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 Walton Central School.  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 NYS Education Department and the NYS 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, lathering for a minimum of 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand rub.  You can set a good example by doing this yourself. 
• If you do not want your child to use an alcohol-based hand rub at school, please notify the school nurse.
• T each your children to cough or sneeze into a tissue, covering their mouth and nose.  If they don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into their elbow or shoulder, not into their hands.
• Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. 
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu.   Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 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 any fever or do not have signs of a fever, without using fever-reducing drugs.  Keeping children with a fever home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.  Call your healthcare professional if you have any concerns regarding your child.
• 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, visit www.flu.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu.  For more information about the flu in our community and what our school is doing, visit www.waltoncsd.org or call the school nurse (MS/HS 865-4116 ext. 6121 and Townsend Elementary 865-5220 ext. 4029).  We will notify you of any additional changes to our school's strategy to prevent the spread of flu.