A quick note this week to encourage good health practices during this time of year. I’ve noted the increase in some bugs going around. Some of them have hit students, parents, and staff quite hard in some cases. Dr. Dalida has provided notes in his blurb from the Health Office on care and practice during the height of the flu season. Please scroll down and read this section, in particular, this week.
Our primary concern is always about student health and well-being. Coming back from a vacation can sometimes mean stress and sleeplessness if you traveled to distant locations. Lack of sleep and exhaustion have been proven to be associated with a reduction of immunity for various viruses. I’ve suggested this before, but it bears repeating that sleep is our best defense against many of the nasty symptoms that surround us. Kids need 8+ hours per night and we shouldn’t let them talk us into late night study sessions that overly impact this number. Make sure that there is a good diet in place and that you keep nutrition supported at home as well.
Health and readiness for learning go hand in hand. We are a village in this regard and should always think about how we collaborate on good habits that surround our respect of self. Hygiene habits, while sometimes taught at school, should also be practiced at home. Hand washing is a simple one that we can all check, and is very commonly one that we relax about too much. From the youngest to the oldest student, we can all reflect on our habits and look for areas to improve. It’s a complex puzzle of practice that leads to a healthy lifestyle.
Please continue to keep divisional offices informed about absences. As is noted in the Health Office procedures below, divisions are trained to refer calls regarding illness to the health office staff so that they are tracking incident rates for general analysis and planning. We keep detailed records on all of our health-related contacts with students so that we can manage the environment and respond to any concerns. Let us know if you have any questions in this regard.
But, mainly, please stay healthy and thoughtful during the remainder of this season. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings, but dress well for the weather. And follow all of the other wonderful cultural traditions that mothers and fathers hand down from generation to generation. For me, that means lots of fresh fruit and chicken soup in the weeks ahead!!
Thanks for this reminder. Very timely.
Your readers may be interested in this article that supports very much the get enough sleep theory to reduce the chance of catching a cold/flu:
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/09September/Pages/does-lack-of-sleep-make-you-susceptible-to-common-cold.aspx
I would also add to your advice that if a student or member of staff is feeling ill or showing the first signs of a cold or flu, please stay at home and keep the bugs away. Probably a doctor could define “first signs” better!