Flu Guideline Update

District 57 continues to work closely with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Cook County Department of Public Health to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools.

As part of our monitoring process, we will be tracking information on our school attendance lines. When you call the school to report your child’s absence please be specific about the nature of your child’s illness and let us know if your child has a fever over 100 degrees and a cough or sore throat.

Please note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend the following steps which may keep your family from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:

Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.

Do not send children to school if they are ill. Any children who are determined to be ill while at school will be sent home. If you or your child are ill, you should stay home for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Keeping students who are ill at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.

Students who are ill will be sent home and parents will be asked to keep the child home for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) to prevent further spread of the flu.

For more information, visit www.flu.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu.