CUMMING, Ga. — Forsyth County's largest private school, Pinecrest Academy welcomed back hundreds of students last week and this week to in-person classes, and they're hoping technology will prevent the spread of the coronavirus on their campus.
Pinecrest's highschool opened last week and they're lower school opened on Monday. Students and staff are now required to log into a mobile application called, Magnus, each morning before stepping on campus. The app track's users' health and travel history in order to pres-screen users for COVID-19 related symptoms.
A parent of two high school students, Tonya Barbee says using the app makes her feel more reassured about sending her children back to in-person classes.
“It took 30 to 45 minutes to complete for each child and knowing that each child has to be accountable to enter..that does make me feel more comforted," says Barbee.
Pinecrest is also using technology through a company called IBC Global for contact tracing. In the event the school has an active COVID-19 case, the data collected will help school leaders determine who needs to be quarantined.
The school also instituted a COVID-19 Task Force that regularly updates the school community with findings about in-person instruction. Additional protocols that follow CDC and Georgia Department of Health guidelines have been put in place by the task force. Details are included in the School Reopening Plan here.