Fairfield Community Schools News

August 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians,

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 Fairfield Community Schools. We want to keep our schools 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 the Elkhart County Health Department and the Indiana Department of Health 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 schools functioning as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help.

•  Teach your children to wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner. 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 coughs and sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand especially when a tissue is unavailable. Throw used tissues away in the trash.

• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or more), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea. Any child who is determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.
• Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.

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 changes to our district's strategy to prevent the spread of flu.

Sincerely,

Thomas E. Tumey

Superintendent