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School absenteeism soars over flu fears
Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Updated 1 hour ago
Absenteeism is spiking at public and Catholic schools in the Peterborough area with a record number of schools reporting that more than 10% of their students stayed home due to illness.
Some of the absences may be the result of the H1N1 influenza virus, public and Catholic school board officials said yesterday.
Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board sent a letter to parents, guardians and staff yesterday to provide an update on the flu-like symptoms in the community.
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board issued a similar letter on Friday.
Starting today, the Catholic school board will post absentee levels for each of its schools on its website, www.pvnccdsb.on.ca,education director John Mackle said.
"The absenteeism is probably similar to what's happening across the broader community," he said. "We are experience some increase in student absence."
Provincial guidelines require schools to report to the local health unit when they may have 10% of their students absent on any one day.
Catholic school board spokeswoman Nancy Sharpe said she didn't have a list of schools that have broken that threshold this school year or an estimate on the overall absenteeism level.
"The majority of our schools have hit the 10% or higher this week," she said. "In the past, very rarely has it got up to the 10%, maybe one or two per year."
A new centralized computer program will track the absenteeism level on a daily basis starting today, Sharpe said.
The board will daily report on the schools that have 2 to 5% absenteeism, 6 to 9% absenteeism and 10% and higher absenteeism, she added. For schools with 10% and higher absenteeism, the board will indicate the percentage for each school.
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There were nine elementary schools in the city and county with at least 10% of their pupils absent on Monday, said Greg Kidd, a public school board spokesman.
He added that in a normal school year there are two or three schools that get to that level of absenteeism.
"We are seeing an increased level of student illness, a level that would not be expected," he said. "These are students who are ill and not at school for whatever reason.... Some of these absences may be a result of H1N1 virus or other respiratory illnesses."
Both school boards stressed that they are working with local health units on preventative measures and are encouraging people to wash their hands often with soap and water.
"We are ready to take whatever action health authorities recommend,"
Mackle states in the letter issued yesterday. "At this time, they have given no additional directions regarding the operation of our schools. Normal school days and activities are in effect."
There are sanitizer dispensers in all schools, custodians have a higher vigilance for cleaning protocols for items such as door knobs, student desks and computer keyboards and officials are reminding athletes not to share equipment, Mackle said.
A student who displays a heavy cough or fever would be sent to the office, Mackle said.
"If it's a flu-like illness in appearance, the parents are contacted," he said.
"A child at school with a high fever and not feeling their best isn't going to be effective anyway in their learning."
Normal school days are in effect, Kidd said.
"If you're ill, stay at home," he said. "Stay at home where you can recuperate and stay well."
- - -
10% absenteeism
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board schools in the Peterborough area that hit at least 10% pupil absenteeism on Monday:
* Edmison Heights Public School
* Havelock-Belmont Public School
* Kenner Intermediate School
* Kawartha Heights Public School
* Keith Wightman Public School
* Millbrook-South Cavan Public School
* North Cavan Public School
* Prince of Wales Public School
* Ridpath Junior Public School
Source: Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
http://www.peterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2149979
Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Updated 1 hour ago
Absenteeism is spiking at public and Catholic schools in the Peterborough area with a record number of schools reporting that more than 10% of their students stayed home due to illness.
Some of the absences may be the result of the H1N1 influenza virus, public and Catholic school board officials said yesterday.
Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board sent a letter to parents, guardians and staff yesterday to provide an update on the flu-like symptoms in the community.
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board issued a similar letter on Friday.
Starting today, the Catholic school board will post absentee levels for each of its schools on its website, www.pvnccdsb.on.ca,education director John Mackle said.
"The absenteeism is probably similar to what's happening across the broader community," he said. "We are experience some increase in student absence."
Provincial guidelines require schools to report to the local health unit when they may have 10% of their students absent on any one day.
Catholic school board spokeswoman Nancy Sharpe said she didn't have a list of schools that have broken that threshold this school year or an estimate on the overall absenteeism level.
"The majority of our schools have hit the 10% or higher this week," she said. "In the past, very rarely has it got up to the 10%, maybe one or two per year."
A new centralized computer program will track the absenteeism level on a daily basis starting today, Sharpe said.
The board will daily report on the schools that have 2 to 5% absenteeism, 6 to 9% absenteeism and 10% and higher absenteeism, she added. For schools with 10% and higher absenteeism, the board will indicate the percentage for each school.
<!-- Hide the above panel if there's a banner zone but no ad --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript> $(document).ready( function() { if ($("#banZone")[0]) { //find out where the end of the initial script tag is. var cutoff = $("#banZone").html().toLowerCase().replace(/ /g, "").replace(/\r\n/g, "").indexOf("/script>") + 8; var adzoneHTML = $("#banZone").html().toLowerCase().replace(/ /g, "").replace(/\r\n/g, "").substring(cutoff); //get the remaining substring. Take the first six characters of that. var banzone = adzoneHTML.substring(0, 6); //If there is no banner data associated to that zone, the substring found //above will contain the closing div tag of the banner. If it has data, //there will be something else in its place. If no data, hide the banner. if (banzone == '</div>') { $("#banZone").css("display", "none"); } } }); </SCRIPT>
There were nine elementary schools in the city and county with at least 10% of their pupils absent on Monday, said Greg Kidd, a public school board spokesman.
He added that in a normal school year there are two or three schools that get to that level of absenteeism.
"We are seeing an increased level of student illness, a level that would not be expected," he said. "These are students who are ill and not at school for whatever reason.... Some of these absences may be a result of H1N1 virus or other respiratory illnesses."
Both school boards stressed that they are working with local health units on preventative measures and are encouraging people to wash their hands often with soap and water.
"We are ready to take whatever action health authorities recommend,"
Mackle states in the letter issued yesterday. "At this time, they have given no additional directions regarding the operation of our schools. Normal school days and activities are in effect."
There are sanitizer dispensers in all schools, custodians have a higher vigilance for cleaning protocols for items such as door knobs, student desks and computer keyboards and officials are reminding athletes not to share equipment, Mackle said.
A student who displays a heavy cough or fever would be sent to the office, Mackle said.
"If it's a flu-like illness in appearance, the parents are contacted," he said.
"A child at school with a high fever and not feeling their best isn't going to be effective anyway in their learning."
Normal school days are in effect, Kidd said.
"If you're ill, stay at home," he said. "Stay at home where you can recuperate and stay well."
- - -
10% absenteeism
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board schools in the Peterborough area that hit at least 10% pupil absenteeism on Monday:
* Edmison Heights Public School
* Havelock-Belmont Public School
* Kenner Intermediate School
* Kawartha Heights Public School
* Keith Wightman Public School
* Millbrook-South Cavan Public School
* North Cavan Public School
* Prince of Wales Public School
* Ridpath Junior Public School
Source: Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
http://www.peterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2149979