Today’s package sent home by admin about the case of Swine Flu at Essex.
May 11, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
We were advised by Toronto Public Health (TPH) this past weekend about a confirmed case of H1N1 flu at Essex PS. The case is mild and the student is at home recovering.
Our school will remain open. As the accompanying letter from TPH indicates, our school is advised to continue operating as usual. This is consistent with advice from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
I want to share with you what we’ve been doing at our school to address the situation. Our school has had an enhanced environmental cleaning over the weekend. I have advised staff to be extra vigilant in communicating to students the importance of being attentive to personal hygiene habits, such as washing hands regularly and thoroughly, and coughing or sneezing into a tissue or into a sleeve. In fact, that has been our message for some time and we encourage parents to help reinforce this message at home. Our staff is ensuring that all washrooms have a supply of soap. We are also encouraging students who are not feeling well to stay home.
I know that this news comes as a concern to all of us: students, parents, staff, and administration. However, I want to urge calm and careful consideration of the facts shared by TPH. We will, of course, continue to work closely with TPH to monitor this situation and will share any relevant information as soon as we have it.
Thank you for your understanding and support. Please feel free to call TPH at 416-338-7600 if you have any questions and concerns.
Sincerely,
Marc Green
Principal
Essex P.S. and Hawthorne II Bilingual Alternative School
p.s. Also see the latest FAQ on the H1N1 Flu Virus