Dear Parents/Guardians,
Cold and flu season is here and we need your assistance in keeping our school community healthy. Please monitor your child(ren) daily for signs/symptoms of illness and keep them home from school to rest and hydrate if they are not feeling well or if they have a fever. It’s helpful to keep a thermometer in your home to check their temperature.
Symptoms which may initially appear to be just a common cold or allergies could actually be COVID or the flu, so please be vigilant and follow these reminders.
If your child has cold/allergy symptoms (see COVID Guidelines), please test them for COVID before sending them to school. If the test results are negative, repeat the COVID test 48 hours later. If positive, please keep your child home to isolate x 5 days and notify us and your child’s primary care provider (PCP).
If your child has a fever, please call their PCP and keep your child home from school until they have been fever free for 24 hours without any fever/pain reducing medications (Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen, etc.) and their symptoms have improved to the point where they are feeling well and ready to return to a full day of school.
Frequent handwashing/hand sanitizing and mask wearing when you or your child(ren) have cold/flu or COVID symptoms in combination with keeping vaccinations up-to-date as recommended by the Department of Public Health are the most effective ways to decrease the spread of viral illnesses.
IMPORTANT
Please call the Blake Middle School absence line (508-242-8501) by 7:40 a.m. each day your child will be absent or late for school. The absence line is available 24 hours a day. You may also send an email to blakeattendance@email.medfield.net
Please notify us in the school nurse’s office if your child has been diagnosed with COVID, influenza, strep throat or any other contagious illness as well as if your child is being treated for a concussion or recovering from an injury.
You may email this information to blakeattendance@email.medfield.net when you notify the school of your child’s absence or contact us directly.
Please reach out to us in the nurse’s office if you have any questions or concerns. Here is a good resource for influenza.
Sincerely,
Tricia & Arlene
Tricia Williams, RN, NCSN
Arlene O'Donovan Driscoll, RN, MSN
School Nurses