Reporting Absences
To report your child's absence, please email the school at hmsabsence@hcpss.org by 8:30 a.m. Please do not email individual teachers.
Please Note
Per the guidelines provided to us by the Howard County Health Department in conjunction with Howard County Public School system, if your child has any of the following symptoms, they should be evaluated by a physician and must receive a negative PCR or alternate diagnosis before returning to school:
All NEGATIVE PCR test result and documentation must be provided to Robin_Frick@hcpss.org prior to your child's return.
If you have, additional questions related to your child's health or return status, please contact the school nurse at the information above or call 410-880-5836.
Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping all of our students and staff healthy and safe.
Isolating, Quarantining & Contact Tracing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a recommendation to shorten quarantine duration to five days. This recommendation was adopted by the Howard County Health Department (HCHD) and detailed in the Dec. 31, 2021, message to the community and staff. In alignment with guidelines provided by HCHD for positive cases, all students and staff who test positive for COVID or are showing symptoms must be isolated for 5 days regardless of vaccination status and may not return to school until: They have been out at least 5 days from the onset of symptoms or upon receiving a positive test without symptoms, andRemain fever-free for 24 hours, andShow a consistent improvement of symptoms. Also in alignment with HCHD guidelines, you should quarantine if: You are ages 18 or older and completed the primary series of recommended vaccine, but have not received a recommended booster when eligible.You are not vaccinated or have not completed a primary vaccine series. If you came into close contact with someone with COVID-19, you do not need to quarantine if you have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters when eligible. It also is recommended that all individuals get tested 5 days after exposure, regardless of whether they are exhibiting symptoms. Fever Sore throat Cough Difficulty breathing Vomiting or diarrhea New loss of taste or smell Severe headache Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping all of our students and staff healthy and safe.
Returning to School
On the day your child returns to school, an explanatory note should be submitted to the school indicating the date(s) and reason for the absence. A doctor's certificate is required in cases of long-term absence (more than three days). A note should also be submitted upon return, to request exclusion from activities (i.e., physical education).