2009-10 WELCOME LETTER

Peggy with her son - and a Polar Bear

September 7, 2009

Dear Parents and Family of the North Slope Borough School District:

I look forward to meeting and working with all of you on your students’ learning.  Together, we can embrace the Board’s two instructional goals, which are that all students will realize their full intellectual potential (with an emphasis on reading, writing and math) and integrate Inupiaq language, history and culture into the curriculum.

Flu Prevention and Response

Health and safety comes first. The H1N1 flu is in communities throughout Alaska. District staff are teaming with the North Slope Borough Health Department to prevent and respond to the flu in our communities. Please review the links on our web site to get the most up to date recommendations on H1N1 in Alaska and the nation.

Basic prevention is simple.   Please continue to use them at home and to teach them to your children:

Wash hands often with soap and water and if soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sleeve.

Stay home and keep your child home if they exhibit flu like symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, aches and chills.

We are using these steps at school, and we are doing additional steps as well. We’ve ordered additional hand washing supplies to supplement what the schools already have. Custodians are washing all contact surfaces in the school every day with a bleach solution. All contact surfaces in buses are being washed with a bleach solution twice a day. We are separating sick children and sending them home.

We are preparing a plan with your schools’ principals and teachers on how to provide instruction if we do find it necessary to close school.

By following these measures, working together, we can keep our children safe. If you have any questions call the flu hotline in Barrow 852-9260, in the villages 1-888-7764 ext 260.

Links to additional information below:

CDC Guide for Parents
Flu Prevention Information
Government Information on the Flu
NSBSD-Flu Prevention Flier

Sincerely,

Peggy Cowan