In a letter to parents on the district’s website, Dearborn School Supt. Brian J. Whiston said Monday afternoon that a student at Edsel Ford High School has a confirmed case of the H1N1 flu. It is the first known case in the district.

Below is the letter from Supt. Whiston:

The H1N1 flu has received a lot of attention and therefore the district felt it was important to tell the community about the first confirmed case in the district. However, because health officials are less worried about the severity of this flu and are unable to predict how widespread it will become, the district will not be sending home a letter each time they receive notice of a confirmed case. If further reports indicate that the H1N1 flu would impact the operation of school, then the district will provide relevant information to the community.

 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is not recommending school closure in the event of a single case or even mild outbreaks of the H1N1 flu. School closures will only be considered if a large number of students or staff members are absent. District administration will inform parents in the event of a school closure.

If a school or schools need to be closed for any reason, the district reminds parents to please plan ahead and have a family discussion to decide who would care for their child if his/her school were closed. Remember if school is closed, students should not gather at another location, but rather stay home to avoid continued spread of flu outside of school.

Earlier in the year the district sent home a “Frequently Asked Questions” document to help answer questions and provide accurate information about the H1N1 flu. Parents and community members can access that information on the district’s website, www.dearbornschools.org. There are many actions everyone can do to keep schools open and functioning in a normal manner this school year and the District is asking for parents help.

 – Teach your children how to reduce the risk of getting and spreading flu viruses by:

● Washing hands often. Wash with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds.

● Using hand sanitizer. Gels and rubs with at least 60% alcohol are effective.

● Coughing or sneezing into their sleeve or elbow – not their hands!

 – If you suspect your child is getting or has the flu, it is important s/he does not attend school or go anywhere else. If your child is sick, keep him/her home for at least 24 hours after being free of fever, without fever reducing medication.

 – Please remember that you must notify the school when your child will be absent. If you are keeping your child home due to flu or flu-like symptoms, please share that information with the school when reporting the absence.

Please know that the district will make decisions based on the recommendations of city, county, and state public health organizations as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The Dearborn Public Schools will provide parents and the community with new information as it becomes available.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 4:21 pm and is filed under Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.