Dear Parent/Guardian,

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) anticipates increasing numbers of confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza over the course of the coming school year.  In an effort to help keep our students healthy, we want to share with you important awareness and prevention information.  This includes what you can do to keep your child healthy and what we are doing as a district to promote the overall health and wellness of our students and staff. 

What You Can Do to Keep Your Children Healthy

• Stay informed.  The Cedar Hill ISD website will be updated regularly as we learn new information from our local, state and national public health authorities.
• Encourage your children to adhere to everyday actions to stay healthy. 
  • Washing their hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze.  Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.
  • Covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze.  Throwing the tissue in the trash after they use it.  If no tissue is available, encourage them to cough or sneeze into their shirt sleeve or elbow and not into their hand.
  • Avoiding touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.  Germs spread this way.
  • Keep your children home if they are sick.  CDC recommends that children stay home from school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. 
    • Students with flu-like illness (fever 100°F or greater, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches, chills, fatigue) must stay home from school for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
• Follow public health advice regarding avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

What We Are Doing at School to Promote the Health and Wellness of Our Students and Staff

• We will continue to be in close contact with our local, state, and national public health authorities and will provide you with up-to-date information concerning H1N1 influenza throughout the school year.  This information will be made available to you on our web site at http://www.chisd.net/  and via automated phone calls made as deemed necessary. 
• We will continue to emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention to your children during school hours including good hand hygiene and the proper methods for cleaning hands and respiratory care, including keeping hands away from the face.
• We will provide the time needed for all students and staff to wash their hands whenever necessary.  Soap, paper towels and sanitizers will be readily available in schools.
• We will routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with appropriate disinfectant cleansers.

For more information about  H1N1 influenza, visit the Centers for Disease Control H1N1 website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

Thank you for your continued diligence in promoting the health and wellness of your children.  We strongly believe that healthy students learn better and are looking forward to an academically successful school year.