REMINDERS DURING FLU AND COLD SEASON:

To avoid and prevent the spread of infections and germs, remember the following:

1. Practice good hand washing.

2. Use a Kleenex to cover both your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.

3. If you have dry cracked skin, treat them with cream or lotion.

4. No sharing of personal item, i.e. cups or utensils.

Keep your child home for:

1. A temperature over 100 degrees.

2. Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.

3. Severe cold; running nose, frequent sneezing and/or coughing, etc.

REMEMBER: YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO BE FEVER-FREE FOR 24 HRS WITHOUT THE USE OF FEVER-REDUCING MEDICINE(i.e. TYLENOL OR MOTRIN), BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL.

Lice

Although lice can be found anytime during the year, they are seen most frequently during the winter months. Encourage your child not to share coats, brushes, combs, hats, helmets or scarves with classmates. Since lice do not jump or fly, they must travel from person to person on clothing and hair accessories. Children in the school may be spot checked by the nurses at different times during the school year. Please check your child periodically at home also. A red rash around the hairline, itching and small white “nits” attached to the hair could indicate a head lice problem. If so, begin treatment immediately and contact the nurses office.

Thank you,

Liz Worden, RN                                             Patricia Ochenduszko, RN

Click here to download PDF indicating the differences between H1N1 & Seasonal Flu Symptoms

Action Steps for Parents to Protect Your Child and Family from the Flu this School Year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 4 main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:

If flu conditions become MORE severe, parents should consider the following steps:

Follow these steps to prepare for the flu during the 2009-2010 school year:

Talk to your school administrators about their pandemic or emergency plan.

For more information:

MEDICATIONS

1.    Please remember that all medications, prescription and over the  counter, including cough drops, must be brought to the nurses office at the beginning of the school day.  They must be in the original container with a note from the physician if a prescription, or from a parent if the medication is over the counter, stating how the medication is to be given, i.e. for what reason or at a certain time of the day.

3.  It would be helpful to the nurses if you can send a note in with your child if you gave him/her any medication, not routine meds, such as Tylenol (Acetaminophen), Motrin or Advil (Ibuprofen) or cold medications which contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen.  This is especially true with children in the lower grades.  This can be very helpful, for example, if your child came to the nurse’s office complaining of a headache before noon and we knew that they had received medication for this before school as we would not want to medicate again before the recommended time. 

**Please continue to encourage your child to eat a nutritious breakfast to help enhance their learning and minimize the possibility of weakness and faintness.  This is especially important on the days we attend Mass and go on field trips.