H1N1 FLU INFORMATION
There has been much information in the news about the potential risks of H1N1. Since it is a type of influenza, or flu, the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) apply to any flu virus circulating during the 2009-2010 school year.
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 the Rensselaer Central Schools. Please know that we want to keep our schools open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this time of concern.
We are working closely with the Indiana Department of Education and the Jasper County Health Department to monitor flu conditions and coordinate strategies to help keep students healthy. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.
We have asked our support staff to take extra time to disinfect door knobs, light switches, desks and table tops, computer mice and keyboards, telephone handsets, school bus seats, and anything else that students may touch on a regular basis. Teachers will continue to encourage students to wash their hands regularly, especially before eating food.
We will continue to learn all we can to keep our school environment a healthy environment in the days and weeks ahead. We welcome your help in our efforts to accomplish this.
· Teach your children to wash their hands 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 to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. Encourage them to cover up their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.
· Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater), cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired.
· Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are identified as 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 medication. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.
If the flu becomes more severe, schools may take additional steps to prevent the spread such as:
· Screening students for fever and flu symptoms, and
· Making changes to increase the space between people such as moving desks farther apart and postponing class trips.
In the unlikely event we should need to close school or cancel classes for H1N1, it is likely that we will need to schedule make-up days. In order to be prepared, we encourage families to make plans early for child care should it become necessary to close school. Please understand that closing school may initiate other unavoidable consequences, such as moving the date of commencement, delaying summer school, altering family vacation plans, and postponing or canceling athletic competitions.
For more information, visit www.flu.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu. Our Rensselaer Central Schools Nurses, can be reached at Elementary - 866-8212, Middle School – 866-4661 or High School – 866-5175 for any questions. We will notify you of any additional changes to our school’s strategy to prevent the spread of flu.
Thank you,
Ned L. Speicher
Superintendent of Schools
Over the years, the Rensselaer community has been proud and supportive of its schools. I am proud to be a part of this school district. As superintendent of Rensselaer Central Schools Corporation, I invite you to visit and become involved in your schools.
Located in the rural area of southern Jasper County, the Rensselaer Central Schools Corporation is in the beautiful community of Rensselaer, Indiana, between the metropolitan areas of Lake County and Lafayette. The schools serve approximately 1800 students in four buildings, two elementary schools, one middle school, and a high school. Three of the buildings are located on the east side of the community, on a campus that includes all the athletic facilities. The second elementary school is located on the west side of the community, on the same grounds as the school corporation's Administration Building on Grove Street. We welcome you to our schools and community. We are here to provide an excellent education to all students who enroll in our schools.
Visit all of the schools at the award winning Rensselaer Central School Corporation.
