Dear Parent:
As you may know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in Gobles Public Schools. We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season, but we need your help to do this.
We are working closely with Van Buren/Cass District 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.
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 with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. Have them sign Happy Birthday or The Alphabet Song through twice while they wash with soap. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food, or unwashed utensils.
- Teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues or by using their elbows, arm, or sleeve instead of their hand when a tissue is unavailable.
- Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius 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.
- Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.
- 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. Have a plan in the office for an emergency contact.
For more information, visit www.flu.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu. We will notify you of any additional changes to our school’s strategy to prevent the spread of flu. Please visit the school districts website at www.gobles.org for additional information.
Sincerely,
Gobles Public Schools
409 N. State Street, P.O. Box 412, Gobles, MI 49055
Phone: (269) 628-5618 Fax: (269) 628-5306