Dear Families:
At front and center of current news is information regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Washington State. Please know that the health and wellness of our community is always the top priority for faculty and staff at St. Anne. We are actively monitoring the situation and are in contact with King County Public Health and continue to track guidance from the Washington Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. We have not had any reports that anyone in our community has been affected but we are taking measures in our school to minimize the risk. Every day, we are having students use soap and water to wash hands before lunch (for at least 20 seconds) and reminding them to do so each time they use the bathroom. All classrooms also have a supply of hand sanitizer. We will be washing desks and common areas with Clorox wipes and there will be daily disinfection of handrails, water fountains, light switches and door knobs/panic bars. Faculty and staff are reviewing CDC procedures and Archdiocesan protocol and we will continue to communicate with you.
I want to thank the families of students who are being extra vigilant about keeping students home when they are experiencing any symptoms of illness. Best to be safe! At this time, school will continue with regular programming and scheduling. If it becomes necessary or recommended by the Department of Health to close school we will do our best to have online or take-home work available for students. If you have chosen to keep your children home while school is open, we are supportive of your family’s decision and will do our best to send classroom assignments as they are available. It is our mutual responsibility to keep our community safe.
Here are best practices for keeping illness at bay (including COVID-19)
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/130-012.pdf
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home while sick and avoid close contact with others.
- Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash hands.
- Other ways to stay healthy include:
- Get plenty of sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Eat nutritious foods
- Manage stress levels
Even with all the best effort, sickness can still happen. Here are the guidelines on when to keep a child home from school:
- Fever (greater than 100 degrees). Your child may return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours.**If you have to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen before school for an elevated temperature, your child should not come to school. Your child will be sent home from school if their temperature is greater than 100.0 and if accompanied by any cold/flu symptoms
- Vomiting (even once)
- Diarrhea
- Chills
- General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
- Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
- Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
Helpful links:
- Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
- Public Health – Seattle & King County Novel Coronavirus webpage https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus.aspx
- Washington State Department of Health novel coronavirus hotline: 1-800-525-0127
Thanks for reading this long letter to the end. Due to the length, I will hold off on the “Weekly Why” until next week. Stay tuned for: Why can’t we have some turf or grass on the playground for the children to play?
Have a great week!