The following update is from the Newton Health & Human Services Department. This update is to keep you fully informed about pandemic influenza related issues in the Newton Public Schools. Absence data from the first two weeks of school shows low levels of influenza-like illness (ILI) so far. Six or fewer students at each school have been reported absent due to ILI.
There is anticipation that there will be an increase in these numbers in the coming weeks. The school nurses are gathering absence data daily and they rely heavily on parents to indicate why their child is absent from school. Please partner with them by always notifying the school when your child is out and giving the reason for the absence.
Sick students and staff who have ILI (fever plus cough or sore throat) should stay home until they are fever free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medication. It would be advisable for parents to develop plans now to care for sick children at home in the event their child does become ill.
The Health and Human Services Department is committed to providing H1N1 vaccine to school-aged children in Newton. H1N1 influenza vaccination will be completely voluntary. Plans for holding H1N1 vaccination clinics are underway. These plans depend on when the H1N1 vaccine is available. Clinics may be held before, during, or after school and could be located at the school or at another site in Newton. More information will be provided as soon as it is available. Check
www.newtonma.gov/flu or talk to your school nurse.
Frequent handwashing remains one of the best ways to prevent getting sick from the flu. Children at school are encouraged to wash their hands and use sanitizer frequently. Coughing and sneezing into the arm or a tissue instead of hands helps prevent the spread of influenza. Parents can help by reinforcing these habits at home.
If you have questions about H1N1 influenza or the vaccine, talk to your school nurse or call the health department at 617-796-1420.
The following letter is from J. David Naparstek, Commissioner, and Ruth Hoshino, School Nurse Supervisor, of the Newton Health & Human Services Department.Dear Middle and High School Parents:
The Health and Human Services Department is pleased to offer seasonal influenza vaccine to middle and high school students. Both the intranasal flu vaccine (FluMist®) and the flu shot will be available to students during the school day in October. A fee will be charged for the vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children aged 6 months through 18 years receive a seasonal flu vaccine each year. Flu vaccination is one of the best ways to avoid getting the flu.
A parental consent form and pre-payment of $25 for the flu shot and $35 for FluMist® will be required to participate. Students will be vaccinated between October 13 and 23 by nurses from Maxim Health Systems with support from the school nurses. The specific date your child will receive the vaccine will be announced via email and on the City of Newton website at
www.newtonma.gov/flu.
The seasonal flu shot, given in the arm muscle, and FluMist®, given by nasal spray, both protect people from the same types of flu. Vaccine information statements about each type of flu vaccine and corresponding consent forms are included with this message. Children with asthma, diabetes or other chronic illness cannot receive the intranasal vaccine, but they can receive the flu shot.
For your child to receive seasonal flu vaccine at school, please return the following to the school nurse by September 30.
- The completed and signed consent form specific to the vaccine you want your child to have
- A check for $25 (flu shot) or $35 (FluMist®) made out to Maxim Health Systems
Forms can be downloaded at
www.newtonma.gov/flu.
If you would like your child to receive the flu vaccine, but cannot afford the fee, please contact your school nurse.
The seasonal flu vaccine does not provide protection against H1N1 (swine) flu. Information about getting the H1N1 vaccine at school will be provided in October. For more information about influenza, speak to your school nurse or go to
www.newtonma.gov/flu.
We hope you take advantage of this important prevention program.
Sincerely,
J. David Naparstek, Commissioner
Newton Health & Human Services Department
Ruth Hoshino, School Nurse Supervisor
Newton Health & Human Services Department
The Oak Hill PTO is sponsoring a Back-to-School Picnic this Thursday evening (Sep. 10) from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, on the field outside the Oak Hill Gym. This is a great opportunity to meet Oak Hill's new principal, Eva Thompson. Bring a picnic for your family, a blanket, and a ball or Frisbee and join other Oak Hill families for an evening of fun and socializing. The PTO will supply the cookies.
This will be the final update of the H1N1 swine flu outbreak for this school year.
All of the Newton Public Schools are still having some influenza-like illness (ILI) activity. The school nurses are continuing to monitor the number of overall absences and make phone calls to determine how many of those absences are for ILI. Please note that the state guidance has not changed and any student that meets the criteria for ILI will be excluded from school and related activities for seven days starting with the day they first became ill. This criterion is a fever above 100º and at least one respiratory symptom such as cough, sore throat or runny nose. We know that this exclusion can be difficult especially with the disappointment of having to miss the special end-of-year activities. However, this exclusion is necessary to prevent the potential spread of illness that has shown to be easily transmitted from one student to another. We request your assistance in keeping everyone healthy by reminding your child about hand hygiene and cough etiquette, and by keeping your child home for the complete exclusion period.
Public health experts are concerned that the H1N1 virus may persist into the fall and at this time, the severity of the illness is unknown. It is likely that there will again be strict enforcement of exclusion policies for students and staff with flu-like illness. It would be advisable for parents to develop contingency plans should their child become sick and need to stay home.
Thank you for working with the health and school departments to effectively manage the flu outbreak in Newton during these past few months.
Have a wonderful summer.
Ruth Hoshino, RN
Clinical Nurse Supervisor
Newton Health and Human Services Department
________________________________________
More important information is available on the Oak Hill PTO web site.
The Newton Public Schools' Middle School Summer Reading list is here! Created by the middle school library teachers, this year's list again reflects our belief that summer reading should be fun and that students should be able to read freely, exploring different genres and authors.
The Middle School Summer Reading list was developed by the Newton Public Schools' middle school library teachers and can be found at: www.newtonsummerreading.wikispaces.com.
If your student is entering 9th grade next year, Newton South is reading:
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2009 One School One Book)
In addition, per Brian Baron, South's English Department Head, all incoming freshmen are required to choose a second book from the 2008 Freshman list at: www.newton.k12.ma.us./NSHS/Library/SummerReading/SumRdgArchives.html.
