Freire Charter School Wilmington

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COVID-19 Information, Resources, and Updates

Updated August 26, 2022

COVID-19 Case Dashboard

In order to make sure that you have the most up-to-date information about COVID cases in our building, we have launched a live COVID-19 case dashboard. This dashboard displays the up-to-date number of positive COVID cases among staff and students at Freire Wilmington in the past 14 days.

You can check the dashboard whenever you’d like real-time information about COVID-19 cases in our building― as soon as we learn of any positive case, it will immediately be displayed on the dashboard.

COVID Measures Update

Just as we have since the start of the pandemic, Freire Schools is committed to evaluating the current status of the pandemic and implementing a course of action that prioritizes both continuity of learning and also the health and safety of our students and staff.  

Over the summer we have been monitoring the prevalence of the Omicron BA.5 variant. And, as we have done from the beginning, we have and will continue to monitor community spread levels and guidance from both the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop our COVID-19 safety protocols for our schools.

Our current protocols for the 2022-23 school year include:

  • Track positive cases via our website dashboard.
  • Rapid antigen testing for symptomatic students and staff.
  • Optional masking in school; any students and staff who wish to wear masks should feel free to do so.
  • Ensuring that our school HVAC units are functioning properly and serviced regularly.
  • Retaining the capability to shift to virtual instruction if recommended by DPH. 

In the event of a positive case for a student or member of the staff, the individual who tests positive must isolate at home for five full days (first day of symptoms or positive test is day 0). They may return to school/work if they have been without fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving. They must wear a well-fitted mask for 5 days upon return.

More specific COVID-19 guidance for schools can be found by clicking here. 

As we have all experienced, this pandemic is ever evolving. Freire Schools will continue to assess the pandemic climate and monitor DPH and CDC guidance to determine if we need to adjust our current protocols (e.g. heighten masking precautions, enforcing public mandates again).

Our top priority is to keep our students and families safe, and we know that being in school is critically important to our students. Vaccination is still the best way to protect students and staff and minimize interruptions to in-person learning. Anyone who is eligible should be vaccinated. You can reach out to your health care provider or local pharmacy to receive the vaccine.

Monkeypox may also be top of mind for our families and staff. Based on the information about monkeypox in Delaware available at this time, risk to the public appears low. Please know that we are working closely with DPH to monitor the situation, and we will seek guidance from DPH and the CDC to identify any needed safety measures for our schools. We will update you as more information is available. In the meantime, we will continue to implement enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures daily in schools and offices, paying special attention to high-touch areas such as bathroom facilities, desks and doorknobs. Please direct any questions or concerns to Colandus Francis, Freire Schools’ Operations Manager, at colandus@freireschools.org or by phone at (267) 583-4460. As always, thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community healthy and safe.

Additional Vaccine Info

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer vaccine to include anyone ages 5 and older.

Children are not immune to COVID-19, but it is a vaccine-preventable disease just like measles, mumps and other childhood diseases. We strongly encourage you to consider vaccinating your child to protect them, your family, and our school community, especially with the Omicron variant on the rise. Vaccine trials for children aged 5-15 have shown high levels of vaccine efficacy and no reported serious side effects.

You can get more information and find vaccination opportunities by clicking here. Please note: written parental consent is required to vaccinate individuals younger than 18 years old in Delaware, however the parent is not required to be on site with the child during the vaccination.

Communication

It is critical that we are able to communicate easily with both students and parents in order to share important updates and information. We are committed to working in partnership with our families, as allies, to provide the best education possible to your students. If your contact information changes at any time during the school year, please notify Ms. Katie (katie.pollard@freirewilmington.org).

In addition to email and phone communications, please follow the directions below to receive class specific and schoolwide text messages and updates via the Remind app:

  • 8th Grade: Text “@fcsw2026” to the number 81010
  • 9th Grade: Text “@fcsw2025” to the number 81010
  • 10th Grade: Text “@fcsw2024” to the number 81010
  • 11th Grade: Text “@fcsw2023” to the number 81010
  • 12th Grade: Text “@fcsw2022” to the number 81010

You can also choose to download the Remind app on a mobile device and “join a class” by using the code for your student’s grade.

Please check your email regularly for important updates and information from Freire Wilmington! If you are not currently signed up for Freire’s weekly newsletter emails, please click here to sign up.

Additional COVID-19 Resources

You can find an active count of the reported cases in DE, as well as up-to-date information on how the Division of Public Health is responding to this health crisis here: https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/

The Delaware Division of Public Health has opened a call center to take questions from the public, schools, medical providers, state agencies and community organizations. Hours of operation will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The call center number is 1-866-408-1899. Individuals can also submit email questions to DPHCall@delaware.gov.

ARP ESSER Information for the Public

The American Recovery Plan (ARP) requires schools under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) to post their funding plan on their website so that the public has an opportunity to review the materials and provide input. In response to COVID-19, the goal of these funds is to ensure the health and safety of students and staff, while providing a quality education. The information provided in the links below are Freire Wilmington’s ARP ESSER Health & Safety Plan, as was approved by the State of Delaware.

Additional Resources for Families