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Yellowknife school board braces for possible flu absenteeism
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 | 11:17 AM CT
Northwest Territories schools preparing for a fall flu pandemic are also bracing for a potentially high absenteeism rate, with at least one Yellowknife school board looking at ways to keep schools staffed.
Students and teachers are advised to stay home if they are sick, in order to minimize the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus. That could also put pressure on school boards as they scramble to find more substitute teachers.
"We have just been taking a look at how will we cover positions in our schools if it gets to the point where there are so many staff missing," Claudia Parker, superintendent with Yellowknife Catholic Schools, told CBC News on Monday.
"We'll be taking a look at what are the essential positions that we need to be able to run smoothly, and how will we cover those if those people are ill."
Parker said her school board may even appeal to parent volunteers if schools are missing certain types of staff.
"Are there parents that are willing to come in and help answer the phones if our secretaries are away sick? Those types of things," she said.
"I think we have to prepare for the worst and hope that ... it doesn't take place," she added. "We've been working on our policy and procedures, and we are meeting regularly with our administrators to make sure that everything is in place."
In the meantime, students across the N.W.T. are getting a healthy dose of preventative medicine this fall, learning everything from how to wash their hands properly to how to ensure they're eating a healthy diet.
"It will help drive home that message of what we can all do to be better prepared and to keep all of us safe and healthy this fall and through the possibility of an outbreak," said Amy Doerksen, a spokeswoman for the territorial Education, Culture and Employment Department.
All school superintendents are working on their own flu contingency plans, Doerksen said.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/10/06/nwt-flu-schools.html
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 | 11:17 AM CT
Northwest Territories schools preparing for a fall flu pandemic are also bracing for a potentially high absenteeism rate, with at least one Yellowknife school board looking at ways to keep schools staffed.
Students and teachers are advised to stay home if they are sick, in order to minimize the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus. That could also put pressure on school boards as they scramble to find more substitute teachers.
"We have just been taking a look at how will we cover positions in our schools if it gets to the point where there are so many staff missing," Claudia Parker, superintendent with Yellowknife Catholic Schools, told CBC News on Monday.
"We'll be taking a look at what are the essential positions that we need to be able to run smoothly, and how will we cover those if those people are ill."
Parker said her school board may even appeal to parent volunteers if schools are missing certain types of staff.
"Are there parents that are willing to come in and help answer the phones if our secretaries are away sick? Those types of things," she said.
"I think we have to prepare for the worst and hope that ... it doesn't take place," she added. "We've been working on our policy and procedures, and we are meeting regularly with our administrators to make sure that everything is in place."
In the meantime, students across the N.W.T. are getting a healthy dose of preventative medicine this fall, learning everything from how to wash their hands properly to how to ensure they're eating a healthy diet.
"It will help drive home that message of what we can all do to be better prepared and to keep all of us safe and healthy this fall and through the possibility of an outbreak," said Amy Doerksen, a spokeswoman for the territorial Education, Culture and Employment Department.
All school superintendents are working on their own flu contingency plans, Doerksen said.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/10/06/nwt-flu-schools.html