Frequently Asked Questions

Health & Safety

List of 8 items.

What are your health and safety protocols?

Please click here to read our health and safety protocols.
Are vaccines required for flu, RSV, or COVID?

Vaccines for flu, RSV, and COVID are recommended but not required.
Can boarding students get vaccines for flu, RSV, or COVID in their home countries that are different from the vaccines that are currently approved in the United States?

Yes. Boarding students may get vaccines in their home countries that are different from the vaccines currently approved in the United States for ages 12-17. Proof of vaccination must be provided in English.
Are masks required on campus?

Masks are optional, with the following exception:

If an individual tests positive for flu, RSV, or COVID, they are strongly encouraged, though not required, for the health of other students, to mask for 5 days. Boarding students are required to wear a mask for the next five days.
Does Fay conduct testing for flu, RSV, or COVID on campus?

Because boarding students live in a congregate setting, Fay may conduct rapid antigen testing of boarding students if they appear to be symptomatic.
What happens if a student tests positive for flu, RSV, or COVID?
- If an individual tests positive for flu, RSV, or COVID, they must remain at home if they have fever or are symptomatic. They may attend school if their symptoms are mild. Boarding students are required to wear a mask for five days after returning to class.
- Boarders who test positive with mild symptoms may remain on campus. Any boarder with significant symptoms of flu, RSV, or COVID may be asked to leave campus with their Local Emergency Contact. They may return to campus after 24 hours of being fever-free. Boarding students are required to wear a mask for the next five days.
- Individuals must be cleared by the school nurse in order to return to campus.
What is your policy regarding close contacts?
- Fay does not conduct contact tracing, and the School does not notify parents if they receive news of a positive case of flu, RSV, or COVID in the class. Parents may notify their child's close contacts if they wish.
- A close contact is defined as an individual who has been within three feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period during the two days prior to the onset of illness or a positive test.
- Close contacts are not required to quarantine. They should monitor for symptoms, and if they become symptomatic they should stay home and get tested.
- While we do not require health attestations, we remind all families of day students to keep their children home if they are symptomatic or ill. If faculty or staff are concerned about a student's health, they will send the child to the Health Office for an evaluation.
What is your policy for student absences?

Any student who is absent from school due to illness of any kind for three or more days is required to provide the school nurse with a doctor's note in order to return. Upon reviewing the specifics of the absence, the school nurse may also require a negative rapid test. Families of day students are required to report their children's absence at fayschool.org/attendance.

Additional Fay School Resources

Fay School's Health Office
Welcome New Students Web Page

Early Learning Center - FAQ

List of 5 items.

Are ELC students and employees required to be vaccinated?

Vaccinations for flu, RSV, or COVID are recommended but not required for all community members.
Will ELC employees and students be tested for flu, RSV, or COVID?

Fay does not conduct testing for flu, RSV, or COVID.
Are masks required in the ELC?

Masks are optional for ELC students, faculty, and staff, with the following exception:

If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, they must remain at home in isolation. They may return after 24 hours of being fever-free, and it is recommended that they wear a mask for the next five days.
What is the quarantine policy for ELC students who are close contacts?

Close contacts are not required to quarantine.
What is the ELC's absence policy?

ELC students who are absent for three or more days must have a doctor's note in order to return to campus. Please note that tuition is not refunded when a child is absent due to illness.

Academic Year 2024-2025 - Boarding Life

List of 1 items.

Do boarding students need to have Local Emergency Contacts for potential quarantine and off-campus residence in emergency situations?
Yes. All boarding students must have a Local Emergency Contact that is provided by the student's parents. A Local Emergency Contact should be someone within the continental United States who can arrive to campus within 24 hours of notification. The School will contact the Local Emergency Contact in the event of:
- The student's positive test for flu, RSV, or COVID or a presumed positive case based on symptoms assessed by the School's physician
- A campus closure as a result of a health emergency
- Travel restrictions that prevent the student from returning home during school breaks or campus closure
- Additional reasons as identified by the School
Boarding parents must supply Fay with the name and contact information of the Local Emergency Contact no later than August 1. If the Local Emergency Contact is not available, it is the parent's responsibility to make alternate arrangements.

For Prospective Families

List of 2 items.

Are masks required for campus visitors?

Masks are optional for visitors.
Can families continue to tour campus and participate in interviews and screenings virtually?

Families may still opt for a virtual campus tour in lieu of an in-person visit. In some cases, the School will continue to allow virtual interviews and screenings for boarding applicants and Upper School day students who are relocating from another part of the country, but there are required in-person components of the application for those applying to Kindergarten through grade 6. Please contact the Office of Admission at admission@fayschool.org for more information.

FaySummer

List of 9 items.

Will FaySummer staff members be vaccinated?

Vaccines for flu, RSV, and COVID are recommended but not required for all FaySummer staff members and on-campus vendors (including Specialty Camp instructors).
Will campers be required to be vaccinated?

Vaccines for flu, RSV, and COVID are recommended but not required for day campers.
Are FaySummer staff or campers required to be tested for flu, RSV, or COVID?

Testing for flu, RSV, or COVID is not required for FaySummer staff or day campers.
Will masks be required for campers and staff?

Masks are optional for campers and camp staff.
Will campers be required to do a health check before coming to campus?

Parents should screen their children and keep them home if they observe symptoms.
What happens if my child test positive for flu, COVID, or RSV during FaySummer?

If your child tests positive for flu, RSV, or COVID during FaySummer, please call 508-490-8371 or email summer@fayschool.org.

Positive cases must isolate until they have had 24 hours fever free. It is recommended that they wear a mask for five days 6-10 after their return. Current guidelines do not require these campers to provide a negative PCR COVID-19 test before returning to camp but they must meet with and be cleared by the school nurse on the morning of their first day back to camp. If the nurse does not clear the student, they will be sent home.
What is your quarantine policy for campers who are close contacts of a positive COVID case?

Campers who are close contacts may continue to attend camp as long as they remain asymptomatic. If a camper is symptomatic after a known COVID exposure, they should stay home if they test positive. When they return after 24 hours fever-free, it is recommended that they wear a mask for the next five days.
Will families be notified about positive COVID cases within the FaySummer community?

FaySummer does not notify the community of positive COVID cases.
What is your camper absence policy?

Any camper who is absent due to illness of any kind for three or more days is required to provide the FaySummer nurse with a doctor's note in order to return. Upon reviewing the specifics of the absence, the nurse may also require a negative rapid test.