Updated February 20, 2024
COVID-19 Case Dashboard
In order to make sure that you have the most up-to-date information about COVID cases in our building, we have launched a live COVID-19 case dashboard for each Freire Schools campus. These dashboards display the up-to-date number of positive COVID cases among staff and students at Freire Middle School and Freire High School in the past 14 days.
You can check the dashboard whenever you’d like real-time information about COVID-19 cases in your building― as soon as we learn of any positive case, it will immediately be displayed on the dashboard.
COVID Measures Update
Just as we have since the start of the pandemic, Freire Schools is committed to evaluating the current status of the pandemic and implementing a course of action that prioritizes both continuity of learning and also the health and safety of our students and staff.
Over the summer we have been monitoring the prevalence of the Omicron BA.5 variant. And, as we have done from the beginning, we have and will continue to monitor community spread levels and guidance from both the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop our COVID-19 safety protocols for our schools.
Our current protocols for the 2022-23 school year include:
- Track positive cases via our website dashboard.
- Rapid antigen testing for symptomatic students and staff.
- Optional masking in school; any students and staff who wish to wear masks should feel free to do so.
- Ensuring that our school HVAC units are functioning properly and serviced regularly.
- Retaining the capability to shift to virtual instruction if recommended by PDPH.
In the event of a positive case for a student or member of the staff, the individual who tests positive must isolate at home for five full days (first day of symptoms or positive test is day 0). They may return to school/work if they have been without fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving. They must wear a well-fitted mask for 5 days upon return.
As we have all experienced, this pandemic is ever evolving. Freire Schools will continue to assess the pandemic climate and monitor PDPH and CDC guidance to determine if we need to adjust our current protocols (e.g. heighten masking precautions, enforcing public mandates again).
Our top priority is to keep our students and families safe, and we know that being in school is critically important to our students. Vaccination is still the best way to protect students and staff and minimize interruptions to in-person learning. Anyone who is eligible should be vaccinated. You can reach out to your health care provider or local pharmacy to receive the vaccine.
Monkeypox may also be top of mind for our families and staff. Please know that we are working closely with PDPH to monitor the situation, and we will seek guidance from PDPH and the CDC to identify any needed safety measures for our schools. We will update you as more information is available. In the meantime, we will continue to implement enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures daily in schools and offices, paying special attention to high-touch areas such as bathroom facilities, desks and doorknobs.
Please direct any questions or concerns to Colandus Francis, Freire Schools’ Operations Manager, at colandus@freireschools.org or by phone at (267) 583-4460. As always, thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community healthy and safe.
Additional Vaccine Info
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer vaccine to include anyone ages 5 and older.
Children are not immune to COVID-19, but it is a vaccine-preventable disease just like measles, mumps and other childhood diseases. We strongly encourage you to consider vaccinating your child to protect them, your family, and our school community, especially with the Omicron variant on the rise. Vaccine trials for children aged 5-15 have shown high levels of vaccine efficacy and no reported serious side effects.
You can get more information and find vaccination opportunities by clicking here. Please note: Not all sites will vaccinate people under the age of 16. Make sure to call ahead to confirm a vaccination site has Pfizer vaccine and will vaccinate your child.
At City-run sites that have Pfizer vaccine, children ages 5-15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents or guardians must bring documentation of the child’s age. Accepted documentation to confirm age includes:
- Access school or health care portals via phone
- Copy of school or sports health forms
- Insurance Cards
- Passports
- Birth certificates or photos of their birth certificate
- Any other documents with the child’s name and date of birth.
Stay in the Loop
Please check your email regularly for important updates and information from Freire! If you are not currently signed up for weekly newsletter emails, please click here to sign up:
The Office of Emergency Management asks that the public stay informed of coronavirus news from the city by enrolling for free alerts by texting COVIDPHL to 888-777 and by visiting the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s web page here.
We will continue to monitor the recommendations from state and local authorities and will update you with any changes.
Children’s Health Insurance Program
The Pennsylvania Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers uninsured children and teens up to age 19—and no family earns too much to qualify. CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance for routine doctor’s visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care, eyeglasses, mental health, and much more. CHIP covers uninsured kids who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. For many families, CHIP is free—for others, it is low cost. Apply for CHIP or renew your coverage at CHIPcoversPAkids.com or by calling 800-986-KIDS.
Additional COVID-19 Resources
- CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Webpage
- PA Department of Health Coronavirus Info & Case Count
- Philadelphia Department of Public Health COVID-19 Webpage The Office of Emergency Management asks that the public stay informed of coronavirus news from the city by enrolling for free alerts by texting COVIDPHL to 888-777.
- Freire Charter School Health & Safety Plan (Updated March 2024)
- Freire Charter School Continuity of Education Plan