Dear Parents & Guardians:
In this post you will find information for the following:
· Important Dates
· Gastro-Intestinal Outbreak Declared
· Illness / Absence Reporting
· Clothing Drive: James Short Memorial School
· Managing Gastrointestinal Infections in Home Settings
Important Dates –
· Dec 4 – Fun Lunch
· Dec 12 – Dress Rehearsal: Winter Concert for extended family viewing (9:00-10:00 a.m.) No Tickets Required
· Dec 12 – Winter Concert Evening Performance (6:30-7:30 p.m.) Tickets Required. Assigned Seating (2/family)
· Dec 13 – James Short Hamper Wrap-Up (8:30-noon)
· Dec 20 – Last day of classes
· Jan 6 – Classes resume
Gastrointestinal Outbreak at Elbow Park School
Our school has recently experienced an increase in numbers of children with vomiting and diarrhea. We are working with Alberta Health Services and have implemented control measures that reduce the possibility of transmission of this type of infection to other children within the school setting.
At this time, we would like to remind parents that children ill with vomiting and/or diarrhea should not be attending school until they are free of symptoms for 48 hours. If you need more information on how to manage a child with these types of symptoms please call Health Link in Calgary at 811.
Please encourage you children to do frequent handwashing with soap and water as part of their regular hand hygiene practice to help stop the spread of infection.
You will find additional information at the end of this update on steps to take at home disinfection to prevent spread of a gastrointestinal illness.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call the school.
Illness Absence Reporting
With the increasing number of student illnesses, we would like to remind parents of how to report absences. Many families are in the habit of emailing the teacher and Mrs. Hodgson however when the teacher and/or Mrs. Hodgson is absent, a substitute teacher or secretary does not receive the information and the office must phone home to verify the absence. Today, both Mrs. Hodgson and a teacher was absent and so many phone calls had to be made as a result.
We kindly ask that parents either:
· Call the school’s Attendance Absence line: 403-817-3408 ext. 1
· Email elbowpark@cbe.ab.ca. This is to ensure that attendance related emails are accessible to all office staff
Clothing Drive: James Short Memorial
James Short Memorial School (JSM) is still collecting the following new or gently used items:
- snow pants in age 5, 8 and 10 (they are well stocked in age 6 and 7)
- mittens all sizes
- winter boots to fit K-2 kids
- indoor runners to fit K-2 kids
They need runners because many of their students do not have indoor shoes to change into.
Please deliver any of the above items to our office by Friday, December 13 for delivery to JSM on Friday when the hampers are delivered. We kindly ask that only items on the list above are donated as storage at both schools is limited and other items are not needed at this time
Managing Gastrointestinal Infections in Home Settings
GI illness refers to infections that affect the digestive system (e.g., stomach, intestines etc.). Some GI illness can be caused by infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses and/or parasites. Some organisms that have been known to cause GI illness include Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, Giardia lamblia (“beaver fever”) and Norovirus.
Common symptoms of GI illness are: nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Additional symptoms may include headache, fever, sweating and chills.
Symptoms usually last between 24 and 48 hours. It is important to report these symptoms to your doctor so that:
· tests can be done if necessary
· the correct diagnosis can be made
· the appropriate treatment can be started
The symptoms of a gastrointestinal infection may lessen over time and you may feel well again, but the organism that caused the illness may still be found in your stool (bowel movements). This is why a person can spread a gastrointestinal infection even if the diarrhea has stopped. Your doctor may arrange for follow-up stool samples to be sent to the laboratory after your symptoms have disappeared to make sure that you are completely free of the micro-organism.
The following information is intended to assist you in preventing the spread of gastrointestinal infections from person-to-person in your home:
Personal and Hand Hygiene:
· Good personal hygiene is important to prevent the spread of infectious illness, and should be practiced at all times.
· Frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and warm water is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself against a number of infectious diseases. It is extremely important to wash your hands:
o after using the toilet or changing diapers
o before handling/preparing foods
o before and after eating
o after handling raw meats, garbage, pets and cleaning a litter box
· Rinse your hands and then dry them with a clean or single use disposable towel.
Washroom Facilities (when you or your family are sick or ill):
· Clean and disinfect washroom fixtures daily (one part household bleach and 9 parts of water makes a suitable disinfecting solution). Remember to store all cleaning chemicals safely away from children and pets.
· Avoid sharing towels and face cloths in the home and use disposable paper towels/single use towels where possible.
· Avoid tub baths for children experiencing diarrhea, if this is not possible then clean and disinfect the tub after use.
· Do not bathe children together if any of the children are experiencing diarrhea
Food Handling at Home:
· Avoid preparing food for others if you have vomiting and/or diarrhea.
· If you have to prepare foods for others:
o Choose foods that require minimal handling
o Practice good personal hygiene when handling food
o Wash your hands immediately before handling/preparing food
o Clean and sanitize counter tops and other food contact surfaces or utensils in the kitchen.(one teaspoon of household bleach in a quart of warm water or 5 mL bleach in 1L of water makes an appropriate sanitizing solution.)
o Change dishcloths often
o Air dry your dishes
o Cook foods thoroughly and keep them hot (above 60 ° C) or cold (below 4 ° C) until served.
Situations that have a high risk for spreading gastrointestinal infection:
· People in high risk occupations, such as food service, child care, healthcare, long-term care and social care, should not work if they have vomiting and/or diarrhea.
· Children with vomiting and/or diarrhea should not attend daycares or day homes.
· Children with vomiting and/or diarrhea should not go swimming or use hot tubs.
Treatment and Recovery:
· If antibiotics are prescribed by the doctor to treat your infection, make sure that you take them as ordered and for the full length of time prescribed - even if your symptoms are gone and you are feeling better. If you cannot tolerate the medications prescribed you need to discuss this with your doctor.
If you have submitted a stool sample which indicates the presence of infectious organism(s), the Environmental Health Officer will contact you to determine the source of your infection and may ask questions regarding recent travel, pets, and