St. Francis de Sales

Clean Hands, Clean Health

Important H1N1 Information!

Dear Parents and Guardians,
As you may know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu at St. Francis de sales High School. The steps we have already taken here at St. Francis include:
• Equipping classrooms with hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes for student and teacher use
• Sanitizing classroom surfaces and common areas
• Posting signs/posters promoting good hand washing routines and healthy hygiene in the classrooms, hallways and washrooms
We are working closely with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Cook County 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.
We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But, we need your help to do this. Here are a few things you can do to help:
• Teach 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, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. Covering 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 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. We will notify you of any additional changes to our school’s strategy to prevent the spread of flu. You can check the school’s website at www.sfdshs.org and/or we will reach you by schoolreach phone message.

Respectfully,

Mary Kay Ramirez