 |
October 28, 2009
Dear Parent or Guardian,
As you may know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in the Manchester-Essex Schools. We want to keep the schools open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But, we need your help to do this.
We are working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, local boards of health, local physicians, school administrators and the Cape Ann Emergency Planning Team to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools.
For now, schools in our district are doing everything we can to keep functioning as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help.
- Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with the inside of the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand.
- Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils.
- Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu usually include fever (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.
- Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or flu like symptoms, without using fever-reducing drugs.~ Keeping children with a fever and illness at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected and help schools stay open.
- Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home for a minimum of 24 hours.
For more information, visit www.flu.gov , or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu.
At this time Manchester-Essex Schools are monitoring and tracking the number of students absent for influenza like illness (ILI). Please notify your child’s school nurse if you suspect your child has ILI.
Marcia O’Neil, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools
Cyndi Aldrich RN, Joanne Seaman, RN, Donna Smith, RN, District Nurses
| |
