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- Our Way Forward - Community and Volunteer FAQs
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- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
- Our Way Forward - Community and Volunteer FAQs
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Welcome back!
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has been following guidance provided for schools from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) in the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit. We can all safely help our communities in response to COVID-19.
Research shows that students learn better when community organizations and volunteers, as well as their families, are engaged with schools. With new NCDHHS guidance and efforts across the district to maintain a high-quality learning environment, the Office of Community Engagement is excited to announce that our partners and volunteers may resume their normal activities and will be required to follow school district protocols to maintain the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and school communities. Safely returning to in-person learning is a priority.
Please review the information below to inform yourself of safety precautions and procedures as you consider returning to WS/FCS as a volunteer or community partner who supports or sponsors programs and initiatives.
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Will WS/FCS allow volunteers in the schools this year?
Yes, WS/FCS will be accepting volunteers this upcoming school year. Each school will determine independently their ability to utilize volunteers and at what capacity.
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Will volunteers be required to wear a face covering?
Yes, beginning August 9, 2021, all WS/FCS visitors, volunteers, employees and staff are expected to wear face coverings inside all WS/FCS buildings/facilities/transportation at all times unless they are alone inside a dedicated workspace. The Board of Education will review any face covering guidelines near the end of the first quarter.
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Will symptom screenings and temperature checks be performed?
No, symptom screening and temperature checks will not be performed. Students, parents, staff, and volunteers are all asked to self-monitor for symptoms prior to arriving at a school/district building. If symptoms are present and you have been in a school, please exclude and report to the COVID Coordinator/teacher/school administration.
Symptoms include:
- Fever (temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher)
- Sore throat
- Cough (for people with chronic cough due to allergies or asthma, a change in their chough baseline)
- Difficulty breathing (for people with asthma, a change in their baseline breathing)
- New loss of taste or smell
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
Please do not volunteer if you have experienced symptoms related to COVID-19.
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Are there social distancing requirements?
No, there are no social distancing requirements for schools next year. However, it is recommended that adults maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet during mealtimes, to the extent possible.
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Do I have to be vaccinated to volunteer?
No. At this time vaccinations are not required to volunteer with WS/FCS. However, all volunteers must comply with all mandates and guidelines in place to help mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19 and protect all students and staff in schools.
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What if I get sick or come in contact with someone at a school who has COVID-19?
Contact tracing will continue during the 2021-2022 school year, per NCDHHS guidelines. WS/FCS created a contact tracing team during the '20-'21 school year. This team of dedicated staff will continue to support students, parents, staff, and volunteers in efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
If you test positive for COVID-19 after serving as a volunteer in a school, please contact the COVID Coordinator/teacher/administration at the school as soon as possible.
If you are deemed to be a close contact, the WS/FCS Contact Tracing Team will contact you directly. For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting from 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19.
Unless an exemption applies, individuals who are identified as close contact (exposure) to a confirmed positive case are to be excluded from a school for 10 days following the last date of contact with the confirmed case, if the individual is not experiencing symptoms. If symptoms are present or develop within those 10 days, the exclusion is a minimum of 14 days.
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Do I need to register to be a volunteer?
Yes. All interested volunteers must visit www.wsfcsvolunteers.com to complete an application. After setting up an account and completing the application, you’ll receive an automated email confirmation. Once a background check has been successfully completed, you will receive another automated email confirming your service. You will then be contacted by your school of choice to begin volunteering.
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Can I restart an in-person program or initiative?
Yes. If your organization is interested in restarting an in-person program or initiative, reach out to the who you originally worked with at a school (a directory of school contact information is available by clicking here) or in the Administrative Center (i.e. Instructional Services).
If you need assistance in getting reconnected, would like to begin a new program, or are interested in partnering with a specific school, contact Mark Batten, Executive Director of Community Engagement, at cmbatten@wsfcs.k12.nc.us.
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Who do I contact if I have questions about my volunteer application?
If you have questions about your volunteer application or clearance status, contact the Volunteer Services Coordinator at volunteers@wsfcsk.12.nc.us.
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Important to Know
As a reminder, WS/FCS Policy 5131.2 states that because our schools are closed campuses, all volunteers and visitors are required to report their presence to the school’s office immediately upon entering a school facility and check-in using the Ident-a-Kid kiosks or with the school office staff. Additionally, principals and their designees have the authority to limit and control access to classrooms and other school facilities based on the need to respect and preserve the quality of the student instructional day, limit interruptions by visitors, and maintain a safe and orderly educational environment.
