Illness Circulating
In case we needed any kind of reminder that illness can (and does) circulate during the "respiratory months," a few bugs are making the rounds. For example, today we had 27 kids absent from school and a few more that went home sick during the school day. With the average class at STM having 24 students, that's a pretty profound number. If your child is complaining of feeling sick, please keep them home. The best treatment, after all, is prevention. When we stay home when we are sick we do not spread illness to our peers.
There has been a recent trend among our older students to apply assumption and speculation to the absences of student-peers. Please reinforce at home how important health privacy is. The school will continue to communicate with parents on a class/grade level when there are cases of known communicable illness, but those cases are to remain anonymous.
Allergy Plans in Action
If your student has a serious allergy, you may wonder if it is really important to complete all that annual paperwork. This week we had an unfortunate incident where a student was exposed to an allergen and had a serious reaction. Thanks to very quick acting classroom staff, a parent who swiftly answered a school call, appropriately submitted Magnus forms, and the incredible support we get from Arlington County Fire and Rescue, this student reported feeling "safe and well-cared for" as appropriate care was provided. If your child has an allergy plan on file at school and you're starting to book spring appointments with allergists and pulmonologists, please remember to have those action plans updated. The clear and concise paperwork on file for this student saved precious time in the provision of rescue interventions.