Main Content
Dear
Parents:
As
you know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the
spread of flu in our schools and community. We want to keep 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 Marin County Office of Education and the Marin
County Public Health Department 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.
If the flu becomes more severe, we may
take additional steps to prevent the spread such as:
·
conducting active fever and flu symptom screening of students and
staff as they arrive at school;
·
making changes to increase the space between people, such as
moving desks farther apart and postponing class trips; and
·
dismissing individual students from school for at least seven days
if they become sick.
We
intend to do everything we can to keep our schools operating as usual. Here are a few things parents can do to help.
·
Remind 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, to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues; and 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, 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 sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they
no longer have a fever or do not have signs of fever without using
fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce
the number of people who may get infected.
·
Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick
while at school will be sent home.
For
more information, 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 visit www.marinflu.org. We will notify you of any additional changes
to our District’s strategy to prevent the spread of flu.
Sincerely,
Christine
M. Carter
Centers for Disease Control Links
Click on this link to
connect to the Centers for Disease Control page with useful information parents
can use if you have a sick child in your home.
It also provides guidance on talking to your children about the flu,
attendance at day camps, as well as information on taking care of a baby when
the mother is sick.
June 5th, 2008
2008-09 Healthy Guidelines for School Birthday Treats
Year 3 of District Wellness Policy:
The passage of our RUSD Wellness Policy by the Board of Trustees, and mandated by the State in 2006, promotes healthy eating habits, increased physical activity, and building awareness among children, parents, and district staff. Each year we take a step forward to completely implement our policy goals. In that spirit, please review the following guidelines as they are being implemented throughout the District.
To date, the District schools have primarily focused on the following areas of the policy for implementation:
1. Foods will not be used as a reward in classrooms (candy or sweets will not be used for student incentives or rewards)
2. The goal is to serve healthy foods at all school events, as mandated by law.
3. The 4 holiday classroom parties (Halloween, winter holiday, Valentine’s Day & end of year) can include ONE Sweet/Food. The Wellness Committee does NOT recommend abolishing all sweets for children at a holiday classroom party, but recommends limiting the amount of sugar served at a party. Parents have been incredibly creative in planning alternative activities, games, and crafts. School-wide celebrations will continue and healthy foods will continue to play a part in such events, such as 100th Day at Reed or the Sol Fest at Bel Aire.
We want all children to be recognized on their birthdays. What the Wellness Committee and PTA are recommending is a change in HOW each child is recognized. Traditionally, families send in or bring a birthday cake or cupcakes. It is important to understand that the 15 -20 such celebrations per class each year do not meet our Wellness Policy guidelines.
NEXT STEP 2008-09:
Beginning with the start of school in August:
Birthday celebrations will take on a new look next year:
Your child will be honored on his/her special day
The principal and teachers will have “age appropriate” ways to honor the birthday student.
Thus, parents should not send in birthday cakes, sweets, foods or “goody bags.”We appreciate your support and cooperation in our endeavor to keep students healthy.
The entire Board Policy can be accessed at: http://www.reedschools.org. Click on The Board of Trustees, then Board Policies, followed by GAMUT On-line. Once on GAMUT ON-line go the Reed Union School District. The Student Wellness Policy is BP 5030,
May 7th, 2008
Governor’s Report on Education Excellence
Two years ago Governor Schwarzenegger established the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence. nmj8 Below is the link to the report. It is interesting reading, considering the budget cuts being proposed for next year to public education.
Governor's Report On Education Excellence (Adobe Acrobat File)
