The peak of the cold and flu season is upon us. As with previous flu seasons, we follow defined sanitization protocols to help prevent widespread flu in the school. We do recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. A child who has a fever should remain at home until “fever free” for a minimum of 24 hours, a student that has had diarrhea or vomiting should remain at home for a minimum of 48 hours. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
- Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
- Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
- Headache
- Stomachache
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
- Fever (greater than 100 degrees and your child may return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours)
- Vomiting (even once)
- Diarrhea
- Chills
- General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
- Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:
- Wash hands frequently
- Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
- Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring to school. Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on return to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.
As a standard protocol, we have our custodians sanitize with appropriate disinfectant products all surfaces, doorknobs, and banisters on a daily basis. We also ensure that there is soap and hand sanitizer in all dispensers and encouraging everyone to remind students about the importance of hand washing.
We will be monitoring our attendance rates and will continue to seek updates from our local Health Department regularly. Please be assured that we will share any necessary information regarding any illness concerns within our community that impact our school population.
Sincerely,
Ron Stoneman, Superintendent
Manistee Area Public Schools