October 27, 2009
Dear Parent/Guardian:
As you may know, flu season has started early nationwide. Flu, including H1N1, is spreading easily from person to person and school-age children are among the groups most affected. Currently, flu conditions in our area have become more severe and the district is working closely with the Amherst Health Department and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take. In addition to sanitizing high-touch surfaces on a daily basis, the following steps are being taken to help prevent the spread of flu within our schools:
Conducting active fever and symptom screening of students and staff if they are not feeling well at school. Nurses are monitoring students and staff for flu-like symptoms and those with these symptoms are being sent home as soon as possible.
Increasing social distances (the space between people) at school. Each school is considering ways to keep space between people to help reduce the spread of illness.
Dismissing students. If the spread of flu reaches a level that absenteeism among either students or staff makes it impossible to function adequately, the district will need to consider closing school buildings. This would include canceling or postponing school-related gatherings. Please consider how a potential school closing would affect your family and make advance contingency plans.
While we are closely monitoring student and staff absenteeism rates at each school, the district’s goal is to keep all schools open and functioning. These are ways in which you can help with these efforts:
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 do not 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 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.
Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are sick at school will be sent home. 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. Students should not return to school until they have been fever-free, without fever-reducing medication, for a minimum of 24 hours.
For the most current information about the flu, please visit www.flu.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
Sincerely,
Mark Jackson
Amherst Regional High School Principal