H1N1 Information and Notices
As you may know, swine flu is spreading throughout our region among many school age children. We are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu at Alcuin and want to keep school open and functioning as normal. We need your help to do this and ask that you follow the guidelines below:
• 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.
• Show children how to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues or into their elbow/upper sleeve.
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms 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.
• 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 allow you to monitor their health closely. Children should stay home until they are fever free for a period of at least 24 hour, without the use of medication to monitor the fever. 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. Absences because of illness/flu are considered excused.
• If a household member is sick, keep any school aged children home too and monitor them for flu symptoms.
For more information, visit www.flu.gov,or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about flu. Please be sure we have your current contact information on file so we can easily contact you should your child fall ill at school. I’ve also included a handy chart found on the New Mexico Department of
Health Web site.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us to keep all children healthy and Alcuin open for learning.
Sincerely,
Shawn Edwards
Executive Director
Forms that Have Been Mailed to Parents
• Preventing the Flu (by the CDC)
• Flu Decision Chart
• Letter from Our Safety Director
As you may know, swine flu is spreading throughout our region among many school age children. We are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu at Alcuin and want to keep school open and functioning as normal. We need your help to do this and ask that you follow the guidelines below:
• 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.
• Show children how to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues or into their elbow/upper sleeve.
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms 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.
• 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 allow you to monitor their health closely. Children should stay home until they are fever free for a period of at least 24 hour, without the use of medication to monitor the fever. 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. Absences because of illness/flu are considered excused.
• If a household member is sick, keep any school aged children home too and monitor them for flu symptoms.
For more information, visit www.flu.gov,or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about flu. Please be sure we have your current contact information on file so we can easily contact you should your child fall ill at school. I’ve also included a handy chart found on the New Mexico Department of
Health Web site.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us to keep all children healthy and Alcuin open for learning.
Sincerely,
Shawn Edwards
Executive Director
Forms that Have Been Mailed to Parents
• Preventing the Flu (by the CDC)
• Flu Decision Chart
• Letter from Our Safety Director
