April 30, 2009
Dear Parents and
Concerned
Citizens:
This is written to provide you with a summary of the steps the
district and schools have initiated in an attempt to be proactive as
the concerns about recent state and national health concerns
continue.
The district continues daily consultations with the school
district health advisor.
The district's nursing supervisor continues to receive updates
from state health officials and communicates them to all schools in
the district as appropriate. All of the steps are precautionary in
nature and not in response to any identified cases of swine
flu. Below is a list of the proactive steps we are currently
taking:
- The district has temporarily suspended all student field trips
until further notice for the purpose of limiting our student's
exposure to other large groups of people. Field trips will be
reviewed on a case by case basis as health information becomes
available.
- Liquid hand sanitizing solution will be provided by the
district for every classroom. Most classrooms have hand
sanitizing liquid currently; however we want to make it available
in each class so we have ordered an additional supply.
- Today and tomorrow nurses in all buildings are reviewing with
students healthy habits which include; Hand Washing, Cough
Covering, Social Distancing etc. At the elementary level
nurses will go to individual classrooms to review with students.
At the Middle School and High School levels media services will be
utilized to review the information with students.
- As part of an assessment process any student that presents to
the health office with flu like symptoms is questioned about
recent travel and exposure to other persons with symptoms.
Any student who presents with a fever or cough will be treated in
the health office until they are released to their parent to go
home. The nurse will recommend that the parent seek medical
advice from their Doctor and report physician's results back to
the school nurse.
- Nurses are closely monitoring the number of students that are
absent in each building, each day.
- The nursing supervisor is in contact with the Department of
Public Health on a daily basis.
- The district has been informed that updated information is
made available by various statewide health officials via websites
and information provided will be reviewed daily.
The Superintendent of Schools has participated in a state wide
briefing with Governor Jodi Rell and Department of Education
Commissioner Mark McQuillan. The purpose of this conference
call was to provide information to the state's school leaders about
precautions our state has initiated as it relates to the swine
flu.
The schools and district have received the appropriate
emergency preparedness plans as they relate to medical issues.
The district continues to monitor student and staff attendance
rates and causes for such absences among these two groups.
The district has reviewed all communication systems should mass
distribution of information become necessary.
The district has convened a meeting of the Safety Committee to
review information from the district's nursing supervisor regarding
the proactive measures implemented in all schools in response to the
national and state health notice.
As stated earlier, the intent of this communication is to
provide you with information regarding the district's proactive,
preventative steps and is not meant to alarm you in any way.
There are no suspected or confirmed cases of swine flu in any of our
schools, communities or the district's labor force.
As
always, we will provide you with information as it becomes necessary
and appropriate.
Thank you for your continued
support.
Very truly yours,
Gary
Gary S. Mala
Superintendent of Schools
Regional
School District 17
"BELIEVING IS
ACHIEVING"
