This Week at Brookside...
Weekend Edition, February 10, 2019
Report to Parents: Make Every Day Count: Boost School Attendance
To stay on track in school, students need to be present every day. Being absent for just two days every month of the school year can put a child behind academically.
This month's National Association of Elementary School Principals Report to Parents, "Make Every Day Count: Boost School Attendance," will help families ensure their kids don't miss school and lose precious instructional time.
Valentines Day Learning Garden Fundraiser!
Parents… Fill out the attached valentine and send it back in an envelope with $3.00 to your child’s homeroom or the main office by TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019.
We will attach a special Valentine gift and deliver it to your little valentine on Valentine’s Day.
Don't forget to address the card to your child and add their grade, teacher, and room number!
Thank you!!
Assistant Principal Newsletter!
Health Office: Mrs. Parke
Preventing the Flu. Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs!
The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent flu. The tips and resources below will help you learn about steps you can take to protect yourself and others from flu and help stop the spread of germs.
Get Vaccinated. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. There are several flu vaccine options for the 2018-2019 flu season. Please talk to your doctor about what is available.
Stay home when you are sick. Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others. Children should stay home if they have a temperature ≧ 100 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea, severe cough. Children should be free of vomiting, diarrhea and fever free without any fever reducing medications for 24 hours before returning to school.
Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Flu and other respiratory illnesses are spread by cough, sneezing, or unclean hands.
Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand rub may be used. Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives When and how to wash your hands and the alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Practice other good health habits. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
How To Clean and Disinfect To Help Slow The Spread of Flu
Cleaning and disinfecting are an approach to preventing infectious diseases in schools and home. To help slow the spread of the flu, the first line of defense is getting vaccinated. Other measures include staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands often. Below are tips on how to slow the spread of flu specifically through cleaning and disinfecting.
- Know the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing. Cleaning removes germs, dirt, from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces or objects. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection. Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements. This process works by either cleaning or disinfecting surfaces or objects to lower the risk of spreading infection.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often. This means daily sanitizing surfaces and objects that are touched often at school and home, such as desks, countertops, tables, doorknobs, computer keyboards, faucet handles, phones, and toys. Immediately clean surfaces and objects that are visibly soiled.
- Simply do routine cleaning and disinfecting. It is important to match your cleaning and disinfecting activities to the types of germs you want to remove or kill. Most studies have shown that the flu virus can live and potentially infect a person for up to 48 hours after being deposited on a surface. However, it is not necessary to close schools to clean or disinfect every surface in the building to slow the spread of flu. Also, if students and staff are dismissed because the school cannot function normally (e.g., high absenteeism during a flu outbreak), it is not necessary to do extra cleaning and disinfecting. Flu viruses are relatively fragile, so standard cleaning and disinfecting practices are sufficient to remove or kill them. Special cleaning and disinfecting processes, including wiping down walls and ceilings, frequently using room air deodorizers, and fumigating, are not necessary or recommended. These processes can irritate eyes, noses, throats, and skin; aggravate asthma; and cause other serious side effects.
- Clean and disinfect correctly. Always follow label directions on cleaning products and disinfectants.Use disinfecting wipes on electronic items that are touched often, such as phones and computers. Pay close attention to the directions for using disinfecting wipes.
- Use products safely. Pay close attention to hazard warnings and directions on product labels. Cleaning products and disinfectants often call for the use of gloves or eye protection. For example, gloves should always be worn to protect your hands when working with bleach solutions. Do not mix cleaners and disinfectants unless the labels indicate it is safe to do so. Combining certain products (such as chlorine bleach and ammonia cleaners) can result in serious injury or death. Ensure that custodial staff, teachers, and others who use cleaners and disinfectants read and understand all instruction labels and understand safe and appropriate use. This might require that instructional materials and training be provided in other languages.
- Handle waste properly.Follow your school’s standard procedures for handling waste, which may include wearing gloves. Place no-touch waste baskets where they are easy to use. Throw disposable items used to clean surfaces and items in the trash immediately after use. Avoid touching used tissues and other waste when emptying waste baskets. Wash your hands with soap and water after emptying waste baskets and touching used tissues and similar waste.
- Learn more. More information can be found on the CDC website.
Above information obtained from the CDC with revision
Mrs. A. Parke, RN, BSN, CSN
Incoming 6th Grade Orientation
The Middle School will be hosting Incoming 6th Grade Student and Parent Orientation on Monday, May 20th at 6:30 PM. More details to come!
Brookside PTO
FYI Dates...
2/14: Grade 5 Cupcake Sale Fundraiser
2/18-2/19: Schools Closed!
2/22: PTO Theme Day!
Brookside School
Email: thomas.conroy@wwrsd.org
Website: http://www.wwrsd.org/brooksidees
Location: 20 Lake Drive, Westwood, NJ, United States
Phone: 201-664-9000
Twitter: @BrooksideWWRSD