Flu/H1N1 Planning

Dear Parent/Guardian,

As you may know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu here at school. 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.
Here at school we are take steps to prevent the spread of the flu such as:

• Conducting active fever and flu symptom screening of students and staff as they arrive at school,
• Dismissing students from school when they have flu-like symptoms to remain at home for 24 hours after they are fever free without fever-reducing medication such as: Tylenol, Motrin, and Advil.
  

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 hand often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.

• Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils and avoid unnecessary hand to hand contact.
• Teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes using their elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand.
  
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include, fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, and feeling tired.
  
• Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without using fever-reducing drugs.
  
• Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are found to be sick at school will be sent home.
  

Please check the Fall River Public School website, www.fallriverschools.org,  for information and updates.  For additional information visit www.mass.gov/flu.

Parent Poster (English) (Portuguese) (Spanish)

Staying home with the Flu

Fever Fact Sheet (English)

Swine Flu Fact Sheet (English) (Portuguese) (Spanish) (Khmer)

US Department of ED Q&A

Mass Dept. of Public Health

Center for Disease Control and Prevention