August 31, 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year.  We hope that this year will be a productive and healthy year for you and your family.  In order to help make this year as healthy as possible, I would like to update you on the new CDC guidelines related to the Novel H1N1 virus and the Seasonal flu virus. 

Attached please find:

NSSED Pandemic Communicable Disease Plan

A letter from the Illinois State Board of Education

“New CDC Guidelines for the Seasonal flu and the H1N1 Flu Virus for the 2009-2010 School Year”

“Seasonal and Novel H1N1 Flu: A Guide for Parents” from the CDC

We will continue to monitor the health of our students and staff as this flu season unfolds and update you with new information from the CDC and state and local health departments, especially in regards to updates about the Novel H1N1 flu vaccine. 

We will be tracking student attendance daily all year.  Notify your child’s teacher with the reason for EACH absence on the morning of the absence.  We need parents to strictly adhere to the CDC recommendation for absence from school by keeping your child home when they are ill until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours WITHOUT the use of fever-reducing medication.  This will help decrease the spread of disease in your child’s classroom and school.

Please feel free to call me or your program nurse with any questions or concerns or to update us on the health of your child.

Thank you,

Ingrid M. Thompson, RN BSN IL/NCSN
NSSED Coordinator of Health Services