Message from the Superintendent
Dear Parents, Students and Community Members,
The 2009-10 school year has begun. This brings the usual excitement as teachers and students return to the classrooms and begin to participate in a wide variety of school activities. The new year is a chance to assess what we have accomplished and the unique set of challenges that lie ahead. This year promises to be particularly interesting because of the projections for H1N1 flu during the fall and winter. The school district had a parent meeting on August 26th to provide information on this issue and will be sending out a general letter of information to all parents as well as posting that letter to the school website.
I want to thank all the parents that were able to attend the meeting in August and I would encourage all parents to thoroughly review the informational letter that will be sent out. Working together both at our schools and in our homes we can have a positive impact in limiting the spread of all strains of the flu. The SD Dept. of Health is saying at this time that they expect that as many as 1/3 of all South Dakotans will catch the H1N1 flu at some point this year. They also know that the majority of those getting this strain of flu will be school age children from Kindergarten up through college age. Our best chance to limit the spread of the disease is to quickly isolate sick individuals and keep them home and away from others until they have been symptom free for at least 24 hours.
We are hoping that the school district will not need to close because of H1N1 or due to inclement weather, but we realize that conditions could dictate where that would be the wise and prudent choice. Any school closure will be a local district decision based on the severity of the problem and what is best for our students and staff and the overall educational program.
The Farmer’s Almanac has predicted a winter of bitter cold and heavy snows. The various news outlets have made some widely varied predictions on how many people may actually catch H1N1. Our best approach is to hope that these high estimates for weather are off while being prepared to deal with whatever does come our way.
To better communicate with parents this year, the school district is working to revise and update the school website and is implementing the School Reach parent contact system. Parents will be receiving an informational letter on the School Reach system and how it will be utilized to contact them for both general and emergency information. The district’s goal is to provide you with more complete information and better overall communication especially in emergency situations.
The Tripp-Delmont School District staff members are proud to serve the communities of Delmont and Tripp and our students. We thank you for the opportunity to work with your children, helping them to achieve their dreams and goals.
Sincerely,
Mr. Lynn Vlasman, Supt.
Parent Information Sheet: H1N1 Flu
Dear Parent:
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for school in responding to cases of H1N1 flu virus during the 2009-10 school year. Our school district will be following the guidelines as listed below.
· Schools will monitor students and staff for fever and other symptoms of flu throughout the school day. Students or staff members that exhibit fever or other flu symptoms will be sent to a room separate from other students or staff. Students will remain there until picked up by the parent or an individual designated by the parent.
· Parents can greatly assist with minimizing the spread of the flu virus by keeping those with flu-like illness at home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay home even if they are using anti-viral drugs.
· The new recommendations emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap and water when possible, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).
· School staff will routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with the cleaners they typically use. Special cleaning with bleach and other non-detergent-based cleaners is not necessary.
· People at high risk for influenza complications who become ill with influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible. Early treatment with antiviral medications is very important for people at high risk because it can prevent hospitalizations and deaths. People at high risk include those who are pregnant, have asthma or diabetes, have compromised immune systems, or have neuromuscular diseases.
· Any closure of a school will be a local decision by the Board of Education and school administration. At this time, the CDC is not advocating the closure of schools except in rare instances where the number of teachers out of the system due to illness makes it impractical to deliver the instructional program. Local district may also consider closing schools based on their assessment of whether the number of student absences at any particular time has risen to a level sufficient to justify such a closure. Schools that close due to widespread illness, should do so for five to seven days and then reassess whether or not to resume classes after that period.
Our school district is committed to working with the SD Dept. of Health, local health care providers, parents and members of the community to address H1N1 concerns. The Dept. of Health has indicated that a H1N1 vaccine should be available in October. The vaccine will be made available at schools or regional pod centers with local health providers coordinating the administration of the vaccine. The state has indicated that it will be administered free or for a minor administrative charge and that participation in the program is voluntary. The school district will provide follow-up information on the vaccine program as it becomes available.