COVID-19 Info

• Our basic preventative measures for in-person learning include:
  • Strongly encouraging the wearing of masks indoors for all staff and students. (Masking is not required as of February 28, 2022.) 
  • Maintaining physical distancing inside the building as possible.
  • Encouraging students and staff to self-monitor for symptoms of illness and to stay home if they are sick.
  • Practicing good hygiene with hand-washing, use of personal water bottles, and regular cleaning of supplies.

If your child shows any of the below symptoms, or if you think that your child is sick, please keep them home and call our main office at (720) 424-5600 to let us know. We encourage families to reach out to their health care provider about COVID-19 testing and treatment, or to contact one of the DPS School-Based Health Centers, which provides FREE health care to all DPS students.

Reminder: if a student shows usual, unchanged symptoms of a known chronic condition (e.g., allergies or asthma), they can come to school.

Major Symptoms

• Fever of 100.4 F or greater
• New or worsening cough
• Difficulty breathing / shortness of breath
• Loss of taste or smell

Minor Symptoms

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea / vomiting
• Diarrhea

Families may also review the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s guidance for families on when students are too sick to come to school.

If your child stays home sick, please call the school at (720) 424-5600 to let us know. A student may return to school as long as they have not vomited within 24 hours and have been fever-free without medication for 24 hours.

A child should stay home from school if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms, and the symptoms are not due to a known, chronic condition (for example, allergies or asthma).

Major Symptoms

• Fever of 100.4 F or greater
• New or worsening cough
• Difficulty breathing / shortness of breath
• Loss of taste or smell

Minor Symptoms

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea / vomiting
• Diarrhea

If a student becomes sick during the day, they will come to our main office immediately. Our nurse or health technician will work with the student and school staff to make sure the sick child is safely isolated while contacting their family. We will work with families on a case-by-case basis in order to determine when a sick child is ready to return to the building.

An individual who has tested positive for COVID will follow the current DPS isolation policy, which can be found on the district’s COVID-19 Guidance page. All reported cases will appear as active on the DPS COVID Dashboard for 5 days, per CDC guidance. Families are encouraged to refer to the COVID Dashboard for information on case numbers in our building.

If your McKinley student tests positive for COVID, please inform our school office immediately by calling us at (720) 424-5600. COVID-positive students should follow the district’s isolation policy (see below).

• The student should isolate at home for at least 5 days from when the symptoms started (or 5 days from the positive test result, if they don’t have any symptoms) AND until they have been fever-free (without fever-reducing medicine) for 24 hours.
• The student must continue to wear a well-fitting mask at all times around others for 5 days after the isolation period has ended (on Days 6-10 since their symptoms started or since their positive test result if they don’t have symptoms.)

If you have questions or need help understanding this isolation policy, please contact our main office at (720) 424-5600.

FREE Healthcare for DPS Students

ALL DPS students receive FREE healthcare through Denver Health’s School-Based Health Centers. Our School-Based Health Centers offer convenient and quick care through their telemedicine program. To make a telemedicine appointment, please call (303) 602-8958. Appointments are often same-day and the School-Based Health Center staff can help families decide the best plan for returning their student to school.

FREE COVID Testing for Denver Residents

All people in Denver, including children, can also receive FREE PCR COVID testing through COVIDCheckColorado. There’s even a testing site behind South High School (located at All-City Stadium), which is just a few minutes away from McKinley!

FREE Rapid COVID Tests for McKinley Families

Our school health office is fully stocked with at-home rapid COVID test kits. If your family would like a test kit (or several!), please reach out to us by calling our main office at (720) 424-5600 or stopping by our front door.

Please call our main office at (720) 424-5600 or email McKinley_Thatcher@dpsk12.org.

For specific information on COVID-19 quarantine and isolation protocols, please contact our school nurse, Ms. Jennifer Iltis, at Jennifer_Itlis@dpsk12.org.