Parents and Guardians:

As you may be aware, flu can be easily transmitted from person to person.  We want to assure you that we will be working closely with the school nurses, Monmouth County Board of Health and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools.  Please note that the Centers for Disease Control and the New Jersey State Department of Education have issued very strong recommendations NOT to close schools as a method of stopping the spread of the flu.  Rather, they have concluded that practicing good hygiene and keeping children home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours and no longer show any other flu symptoms are far more effective in stopping the spread of the virus.

Hazlet Township Public Schools has instituted the following procedures to help prevent the spread of the flu virus so that our schools continue to function as usual throughout the year.

• Teachers will continue to educate students in proper hand washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.  You can set a good example by doing this yourself.

• School nurses regularly educate students by conducting classes & distributing information in proper hand washing.

• Maintenance staff are increasing the daily cleaning of surfaces that are most apt to be "germ collectors", such as desks, doorknobs, tabletops.

• Maintenance staff uses sanitizing products that are effective in killing flu germs.

• Students will be given lessons in how to cough and sneeze by using a tissue or the sleeve of their shirt, so the spread of germs is decreased.

• If a child displays flu-like symptoms in school, he/she will remain in the nurse's office until the child is picked up by a parent/guardian.

We need your help as well.  Here are a few steps you can take to help.Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water.Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils. 

• Teach your children to cover their coughs or sneezes using tissues, the arm, elbow or sleeve, instead of the hand.

• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu.  Symptoms include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired.  Some people may vomit or experience diarrhea.

• Keep sick children home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not have signs of fever without using fever-reducing drugs.  Keeping sick children home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.

• A parent//guardian or other approved adult must come to school to pick up an ill child. 

Further information about the influenza virus is posted on the District website home page, http://www.hazlet.org.  Please check the website frequently as we will be posting updates with new information as it becomes available.

Thank You,

Mrs. Karen Rizzo,  RN

School Nurse