Hello Raiders,
Our school district is now able to provide COVID-19 testing for symptomatic students using BinaxNOW Rapid test kits. For the 2020-21 school year, testing will be performed at the unit office after 2:00 PM dismissal. As you can imagine, this is a new process for our nurses and continued patience is appreciated as they incorporate this into our setting. Initial appointment numbers will be limited until a system is fully established and more appointments will be added as time allows. Initial appointments will be at 2:15 and 2:30 as long as staff are available.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who can be tested? Symptomatic staff and students who are excluded from school due to COVID-19 district policies. Asymptomatic persons who are excluded due to household symptoms will not be tested as the symptomatic person's negative test will clear them to return to school.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19? Intermin Guidance from IDPH is subject to change. As of 3/15/21, symptoms include the following: fever, headache, shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, new loss of sense of taste or smell, fatigue, and muscle or body aches.
What type of sample is collected? The testing performed will require a simple nasal swab of both nostrils. A fact sheet from the manufacturer will be provided to answer additional questions.
Can anyone bring my student for testing? No, a parent/legal guardian is required to sign consent and must be present for testing for the 2020-2021 school year.
Will my student(s) still be sent home from school? Yes. For the 2020-21 school year, testing will ONLY occur for symptomatic students at the unit office after 2:00 PM. There are currently no changes to the call in/send home policies regarding student symptoms. There are multiple factors that were taken into consideration on this decision.
Will the nurses be assessing my student(s)? Midwest Central CUSD 191 is not acting as your student(s) medical provider. Student(s) will be tested ONLY, and testing does not replace treatment by a medical provider.
They still have vomiting, diarrhea, and/or a fever, but tested negative. What now? Asymptomatic student(s) and staff can return to school immediately. Symptomatic individuals must also be 24 hours without vomiting, diarrhea, and/or fever without the use of medication per non-covid policies.
My student fears testing, what should I do? The school setting is a place of trust. If your student(s) are fearful of testing, please seek other testing locations. Our nurses WILL NOT perform testing on a student who is needing to be restrained. Denial will be at the school nurse's discretion. We need our students to continue to trust our nurses. While we understand the importance of returning to school as soon as possible, we also do not want this process to be traumatizing. The nurses are happy to assist you in finding alternative testing locations if this is a concern.
Who will see my results? School nurses will see the results and are bound by FERPA to keep results confidential. Additionally, all administered tests must be reported to the State of Illinois. If COVID-19 is detected, student(s) and staff will be required to follow the IDPH and local health department guidelines on quarantining. You will be provided with a results form for your primary care physician.
Can this test release us from official quarantine (not school exclusion)? No, please contact your local health department for their quarantine release policies.
What if it's a "false positive?" Our district is required to report ALL test results. If you are concerned that your student received a false positive result, you will still be required to follow your health departments release guidelines.
I'm at the Unit Office awaiting a test, now what? Stay in your vehicle and call 309.968.6868. A nurse will come out to your vehicle to assist you.
Very best,
Dr. Todd Hellrigel
April Menus
It's time... for Spring Break (March 29 - April 5). We hope all of our Raiders have a fun and safe break!
Our Lady Raiders basketball team will kick off their season with a home game tonight. We will be hosting Brimfield and game time is 6:00 PM. Good luck Lady Raiders!!
If you would like to follow along in the live feed, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/UrguofTtvIo
Track practice will take place at the MS today (3/24) from 3:00-4:30 PM due to picture day.
Track practice will take place at the MS today (3/23) from 3:00-4:30 PM due to inclement weather.
The Scholastic Bowl team will have a virtual meet tonight against Havana. The meet starts at 3:15 PM. Good luck Raiders!!!
Prevention is KEY!
There are still slots open for Kindergarten Screenings. Call to reserve your time today!
Tonight is MS VB 8th grade Recognition Night at 6:45 PM. We're so very proud of our VB girls and look forward to seeing you play at the HS level next year!
If you would like to join us virtually, you can find the coverage here: https://youtu.be/nQgiQJZisd0
Midwest Central Beta Club volunteered to help with a food giveaway at MCHS over the weekend! These kids showed up and worked HARD with smiles on their faces. It was a GOOD day to be a Raider!!
Report Cards will be passed out during today.
Track practice will take place at the MS today (3/18) from 3:00-4:30 PM due to inclement weather.
Track practice will take place at the MS today from 3:00-4:30 PM due to inclement weather.
TOP OF THE MORNIN’ TO YA! Today is going to be a very fun day at MCMS! It’s a day that we will reflect back on the past year…exactly one year ago today the doors to our schools were closed due to the COVID pandemic. Today we are going to CELEBRATE how LUCKY we are to be here and we’ve have been here the entire school year!! We are going to have drawings for 10 Gift Cards during the lunch hour plus a final drawing at the end of the day. Also, during the lunch hour, everyone will be treated to a St. Patrick’s Day cookie! And lastly, at the end of our announcements we will have a student from each grade level along with Mrs. Fisher talk about COVID and the positives that came out of it.
Stay tuned for more pics... we can't wait to share at the the end of the day today. :-)
Wishing you a rainbow of happiness and good cheer today and always!
Join our team!
Hello Raiders,
We realize that rules on COVID are beginning to relax across the country as more and more people get vaccinated. We're excited about the day we can loosen our rules as well; however, we're not at that point yet. We've been successful at keeping schools open because of your kind cooperation in following our rules. To that point please don't send your students to school when they are experiencing COVID symptoms. If your student has symptoms, please call them in ill. Depending upon their symptoms you'll be contacted by our nurses for further instructions. Thank you for your help as we make our final push towards the end of the school year.
Best regards,
Dr. Todd Hellrigel
Students working hard on revisions after school. :-)
Students - Student Council is asking you to wear green on Wednesday, March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day for a chance to earn two Raider Bucks.
