Health Information

Flu Information

The most important things that schools can continue to do are to follow the district Flu Season Protocol:

• Promote and model basic infection control practices such as respiratory etiquette, and frequent hand cleaning;
• Identify and isolate ill students, staff or others quickly until they be picked up and taken home; a
• Monitor for and report outbreaks of respiratory illness.

The difference between pandemic and seasonal influenza.

It is expected that all students and staff with influenza-like illness (ILI) will stay home until they are feeling well enough to return to school and participate in normal activities. Staff or students with symptoms should stay isolated at home until all symptoms have resolved or for 7 days after onset of symptoms, whichever is longer.

There is no requirement for close contacts of cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus to stay home from school or work if they remain free of symptoms.

What's the difference between pandemic H1N1 and seasonal influenza? Go to the following site for more information from Alberta Health: http://www.health.alberta.ca/documents/H1N1-Alberta-Experience-2010.pdf

We have been monitoring the students and staff since we started school. If there is any issue, we will endeavour to inform parents.

EPE staff and students should use hand-washing and proximity rules. Students may find it difficult to understand what it means to stay further away from each other, not to share food and drink containers, to be sure they wash hands carefully and often. We have installed hand sanitizer stations. If you wish to send hand sanitizer in their bag or backpack, please do! There is ongoing classroom discussion of protocols and there are posters in strategic areas to remind people of their responsibilities!

If a student becomes ill with flu like symptoms, we will contact a parent to have the child picked up as soon as possible! In the circumstances, we don't want a sick child riding the bus!

As is always the case, parents of students are in the best position to determine if their children are well and able to attend school. Thank you for monitoring your child to ensure they don't come back to school sick!

How to Handle a Lice Outbreak

Head Lice Information

In the interest of promoting and maintaining a healthy learning environment for our students, our division Occupational Health and Safety Specialist has prepared the following information regarding head lice. While we currently are not aware of any cases of head lice in our school, the following information may assist your family in preventing the spread of head lice should an infestation occur.

Head lice infestations are common in school children but are not associated with serious disease and are not a sign of poor hygiene. In fact, head lice really like clean hair.

Head lice do not spread disease.
Children may have head lice but go weeks before showing symptoms. 
Misdiagnosis of head lice infestations is common. The diagnosis requires detection of live head lice. Detection of nits alone does not indicate active infestation.
Topical insecticides, especially lindane, can be toxic, particularly if misused. Care should be taken to avoid unnecessary exposure and, when indicated, to minimize skin contact beyond the scalp. 
Excessive household or school cleaning is not warranted following the detection of a case of head lice because neither head lice nor nits survive for an extended period of time away from the scalp. 
While resistance to topical agents has been noted in other countries, this does not appear to be as large a problem in North America.
According to health officials, exclusion (being sent home) from school due to the detection of 'nits' is not medically necessary. Even the detection of active head lice should not lead to the exclusion of the affected child. Treatment is recommended and close head-to-head contact should be discouraged pending treatment.
Families of children in a classroom where a case of active head lice has been detected will be notified as such. The school will also provide information about the diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and management of head lice.

References

EIPS' Head Lice Information for Parents

Canadian Pediatric Society Position Statement

Alberta Health and Wellness - Information about Head Lice