- Ann Arbor Public Schools
- Superintendent's Messages
November 5, 2021 - Guidelines for HS & MS Athletics, Extracurricular Activities, and Performing Arts
COVID-19 GUIDELINES
Winter and Spring High School & Middle School Athletics, Extracurricular Activities, and Performing Arts
Friday, November 5, 2021
For the health and safety of our students, staff, and community, the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) requires high school and middle school students participating in athletics, performing arts, and other school extracurricular activities to follow the COVID-19 safety protocols listed in this document.
These guidelines are directly informed by the Washtenaw County Health Department (WCHD) published requirements and recommendations for school districts, as well as in consultation with the WCHD leadership team.
Please understand that changes to these AAPS guidelines may occur at any time based on changes in COVID cases, local or state public health guidance or other factors. Any changes will be communicated to students and parents/guardians by the school team.
Daily Screening
All students participating in athletics, extracurricular activities, and performing arts shall review the AAPS Daily Student Screener prior to daily participation. All participants must NOT attend your activity with even mild symptoms of illness.
Vaccination Protocol
AAPS continues to strongly urge all students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and follow all AAPS COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
- Middle and high school students participating in athletics, extracurricular activities, and performing arts must either show proof of full vaccination or submit to COVID testing twice weekly.
- To be considered fully vaccinated, a student must be two weeks past their second dose of Pfizer/Moderna or past one dose of J&J. A completed vaccination card must be submitted as proof of vaccination. A link to a survey to collect vaccination status and an image of the completed vaccination card will be provided soon. Unless the survey is completed with the image of the vaccination card, a student will be considered unvaccinated.
- Vaccinated students participating in athletics, performing arts, and other school extracurricular activities will not have to test regularly for COVID-19. The exceptions include:
- Vaccinated students exhibiting symptoms; or
- Positive cases within a particular team or program that necessitate the testing of all close contacts, regardless of students’ vaccination status, to assure the health and safety of our students and staff, and
- Other emergent situations that may prompt a request for testing
- Unvaccinated students shall provide the coach, staff member, or sponsor with the results of a COVID-19 test two (2) times per week (Sunday - Saturday). These tests must be 72 hours apart.
- Testing can be completed using a Rapid Antigen (RA) test or PCR.
- Students/families needing support with testing may contact the coach, staff member or sponsor for district support options.
- Testing on the day of the event/competition testing is mandatory regardless of when students submit their weekly test results. This can count as one of the two tests required per week. A test on the day of the event/competition is valid for any event(s)/competition(s) on the following day, as well.
Masking
- NEW - For athletic teams and performing arts groups where high levels of vaccination are confirmed, while engaged in the course of play and during practice/training, student-athletes and coaches are not required to wear masks.
AT ALL OTHER TIMES, masks must be properly worn by student-athletes, including at all times when indoors and when traveling to and from games regardless of the mode of transportation.
- Students, student-athletes, staff, and coaches may be suspended from participation if guidelines for proper mask-wearing are not followed.
- As always, students, student-athletes staff, and coaches may choose to wear masks during the course of play and during practice/training
Quarantine Process
- AAPS consults with the Washtenaw County Health Department on all quarantine decisions. *See additional WCHD guidelines by sport and activity at the bottom of this document.
- Fully vaccinated students will not need to quarantine if they are symptom-free.
- Unvaccinated students will be excluded from participation and required to do a traditional quarantine for 7 or 10 days.
- All students exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, shall be excluded from participation and shall follow school illness protocols.
Spectators
- By WCHD requirement, all spectators are required to properly wear masks when indoors at all times.
- In consultation with the WCHD, some spectator guidelines shall remain in place. The district will announce spectator limits and guidelines for athletics, performing arts, and extracurricular activities in advance of events.
- Factors for spectator limits and guidelines will include the level of transmission for Washtenaw County at the time of the event, venue capacity, venue seating arrangement, total number of participants, etc.
- We continue to strongly encourage everyone attending AAPS events to be vaccinated against COVID-19. All attendees must follow all AAPS COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including remaining home if symptomatic when AAPS events occur.
*Additional Guidance from Washtenaw County Health Department
Due to the higher risk of transmission, in the following indoor sports, the default is to treat the entire team as close contacts if someone on the team develops COVID:
- Basketball - if there is exposure from a game, both teams will be required to quarantine unvaccinated team members.
- Ice Hockey - if there is exposure from a game, both teams will be required to quarantine unvaccinated team members.
- Cheer & Competitive Cheer - only the team with the case will be required to quarantine unvaccinated team members.
- Volleyball - only the team with the case will be required to quarantine unvaccinated team members.
- Water Polo - only the team with the case will be required to quarantine unvaccinated team members.
- Wrestling - the unvaccinated wrestling opponents of anyone who is COVID-positive will be required to quarantine, as well as anyone within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more.
For the following, close contacts will be defined as being within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more:
- Indoor Sports
- Bowling
- Gymnastics
- Figure Skating
- Swimming and Diving
- Synchronized Swimming
- Performing Arts
- Coaches and Performing Arts Staff
- Extracurricular Staff