Dear Parents,

As you may know flu is spreading easily from person to person and school-aged children are among the groups most affected.  We are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu in South Seneca.  We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season.  We need your help to do this.

We are working closely with the Seneca County Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools.  We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available. You can find information on the school website as well.

At this time, the state and local health departments have advised us 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 degrees F.), feverishness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, or stuffy nose.  Additional symptoms may be experienced with swine flu, including muscle pain, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. 

Flu spreads easily.  If you suspect your child is getting the flu, it is important that he/she does not attend school or go anywhere else—such as group childcare, the mall, scouts or other community events or sporting events—where other people would be exposed to flu germs.  It is also important to teach your children how to reduce their risk of getting the flu and protect others from infection. 

If the flu becomes more severe, we may take additional steps to prevent the spread such as:

·         Increasing social distances between students at school, and encouraging social distancing outside of school

·         Conducting active fever and flu symptom screening of students and staff

·         Dismissing students from school for at least 7 days if they become sick.  The decision to close school will be made in collaboration with  the Administration, the Board of Education, the Seneca County Health Department, the school physician Dr. Eisman, and the school nurses, and our BOCES Health and Safety office.  This decision may be based on the percentage of ill students and staff at school.

·         If schools are closed please do not send your children to a group childcare that will put them in close contact with other children.  It is important to plan ahead.  Have a family discussion now to consider options in advance of the event of a school closing.

For now we are doing everything we can to keep our school functioning as usual.  Here are a few things you can do to help:

-          Teach your children to wash their hands often.  Washing with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is ideal (that’s about as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).

-          Teach your children the proper use of hand sanitizer. Gels, rubs, and hand wipes all work well, as long as they contain at least 60% alcohol.  Hand wipes must be disposed of properly.  Always read and follow label instructions when using hand sanitizer. 

-          Teach your children to keep their hands away from their face and avoid touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.

-          Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of their elbow.  Cough or sneeze into your sleeve—not your hands!

-          Have your children and other family members vaccinated for seasonal flu and H1N1 flu when the vaccine becomes available.

-          KEEP SICK CHILDREN AT HOME FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS AFTER THE FEVER IS GONE, WITHOUT HAVING TO USE FEVER-REDUCING DRUGS.  Use fever reducing medicine as long as the student has a fever.  As the child begins to feel better you may begin to stop using fever reducing drugs but continue to monitor their temperature. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.  Children should not attend any community or school activities after hours, or leave the home except to go to the doctor.

-          Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.  Please take a look at your children to assess them before they come to school each morning.

-          Please call or email your school nurse when your child is home due to flu like symptoms.  It is important for us to monitor which students have flu and which children are absent due to other illnesses.

-          Please let your school nurse know if you have flu in your household.  We want to be aware of which children we should especially watch for flu symptoms.

-          Help your children to learn these healthy habits by setting a good example and always doing them yourself.

If we all practice good hygiene, health officials believe we can limit the spread of H1N1 (swine) flu in our school at this time. We are consulting with local health officials regarding best cleaning practices for infection control in our buildings.   

South Seneca School has long had a Pandemic Flu plan in place.  We continue to review and update this plan in conjunction with our Seneca County Health Department and school physician.

You may get further information at www.cdc.gov, www.nyhealth.gov, www.schoolhealthservicesny.com, or the 24 hour toll-free hotline that New Yorkers across the State can use to get answers to their questions. The hotline is 1-800-808-1987.

The Seneca County Health Department phone number is (315) 539-1920

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children and our schools healthy.    

Sincerely,

P. Arcangeli, RN                                 D. Scialdone, RN                                K. Williams, RN

HS Nurse                                            MS Nurse                                            ES Nurse

Ext.4102                                              Ext. 4151                                             Ext. 4162