If your student is attending Newton North next year, North also encourages students to read for enjoyment and does not have a required reading list. Good high school books can be found on their library site:
nnhs.newton.k12.ma.us/library/go/.
Have a great summer reading!
Elizabeth Matera
Library Teacher
Oak Hill Middle School
Elizabeth_Matera@newton.k12.ma.us
Dear Oak Hill Families,
I'm contacting the Oak Hill community to share the sad news that Genny Yee, wife of Assistant Principal Ken Yee, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 12, surrounded by her family. Genny fought bravely against cancer for two and a half years. The arrangements are:
Visiting/Wake:
Thursday, June 18, 4-8 pm
Funeral:
Friday, June 19, 11 am
Departure for cemetery at 12 noon
Both are held at:
Wing Fook Funeral Home
13 Gerard Street
Boston, MA 02119
Phone 617-989-8833
www.wingfook.com
In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to the South Shore Hospital Cancer Center or the charity of your choice.
Sincerely,
Hank Van Putten
Principal, Oak Hill Middle School
Dear Oak Hill Faculty, Staff, Parents and Students,
I am announcing today the appointment of Eva Thompson as Interim Principal at Oak Hill Middle School for the 2009/10 school year. As you know Hank Van Putten will be retiring at the end of this school year. In order to fill the Oak Hill vacancy, I sought an experienced Newton educator and administrator who understands how our middle schools work. I feel that Eva is well positioned to take over the stewardship of the school next year.
As you may know, Eva has been principal at the Peirce Elementary School for the past ten years and has also worked in the Newton elementary, middle and high schools in various positions throughout her 22 years in education. She has also been an energetic and a consistent participant in several of our system-wide committees. To this interim position, she brings a calm and thoughtful intelligence, a strong love of children and an impeccable integrity.
This appointment is for the 2009-2010 school year only. Next winter, we will launch a full, formal search for a permanent principal. It will be Eva's decision as to whether or not she elects to become a candidate for the permanent position. You will be hearing more on the search process late next fall when we will be asking for input from both staff and parents about the qualities you seek in a new principal.
Until then, let me wish you all a pleasant and peaceful summer break. Please join me in congratulating Eva as she accepts this opportunity for professional growth and in supporting her as she takes on her new leadership responsibilities.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Young
Superintendent of Schools
David Brown, morning anchor and environmental reporter for Channel 5 News, visited the Oak Hill Community Garden Project on Tuesday. The story is scheduled to appear briefly on Channel 5 nightly news at 11 pm on Monday (June 8), again on the Tuesday morning news, and more extensively on Tuesday during the 5 pm broadcast (as an environmental segment).
Team members are Marianne Marks, Stephanie Finegold, Cleo Syph, Maureen McCann, Matt Timmins, Courtney Beckerman, and Jessica Wadden. The big idea for the Community Garden project is that humans have the ability to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment. Students and teachers together have planned and grown a community garden, using composted school lunch waste in the process. Before the end of the year, produce from the garden will be served to the school community as a salad at lunch!
Although this project was conceived of independently and funded by a grant from the Newton Conservators, the teachers give credit to BRIM (Breaking Ranks in the Middle) for allowing them to bring it together and make it happen this year. The collaborative group includes teachers from team subjects and Special Ed across all three grades who have no common planning time during the school day. The early release time enabled them to meet with a consultant, Greg Maslowe, from the Newton Community Farm, and to plan together extensively as the project unfolded over the year. They will continue and expand the project next year.
Kudos to Jenny Craddock, K-8 Science Coordinator, for making contact with David Brown and sparking his interest in the Community Garden Project.
Please join us in celebrating Hank van Putten's 35 years of service to the Newton Public Schools at a Retirement Party Open House on Monday, June 15, from 3 to 5 pm in the Oak Hill Cafeteria.
Hank has been the Principal of Oak Hill Middle School for the past five years. Prior to that he served as assistant principal at Oak Hill, acting principal at the Williams Elementary School, and a PE teacher at Bowen, Mason-Rice, Underwood, Countryside, Ward and Cabot elementary schools.
We hope you can join us in wishing Hank well in his retirement. Parents, students and staff - present and past - are welcome to join us in this celebration.
Light refreshments will be served.
We are writing to inform you of the status of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the Newton Public Schools.
We are pleased to report that the level of ILI at Oak Hill Middle School has dropped significantly with a total of 17 students absent today. Cases of ILI have been reported at nearly all of the other schools.
Newton is following the Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidelines which state:
* Students or staff who appear ill with influenza-like illness should be promptly isolated and sent home. All such students and staff should stay out of school for at least 7 days even if their symptoms resolve sooner. Students and faculty who are still sick at 7 days should continue to stay home from school until at least 24 hours after they have completely recovered.
* If a child or adult is ill with non-influenza symptoms, they should stay home at least one day to observe how the illness develops and until completely well for 24 hours.
Also in accordance with state guidelines, school nurses are practicing enhanced surveillance. They are following up on all absences by calling the home to determine the reason for the absence. Parents can help by providing information about the reason for any absence when calling the school so fewer follow up calls are necessary. Absence rates will continue to be monitored to detect any increases that would be of concern.
It is important to remember that exposure to the H1N1 influenza virus can occur not only at school but anywhere in the community. Frequent hand washing or use of hand sanitizer is the best way individuals can avoid getting the flu.
We understand that 7 days of exclusion can be difficult, particularly when most children feel recovered in a shorter period of time. The reason for the policy is that even when feeling better, people can spread the illness for that length of time.
We are grateful to the community for helping us to follow the federal and state guidance and to prevent the spread of this illness as much as possible.