We are asking for parents to cooperate with these guidelines for the health and safety of everyone at St. James’.

Interim Recommendations: K-12 Schools

• School dismissal is not advised for a suspected or confirmed case of novel influenza A (H1N1) and, in general, is not advised unless there is a magnitude of faculty or student absenteeism that interferes with the school’s ability to function.
• Students, faculty or staff with influenza-like illness (fever with a cough or sore throat) should stay home and not attend school or go into the community except to seek medical care for at least 7 days even if symptoms resolve sooner.
• Students, faculty and staff who are still sick 7 days after they become ill should continue to stay home from school until at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved.
• Students, faculty and staff who appear to have an influenza-like illness at arrival or become ill during the day should be isolated promptly in a room separate from other students and sent home.
• Aspirin or aspirin-containing products should not be administered to any confirmed or suspected ill case of novel H1N1 influenza virus infection aged 18 years old and younger due to the risk of Reye syndrome. Refer to pediatric medical management for guidance regarding use of any medications, especially those containing aspirin.  (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/clinicians/)
• Parents and guardians should monitor their school-aged children, and faculty and staff should self-monitor every morning for symptoms of influenza-like illness.
• Ill students should not attend alternative child care or congregate in other neighborhood and community settings outside of school.
• School administrator’s should communicate regularly with local public health officials to obtain guidance about reporting of influenza-like illnesses in the school
• Schools can help serve as a focus for educational activities aimed at promoting ways to reduce the spread of influenza, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette.

Students, faculty and staff should stringently follow sanitary measures to reduce the spread of influenza, including covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or coughing or sneezing into their sleeve if a tissue isn’t available), frequently washing hands with soap and water, or using hand sanitizer if hand washing with soap and water is not possible.

Interim Recommendations: Child Care Programs

As for schools, closure of child care programs is not currently recommended due to novel H1N1 influenza in the community or the child care facility. Child care programs should follow the above recommendations for schools along with the other recommendations in this section.

• Child care programs should work closely and directly with their local and State public health officials to make appropriate decisions and implement strategies in a coordinated manner.
• Child care providers should conduct daily health checks on all children. Although daily health checks have been recommended for child care programs before the current H1N1 flu situation, programs that do not conduct routine daily health checks should institute this practice. (See Caring for Our Children Standards 3.001 and 3.002 for information on how to do this http://nrckids.org/ )
• Ill children should stay home and not be taken out of one child care program and put into another child care program even temporarily.
• Childcare facilities should clean and sanitize frequently-touched surfaces, (such as desks, doorknobs, computer keyboards, toys) routinely and if they become visibly soiled.

  http://nrckids.org/CFOC/HTMLVersion/Chapter_3.html#1076310
  http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm
  http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/influenza-disinfectants.html

• Child care programs can help serve as a focus for educational activities aimed at promoting ways to reduce the spread of influenza, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette.

St. James will be re-opening from the Christmas break on January 5th.  We look forward to seeing everyone then!