With the World Health Organization announcing that the world is now in a Pandemic Flu level with the H1N1 flu, Valley Center School District, like surrounding schools, has adopted the following policies in regard to health issues.     

 Every precaution set up by the local health department and the CDC is being taken to prevent widespread of this illness in our community. Your help, however, is needed to prevent the illness as well. Please review these items with your children and family.

Ø Hand washing---There are hand sanitizers in every classroom & other strategic rooms as well. Teachers and staff have been reminded as well as to remind the students to use these to wash their hands frequently and whenever necessary. It is advisable to wash with soap (it does not have to be antibacterial soap to be effective—H1N1 is virus) and water for 20 seconds, about the time it takes to recite the ABC’s.

Ø Keep hands away from the Portal of Entry—EYES, NOSE, MOUTH Because you cannot know when germs are on your hands, keeping them away from your eyes, nose & mouth protects you from getting germs and keeps you from spreading your germs to others.

Ø Do the Dracula Cough / Sneeze –This is where you cough/sneeze into the crook of your arm—think of Dracula with his cape covering his mouth and nose. Or use a tissue to cough/sneeze into it but wash or sanitize hands after using and throwing away the tissue.

Ø School containment—now more than ever, sick students must be kept home! CDC recommendations are very firm about being out of school for 24 hours after a the child’s temperature has dropped below 100 degrees and is no longer being treated by a fever reducing medication!  In other words—if your child has a temperature of 100 degrees or more, then he/she cannot come back to school until it is lower than 100 without using any fever reducing medications such as Tylenol, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil etc, for 24 hours.   This applies to both students AND staff. 

Ø ALL SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE AN ISOLATION ROOM FOR STUDENTS WITH TEMPERATURES  = TO OR > THAN 100 DEGREES, where students can wait for parents to pick-up. 

Ø PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL HAS YOUR MOST CURRENT PHONE NUMBERS—CELL PHONES, BUSINESS PHONES—where you may pick up your child or make arrangements for someone to pick him/her up IN A PROMPT FASHION! 

Ø PRACTICE GOOD HEALTH HABITS:  get plenty of sleep-- 8-10 hours even for high school students; drink plenty of fluids—especially water; exercise regularly (increases the metabolism and releases endorphins both making you feel better); eat healthy foods—especially green leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, cabbage and fruits high in Vitamin C like oranges, strawberries, blueberries. 

Ø STAY INFORMED. We will update Health Services with announcements on a regular basis. Other resources can be found at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s special H1N1 flu webpage: http://www.kdheks.gov/H1N1/index.htm. More information can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/general_info.htm from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).