Dear Parents,

As you may know, flu and virus season has heavily befriended us. We are striving to keep our students healthy and we need your help in doing so.

Below are some safety tips:

  • Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water. They should be taught to rub their hands briskly and dry his/her hands thoroughly.
  • Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils.
  • Cover cough and sneezes with a tissue. If a tissue is not available, we encourage you to have them use the inside of their elbow, arm or sleeve areas. Make sure they wash their hands to remove the germs.
  • Clean hard surfaces in your home that are commonly touched. Wipe down hard surfaces in your home that are frequently touched (doorknobs, sink knobs and faucets, toilet seats and handles, refrigerator door handles, telephones, TV remote controls, etc.)
  • Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms : fever 100 degrees or higher, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.
  • Keep sick children at home! Keeping children with a fever, sore throat, vomiting and or diarrhea will reduce the number of people who may get infected. They must be out for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever and have stopped taking medication, including Tylenol, Advil or any other fever reducing medicines for fever or flu symptoms.
  • Do not send children to school if they are sick! If they vomited during the night, keep them home! If they had fever throughout the night, keep them home! If they had fever/vomited yesterday or this morning, keep them home! Vomited in the car on the way to school, keep them home! Do not tell them to come see the nurse when they get to school. If they are sick at home……..they are still sick when they come see the nurse.
  • Make sure all Emergency Numbers are up to date! It is very frustrating to everyone, involved including your child, when we cannot get in touch with you. If your child has a high fever/injury/major sickness and we cannot get in touch with anyone on your Childs Emergency Form, we will call 911and your child will be transported to the Emergency Room at your expense.

Flu: The flu can cause mild to severe illnesses. Symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, dry cough, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, sore throat, chills, runny nose, and nasal congestion or stuffiness. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. It spreads through coughing and sneezing. It is also spread when a person touches something that a sick person has touched, and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth. People with the flu are thought to be able to spread the infection for about 7 days after the illness begins.

We here at New Prospect Elementary are striving to keep our students and staff healthy and well. We are thoroughly cleaning our classrooms and all areas that our students come in contact with. We are in this together! Please join us in helping keep our students and staff free from the spread of germs and viruses.