H1N1 (Swine) Flu

It seems all we hear about lately is the swine flu. Our District receives regular updates and information from the local public health department, the state Division of Homeland Security and the federal Center for Disease Control. Sometimes it is hard to process all of the information coming across my desk.

What can you do to protect your child and other household members? Preventing the spread of germs is obviously the most important precaution we can take. At school, we teach students to sneeze into their elbows or a facial tissue, to wash their hands regularly (15 seconds or as long as it takes them to sing the ABC song) and not share water bottles and other utensils. These are the same precautions we take with all illnesses including the common cold and the traditional flu. You can reinforce this behavior with your student at home and school.

If your student does get sick and he or she has a temperature, the student must stay home until free of the fever for 24 hours. This is very important and we would appreciate it if all parents followed this precaution. We realize it can be difficult for working parents to have a sick student at home but, given the potential magnitude of this coming flu season, it is an important step.

As a District we have stepped up our disinfecting schedule for surfaces throughout the school and we continue to educate students and staff regarding the importance of taking such precautions. All staff members are completing online training regarding pandemic flu.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please feel free to contact the school.