinschool.org with any questions about our testing plans.
701 MONTGOMERY AVENUE
BRYN MAWR, PA 19010
(610) 525-2700