September 8, 2009

Dear Parent,

As you may know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in Hooks ISD. We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But, we need your help to do this.

We are working closely with the Texas Education Agency and the Bowie County health department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.

For now we are doing everything we can to keep our school functioning as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help.
 Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.
 Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. Covering up their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.
 Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.9 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.
 Keep sick children at 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 children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.
 Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.

For more information, see the attached, flu-a guide for Parents, and visit www.flu.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu. Our school nurses, Joyce Hubbard and Lisa Godrey are closely monitoring state and county health trends. They will also offer guidance to our children, staff, and community. Please assist us by talking to your child/children about the importance of hand washing to stop the spread of germs. I will update your Hooks ISD website with additional information as it becomes available.
Let’s work together to keep flu away from our children.

Sincerely,

Kathy Allen, Ed.D
Superintendent

The flu virus has already begun affecting our community. The health officials felt we would see
a rise in flu cases once the children returned to school. It is our goal to keep the students and staff
as healthy as possible. We have put emphasis on frequent hand washing as well as covering coughs and sneezes. The flu is very contagious and can be spread through droplets in the air when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. We are strongly urging all parents/guardians to please keep all children home if they are sick and especially if they show any flu symptoms.

The symptoms of the flu are a fever of 100.4 or greater, headache, extreme tiredness, body aches, sore throat, and dry cough. If a child complains of painful and difficult breathing, shortness of breath, fever for 3 days without any improvement, you should seek medical care as soon as possible. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the school nurses. Flu shots will be available to the students, and a notice will be sent home with each student when the vaccines are available.