Dear Families,
On the homepage of our district website (westby-norse.org) we posted our Influenza and Pandemic Flu plan. This plan came together over the course of 2 weeks and input was sought from the CDC, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Vernon County Emergency Management, Vernon County Health Department, Vernon Memorial Healthcare, as well as regional school districts.
As our world is grappling with COVID-19, here are some things you can continue to do to keep your family safe and to prevent the spread of illness:
- Please keep children who are sick at home.
- Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children to keep good personal space...especially when they are around people who are sick.
- Stay home from work or school if you are sick and limit contact with others until you are better.
- Avoid spending time in large groups of people.
If the pandemic flu continues to spread and more people become ill, it is possible that school may be closed. Though at this point it appears unlikely, we ask that you begin thinking about what your family would do for child care in the event of extended closure.
As a point of information, in the past 10 days, our rate of absences due to illness has ranged from 3%-6% district wide.
--
Steve Michaels
District Administrator
Westby Area School District