Covid Pool Testing Updates

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Michele Fegley in From the PTSO

COVID Surveillance/Pool Testing Reminder and Update

Our testing participation levels are hovering around 40% in all schools. We really need to increase participation to 70-80% for testing to be effective. 

 We NEED YOUR participation to make this work. The more students who participate, the better data we have on infection rates in our community. This means we can:

  • Quickly identify infection
  • Reduce the risk of in school transmission
  • Limit quarantines
  • Keep our schools, athletics, and other important activities open for the rest of the year

Please note: Testing is now MANDATORY for all high school students participating in athletics or extracurricular activities. 

  • It’s a quick process to enroll:
  • Students then create an account at JCM (do it here!) enter your NPS email, select “Forgot Password prompt”, follow the email verification process, log in and the QR Code will appear. You can then take a picture of your QR code and you will use that same code every week that you test.
    1. For the first time you are going to test, you can either go to the main office to pick up a test kit, or come to the faculty dining room at the times listed further down in the email below.
    2. If step b. above is too confusing or you get stuck, as long as your parent/guardian completed step a. above, you can just show up to the South testing center on the designated days (more info below) and a staff member will give you a test kit with instructions and we will also gladly give you your QR code that you will need each week when you come to test (taking a picture of the QR code with your phone is a common strategy that works since most students always have their phone with them).

*Over the next week, due to the special schedules for MCAS, the testing center hours will be slightly different than this past week. Please follow the schedule below for this week ONLY*

Week of 10th:

  1. Monday, May 10th:
    1. The testing center will be open from 12:15 – 1:15pm in the Faculty Dining Room …located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall—AVAILABLE FOR ALL IN-BUILDING STUDENTS
  • Tuesday, May 11th:
  • The testing center will be open from 12:15 – 1:15pm in the Faculty Dining Room …located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall—AVAILABLE FOR ALL IN-BUILDING STUDENTS
  • Tuesday, May 11th:
  • The testing center will be open from 3:45 to 4:45pm in the Faculty Dining Room…located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall–designed for students who are distance learning who are involved in extracurricular activities regularly at South
  • As a way to incentivize participation in the pool testing program, we have purchased Dunkin’ gift cards that we have then placed into random test kits. When students come to submit a test and pick up another test for the following week, they may be among the lucky winners who pick up a kit that contains a gift card. Another reason to SIGN UP FOR TESTING IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!

If you have any questions, please see this NPS page: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3826 or if you can’t find your answer there, please reach out to Mr. Hardiman and I will see if I can help or point you in the right direction. Thank you!