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 Dear FGCS Parents and Guardians:
The start of the school year often also means the start of the cold and flu season. Illness from the flu -- including the H1N1 or swine flu virus -- is expected to be widespread this fall and winter. As you know, flu viruses spread easily from person to person and school-age children are among the groups most likely to become ill. We are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu and other illness in order to keep school open and functioning as normally as possible. We need your help to do this.
During the first weeks of school, all teachers and other staff are talking to students about the importance of good hygiene (frequent hand washing, covering sneezes, etc.) and we will reinforce these practices throughout the year. We will frequently sanitize door knobs, student tables and other surfaces to try to prevent the spread of germs. Teachers and staff, as well as students, will be expected to stay home when they are sick, so we're also taking steps to make sure all essential operations at school run smoothly when someone is out sick.
Here are steps you can take to help keep your own family healthy and prevent the spread of illness at school:
-Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water. The best way to teach this practice is to do it yourself.
-Teach your children not to share personal items such as drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. If they don't have a tissue, they should cough or sneeze into their sleeve or elbow, not their hands. Remind them not to touch their noses, mouths or eyes because germs easily spread this way.
-Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Flu symptoms 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 children at home when they are sick. Any children who are sick at school will be sent home and will be expected to remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are symptom-free. This is for the protection of the sick child as well as others in the school community. We know that most parents work outside the home, so please make plans for someone to pick up and care for your children if you are not able to do so yourself.
We will work with the Forest Grove School District and Washington County health officials to monitor flu conditions and take appropriate actions in response to confirmed cases of H1N1 or other flu illnesses. Currently, we do not expect schools to be closed in response to flu outbreaks but that situation may change and FGCS will follow the recommendations of District and county officials.
For more information, please visit www.flu.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu. For more information about flu in our community, contact the Washington County Department of Health & Human Services at www.co.washington.or.us/HHS or call 503-846-8881.
We will notify you of changes to our school's strategy to prevent the spread of flu. Meanwhile, if you have questions, please contact me at 503-359-4600 or k.torry@fgcschool.org.
Sincerely,
Karen Torry
Director of School Operations
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Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600; 503-359-4622(fax)
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