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catholic high schools prepared for flu season

Story by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

People are accustomed to dealing with the annual flu season, but this year, it has come earlier and may be more pervasive, especially to children and young people.
Catholic diocesan high schools are prepared to deal with the flu and help their students stay on top of their lessons while they convalesce at home.

All three diocesan Catholic high schools — Althoff in Belleville, Gibault in Waterloo and Mater Dei in Breese — have similar plans, according to their principals.

“We’ll do what we need to do using technology or doing it the old fashioned way,” Althoff principal, Dave Harris said.

By the old fashioned way, he said homework would be delivered to students if necessary.
More preferable would be use of electronic communication, and the schools have worked out detailed plans for that possibility.

Althoff has detailed information about the H1N1 flu on its web site at www.Althoff.net. Scroll down to H1N1 Information.
In addition, Russ Hart, Gibault’s principal and himself a registered nurse, said the school has been working with the Monroe County Health Department to distribute flu vaccine.

Oct. 21, the health department will be at the school to administer H1N1 vaccine, at no charge, to students, staff and will be available for families.

Those under 49 years of age will receive FluMist (a live virus), and a flu shot for those over 49 (a dead virus much like the regular flu shots).

Gibault also has hand sanitizer in the halls, classrooms and library and encourages students to bring their own.

“We regularly meet with students to go over parts of the plan, especially hand washing, staying home the appropriate length of time and not sharing water bottles, drinks, make-up” or other items that could carry flu germs.

Faculties and staffs have discussed ways to keep in touch with their students, especially electronically.

Everyone realizes, Hart said, students who are sick may not feel well enough to do homework while they are recuperating.

All teachers were encouraged to have alternative lesson plans to share with students who miss school, especially for more than a day or two.

The schools may make use of Edline which gives faculty, staff and students a password protected means of exchanging information.

Hart and Harris said the three diocesan Catholic high schools have much the same plans to deal with a flu outbreak at their individual schools.

“The faculty specifically discussed the need for making appropriate considerations for long student absences — that there must be flexibility on turning work in late. The fact is when someone has the flu they don’t feel like doing homework.”

Contact your school for more information.