The Hawk
Holmes Elementary School - Week Ending - 1/18/19
Important Information from Nurse G
Winter Colds and Flu
Cold and flu season – the time when we are surrounded by sneezes, coughs, and runny noses – has started. An increase in the number of respiratory infections occurs because people spend most of the wintertime in warm, dry rooms, and in close proximity to one another. Although no one has discovered a cure for the common cold, you can help protect your family from colds and flu.
The problem with cold and flu viruses is that people can spread infection for several days before any symptoms appear. The viruses spread by hand-to-hand contact, touching the eyes or nose, and by droplets from a cough or sneeze.
One of the best preventive measures is to wash hands often. A 20-second scrub with lots of soap and running water can rid the skin of 90% of the particles carrying viruses. Hands should be washed before drinking or eating, handling food, after using the bathroom, playing with a pet, caring for a person who is sick, and handling soiled garments or objects. Fingernails should be kept clean and trimmed short and you should avoid rubbing or touching your eyes. Also, do not share cups and eating utensils with others.
While it is common for school-age children to have frequent colds, we want to minimize the number of illnesses that may be spread through contact at school. The following are health recommendations for the school-aged child.
All family members should get a flu shot.
Be sure your child leaves the house dressed appropriately for the weather as they will be playing outside.
If a runny nose is your child’s only symptom it is ok to send him or her to school. However, if the runny nose is associated with a fever and/or the nasal discharge is thick and colored then he or she needs to stay home.
If your child develops a cold or flu, the best treatment is rest, lots of fluids, and fever reducing medication for fevers and discomfort. Please remember that children may not bring any medicine to school without a doctor’s order; this includes cough drops, lozenges, nasal spray, etc.
Keep your child home if they have the following:
- A fever of 100.0 degrees or higher
- Has been vomiting or has diarrhea
- Has symptoms that keep him or her from participating in school, such as: very tired or lack of appetite, cough that he or she cannot control, large amounts of green or yellow discharge: younger children do not know how to manage their uncontrolled coughing or secretions and often spread their germs to toys, table surfaces, and other children, sore throat—a minor sore throat is ok for school, but a severe sore throat could be strep throat, even if there is no fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and stomach upset, or rash. Call your doctor if your child has these symptoms.
Keep your child home until his or her vomiting, diarrhea, and/or fever has been gone for 24 hours without medicine. Many illnesses can be contagious for at least 48 hours. Returning to school too soon may slow recovery or allow them to be exposed to other germs while they are still getting better. Sending them back to soon exposes other people unnecessarily to illness.
Since a rash is a hallmark symptom of many infectious diseases, it is important to identify the cause of a rash. Parents/guardians of children with a rash of unexplained origin will be asked to consult with a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Children with pink eye need to stay home until on medication for 24 hours.
If your child is complaining of not feeling wel,l but has no definite symptoms, send him or her to school. I will call you if something more develops. Please keep your emergency contact information current in the school office.
Remember, it will get better. As children get older they develop immunity to various viruses and the frequency of illness is less. Have a healthy winter!
Anne Guerrier (aka: “Nurse G”)
Holmes School Nurse
5 Essesntials Survey
Woot Woot! #HolmesHawksRock! We are currently in 3rd place! Help Holmes take the lead!
The survey can be accessed until January 31, 2019 by visiting http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
If our response rate is greater than 20%, we will receive our reports in March 2019. The results will also be made available to the public via the Illinois School Report Cards, which will be released in the fall.
Celebrate Holmes Staff
Families, have you noticed a Holmes teacher or staff member who deserves a compliment or a thank you? Has this person made a difference for your child? Please share the reason in a brief email to me (czelaya@op97.org) so that we may recognize and thank them!
IMPORTANT DATES/THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Holmes PTO Community Business Meeting - January 23 - 6:30 - 8:00
- Parent Teacher Conferences - Thursday & Friday, January 31 & February 1 - 11:00 am dismissal
- Holmes Book Fair - Tuesday - Thursday, January 29-31, 9:00 - 6:00 and Friday, Feb 1, 9:00 - noon
- Annual Holmes PTO Pancake Breakfast Saturday, February 9
- Link-2-Learning - Feb 20 - 8:15 - 9:45
Community Hawk Nest
1. PTO Community Business Meeting: THIS WEDNESDAY! Join us on Wednesday, January 23rd from 6:30-8:00 pm for a community-wide PTO business meeting to discuss who we are, what we do, our past, current, and future proposed activities, and share budget updates. Babysitting will be provided!
The PTO and Holmes School Needs You!
How Scrip Works: ShopWithScrip is a different kind of fundraiser—with the help of over 750 brands, it turns your everyday shopping into earnings for our Holmes School. By paying for your purchases with gift cards, also known as scrip, you’ll earn money for Holmes on your every day purchases (groceries, gas, dining out, home improvement projects, clothing, travel, and more). How? Every gift card has a rebate percentage on it, normally between 2% and 16%. That rebate goes directly to OUR SCHOOL.
Family Registration is easy
1) Log on to ShopWithScrip.com
2) Click "Join Program" Blue Button
3) Enter Holmes PTO Enrollment Code 6BL378C861333
4) Shop Away! You use the gift card (at its full value) on your everyday shopping. I.e. a $100 Old Navy Gift card purchased through the Holmes PTO ShopWithScrip program earns you $100 of Old Navy Merchandise AND Holmes School $14 cash. (Old Navy Rebate is 14%).
5) Gift Card Delivery
E-Cards delivered directly your email at the time of purchase. In order to keep shipping costs at a minimum, physical gift card orders will be placed the 1st Tuesday of each month and delivered to the Holmes School the following week.
Dr. Christine Zelaya
Email: czelaya@op97.org
Website: http://www.op97.org/holmes/
Location: 508 N Kenilworth Ave, Oak Park, IL, United States
Phone: 708-524-3100
Facebook: facebook.com/christine.zelaya.96
Twitter: @ChristineZelaya
Contact your PTO
Email: pto@holmespto.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HolmesPTO/
Twitter: @HolmesPTO