Oct. 15, 2009

At the beginning of the school year, I sent home a letter describing several steps taken in Schalmont Central School District to prepare for this year’s flu season. As expected, we have already had several students absent with apparent “influenza-like illness,” a phrase now used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to describe a person who shows symptoms of having any type of flu. While we have not had any confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza virus, it is important for parents and students to remember what to do to prevent the flu and the steps to take if a student has flu symptoms.

How to Prevent, Recognize and Respond to the Flu
The state and local health departments have advised that students can come to school as long as they are not sick and do not think they have flu symptoms. Flu-like symptoms include: fever (over 100°F or 37.8°C), feverishness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, or stuffy nose. With H1N1, additional symptoms may include muscle pain, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. The CDC now recommends that students with influenza-like illness stay home and not attend school or day care until at least 24 hours after their fever is gone. Their fever should be gone without them having taken a fever-reducing medicine. School nurses can assist parents in determining whether or not a child is well enough to attend school.

In order to prevent the spread of the flu, please continue to encourage your child to:

• Wash his/her hands often. Washing with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is ideal (about as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
• Keep his/her hands away from the face and avoid touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of an elbow.

H1N1 Vaccinations
The CDC has recommended that people aged 6 months through 24 years be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. Schenectady County Public Health Services (SCPHS) will be offering H1N1 vaccines for free to students currently enrolled at the Mariaville and Woestina elementary schools on Thursday, Oct. 22, as long as students’ parents provide their consent in advance. Mariaville and Woestina parents will soon receive a separate letter with information about the vaccine and a consent form. SCPHS will offer H1N1 vaccines at additional schools in the near future. For more information, please call SCPHS at 386-2824, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/parents, or speak to your family pediatrician/health care provider.

CA-MRSA
The district has also shared a great deal of information about Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). The district was recently notified of one confirmed case of CA-MRSA at Schalmont High School. Since the diagnosis of this disease, the student has seen a physician, been given antibiotics, and has been cleared to return to school.

Schalmont schools take several measures to prevent infections that may spread in public spaces. These measures include having custodial staff regularly disinfect bathrooms, locker rooms, gym showers, water fountains, lunch tables, athletic equipment, and other such facilities. In addition, school nurses are well informed about the H1N1 virus and MRSA, and students are encouraged to engage in proper hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing. Please click here for more information on these illnesses and what you can do to prevent them.

Sincerely,

Valerie Kelsey, Superintendent

Sept. 14, 2009

In Schalmont Central School District, we have taken several steps to prepare for the likely return of H1N1 influenza, also known as “swine flu,” during this year’s flu season. You can also help prevent the spread of the flu virus by reading the  brochure Seasonal and Novel H1N1 Flu: A Guide for Parents and by discussing the information with your child.

Symptoms
As a reminder, the state and local health departments have advised that students can continue to come to school as long as they are not sick and do not think they have flu symptoms. Flu-like symptoms include: fever (over 100°F or 37.8°C), feverishness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, or stuffy nose. With H1N1 influenza, additional symptoms may include muscle pain, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. For more information, visit www.flu.gov, www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/, www.nyhealth.gov, or call (800) 808-1987.

When to Stay Home
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now recommends that students with influenza-like illness stay home and not attend school or day care until at least 24 hours after their fever is gone. (Their fever should be gone without them having taken a fever-reducing medicine.) School nurses can assist parents in determining whether or not a child is well enough to attend school. To contact a school nurse, please call a school’s main office or visit www.schalmont.org and click on “School Nurses” for more information.

How to Prevent the Flu
In order to prevent the spread of the flu, please continue to encourage your child to:

• Wash his/her hands often. Washing with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is ideal (about as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
• Keep his/her hands away from the face and avoid touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of an elbow.

As previously mentioned, the district has taken several steps to increase staff members’ and students’ awareness of how to prevent and respond to H1N1 and seasonal flu. District administrators have been and will continue to be in regular contact with the Schenectady County Department of Public Health. All nurses and staff members have received educator-specific information and guidelines provided by the CDC. Administrators and nurses have developed a response plan to handle safety and education issues that could arise from an especially severe flu season. Posters describing steps to prevent the spread of germs, such as the flu virus, have also been posted in all Schalmont schools.

Thank you for your continued support of the effort to keep our students healthy.

Sincerely,

Valerie Kelsey, Superintendent

June 15, 2009

April 30, 2009

• http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

• http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/press_0426091.html
• CDC Travelers' Health Web site
• CDC Travel Notices