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What is Influenza (also called Flu)?
The flu is a contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year. This year’s flu season started early, is widespread, and is expected to last through early April 2018. Experts describe this as a “moderately severe” flu season compared with other recent seasons. Is Flu vaccine effective? Yes! Don’t believe the hype that the vaccine does not matter this year. The vaccine is about 30% effective against the most common type of flu circulating right now in the US (and this is typical for Flu vaccines). It may be even more effective against other types of flu viruses that will circulate later this season. Protection begins about 2 weeks after the vaccine has been given. So it’s not too late to play it safe and vaccinate. Flu vaccine keeps you, your family and community safe. Even if the vaccine does not prevent the illness entirely, it reduces the severity and duration of symptoms. A protected person is also less likely to spread the illness to others. This much is clear: Some protection is far better than no protection at all. Signs and Symptoms of Flu Flu symptoms usually start suddenly and include:
How Flu Spreads Flu viruses spread by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. Less often, a person could also get flu by contact with a contaminated surface or object, then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. Typically, a person becomes ill about 2 days after being exposed to the germ. Period of Contagiousness You can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. A person is most contagious in the first 3-4 days after the illness begins and for up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. The contagious period for young children may be even longer. Preventing Seasonal Flu in Schools The first and most important step in preventing flu is to get a flu vaccine each year. Practical, everyday actions (like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and frequent handwashing) also help slow the spread of the flu virus. Sick students should stay home until their fever has been resolved for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducers like Tylenol or ibuprofen). No letter is required to return to school. A flu virus is very fragile and lives only 2-8 hours on surfaces. Standard cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces are helpful to kill or remove them to prevent spread of the germ. However, cleaning all surfaces in a school is impossible. If the virus is present in community, it will also always be present in schools. Closing a school is rarely if ever an effective measure to prevent spread of the flu virus and is not helpful according to public health experts. People at High Risk from Flu Anyone can get the flu (even healthy people), and serious problems related to the flu can happen at any age, but some people are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes young children, pregnant women, people over 65, and those of any age who are “medically fragile” or have chronic medical conditions (like asthma, diabetes, heart disease or immune deficiencies). Complications of Flu Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as asthma or diabetes. Treating Flu There are influenza antiviral drugs that can be used to treat flu illness. These are by prescription only. Their effectiveness is greatest if started within the first 48 hours of the illness. Please follow up with a doctor right away if you think your child has the flu. For more information see: www.flu.gov or contact the Office of Student Health & Wellness (oshw@cps.edu) Get a Flu Shot at CDPH Fast-Track Immunization clinics. Flu Clinic Finder: www.ChicagoFluShots.org CPS Letter Re: The Flu CPS has formed a committee tasked with making recommendations for removing barriers to equity for all students. Part of this effort includes discussion groups with families on issues of race and equity within the district, hosted by UIC researchers. We are hoping that you are interested in taking part in these discussions.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Bernhard Moos Elementary School 1711 N California Ave Chicago, IL 60647 Please RSVP here: https://goo.gl/hdRKJ3 Parent & Guardian Race & Equity Discussion Groups flyer Dear CPS Families and Supporters,
The Chicago Board of Education approved the calendar for the 2018 2019 School Year on Wednesday, January 24, which will go a long way toward supporting both our families and our staff plan for the year ahead. As a busy parent, I know how important it is to plan ahead. That’s why I’m glad to have next year’s school calendar in the hands of our families now so we can plan for extracurricular activities, child care, and family vacations. For CPS educators, the calendar will help them shape curriculum to best support student learning. Knowing the schedule in advance will guide lesson planning, and helps ensure that resources for students, educators, and families are delivered seamlessly. You’ll see from the calendar that we were careful to divide the number of student attendance days – 178 – evenly across four quarters, and that we’ve allocated two days for parent teacher conferences. These are important opportunities for parents to sit down with your child’s teachers and support their learning at home. We also provided 10 days of professional development to support continuous development of our educators, and ensure effective planning throughout the school year. Here are some of the important dates for the next school year: First Day of School 9/4/18 Last Day of School 6/18/19 Academic Quarters Q1 11/1/18, Q2 1/31/19, Q3 4/4/19, Q4 6/18/19 Parent Teacher Conference Days 11/14/18 (ES), 11/15/18 (HS), 4/10/19 (ES), 4/11/19 (HS) Winter Vacation 12/24/18 1/4/19 Spring Vacation 4/15/18 4/19/18 School Improvement Days 11/2/18, 2/1/19, 4/5/19, 6/19/19 Please note: Veterans Day will be observed on Monday, 11/12/18. In addition to the attached calendar, you can download the SY 2018 2019 Calendar at cps.edu/calendar. I hope it proves to be a useful resource for you, and look forward to continuing our partnership this school year and next. Sincerely, Janice K. Jackson EdD Chief Executive Officer Chicago Public Schools Documents: CPS Letter: 2018-2019 School Year Calendar in Spanish or English. HELEN C. PEIRCE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES An IB World School (MYP) • A Candidate School (PYP) Cordially invites the Parents and Guardians of Middle Years Programme Students to our “Red Velvet Social” an IB ASSESSMENT & INFORMATION SESSION Wednesday, February 7, 2018 5:00-6:30 PM • Peirce Library
Red Velvet Social MYP IB Assessment & Info session flyer Are you interested in learning more about our Middle Years Programme? Would you like to know what your child should expect when he/she gets MYP Year 1 (6th grade)? If so, join us for a “behind the scenes” look at what the MYP Program is all about. Come in to hear from MYP teachers about the curriculum, talk to MYP students about their experience, tour our MYP “Wing” and see MYP classes in action!
Date : Wednesday, January 31, 2018 Time : 8:15 AM- 10:00 AM Where: Peirce Library Refreshments will be served. MYP Parent Morning flyer Sponsored by Peirce School’s Parent Advisory Council Meeting (PAC)
Date: Friday, January 26, 2018 Time: 8:15 a.m. Location: Fieldhouse Learn more about Peirce’s School-Wide Discipline Plan which includes:
Read the flyer in Spanish or English Restorative Practices Parent Workshop Presentation There will be a Comprehensive Sexual health parent informational (Kindergarten - 8th grade parents) session on Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Date: January 24th, 2018 Time: 8:10 a.m. Location: Library The PPT presentation is attached below. For any questions, please email Mrs. Graney at llevar@cps.edu Documents: Comprehensive Sexual Health Parent Information Session - flyer in Spanish and English Comprehensive Sexual Health Parent Information Session - PPT presentation  Peirce Community, consider donating to the Go Fund Me Campaign for Janet Gould, long time crossing guard at Bryn Mawr & Clark.
This campaign has been initiated by the family and the previous campaign was taken down. We continue to send Janet positive thoughts as she continues with medical treatment and her road to recovery. https://www.gofundme.com/janet-gould-recovery-fund |
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