November 2, 2009
Dear Parents and Guardians:
As you may know flu is spreading easily from person to person and school-age children are among the groups most affected. We are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu at CHILD. Currently, flu conditions in our school have become more severe. We want to keep the school open and functioning as normal for as long as possible. We need your help to do this.
We are working closely with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the King County Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take. Since flu conditions have become more severe, we are now implementing the following steps to prevent the spread of flu within our school.
· Extending the time sick students or staff stay home for at least 5 days, even if they feel better sooner. People who are still sick after 5 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after their symptoms have gone away. Students and staff must be entirely symptom-free before returning.
· Conducting active fever and symptom screening of students and staff upon arrival at school. School staff will ask students about symptoms suggestive of a respiratory infection such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches and fatigue. Any student who has at least 2 of these symptoms will be separated from others and sent home as soon as possible.
· Dismissing students. We will keep students home for 5 days and then reassess with OSPI and the King County Health Department. We will keep you informed of when students may return to school. We will also be postponing all school-related mass gatherings. This includes the Curriculum Night and Scholastic Book Fair on Thursday, November 5, 2009.
Here are a few things you can do to help since flu conditions are now more severe.
· Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.
· Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. If they don't have a tissue, they should cough or sneeze into their upper sleeve, not their hands.
· Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (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.
· Extend the time sick children stay home for at least 7 days, even if they feel better sooner. People who are still sick after 7 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have gone away.
· If a household member is sick, keep any school-aged brothers or sisters home for 5 days from the time the household member became sick. Parents should monitor their health and the health of other school-aged children for fever and other symptoms of the flu.
· Don’t send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are sick at school will be sent home. Staying home when sick will allow your children to rest and allows you to monitor their health closely. Keeping your sick child home is the responsible thing to do. It protects fellow students and school staff, especially those who are at higher risk of severe illness from the flu.
For more information, see the attached flyer/additional information and visit http://www.flu.gov/, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu. For more information about flu in our community and what our school is doing, visit www.childrensinstitute.com or call 206.232.8680. We will notify you of any additional changes to our school’s strategy to prevent the spread of flu.
Sincerely,
Trina Westerlund
Executive Director