Health Officials Revise Flu Protocol

The district has been working closely with the Amherst Health Department throughout the H1N1 outbreak, especially in regard to the cases confirmed on the Amherst College Campus. In light of new information showing that the disease severity has been less than anticipated, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have all issued revised protocols over the past two days. On May 7, we received confirmation from Amherst Health Director Epi Bohdi that, from a public health perspective, there is no longer any reason to restrict our students' access to events on the Amherst College campus.  The CDC continues to recommend, however,  that everyone follow the precautions listed in the information sheet from the Massachusetts Department of Health, attached below.

If your student's class has a scheduled  field trip to a site on the Amherst College campus, those trips will now go forward. We understand that some parents and guardians may still not feel comfortable letting their student attend an event on campus and the final decision rests with them.  In such cases, students will be allowed to stay at school with no penalty to their grades.

If you have any questions about H1N1 or the districts' response to it, please feel free to contact the nurse at your child’s schools or the Office of Student Services at 362-1834.

Sincerely,

Maria Geryk                                                                         
Interim Superintendent of Schools