November 27, 2009
Dear Parents and Guardians:
As you know, the College has been tracking attendance on a daily basis to determine how many students, as well as faculty and staff, are away due to the flu or flu-like illness.
I am pleased to report that the ongoing trend here at Hillfield Strathallan College is most encouraging. Since my last communication, we have continued to track low levels of student absenteeism, well below the 5% threshold considered by Public Health to be indicative of an outbreak. This week, for example, our absenteeism rate has been below 1% every day, with only -0.6% away today due to the flu or flu-like illness.
I am, of course, pleased by this trend. However, in the coming days and weeks, the College will continue to monitor attendance very closely and will maintain all of the precautionary measures previously communicated. At home, please reinforce with your children the importance of regular hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette. If your child is ill, please inform the College, indicating if he or she has flu-like symptoms, and keep him or her at home until the fever has passed for at least 24 hours without the use of medication. Health care experts also recommend that everyone should receive the H1N1 vaccination, thereby offsetting the possibility of a "third wave" sometime in the New Year.
If you wish to obtain additional information about the H1N1 virus, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708 or 1-800-476-9708.
I will continue to keep the HSC community fully informed, and as always, can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
November 12, 2009
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Since my last message, the College has continued to track relatively low levels of student absenteeism due to the flu or flu-like illnesses. Since Monday, we have been in the 2 to 3% absenteeism range, well below the 5% threshold considered by Public Health to be indicative of an H1N1 outbreak. Today, for example, we had an absenteeism rate of 1.5%. This trend is, of course, encouraging, but we will continue to be vigilant in the coming days and weeks to ensure the lowest rate of transmission possible.
It is my understanding that all of the students who are absent due to the flu are recovering well at home and that none has been hospitalized. Furthermore, as noted in my previous communication, our nurses will continue to monitor the health of returning students to ensure that they are well enough to return to school and are no longer contagious.
At home, please reinforce with your children the importance of regular hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and heeding any other advice that may be communicated by the College. If your child is ill, please inform the College, indicating if he or she has flu-like symptoms, and keep him or her at home until the fever has passed for at least 24 hours without the use of medication. Health care experts also recommend that everyone should receive the H1N1 vaccination. If you wish to obtain additional information about the H1N1 virus, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708 or 1-800-476-9708.
I will continue to keep the HSC community fully informed, and as always, can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
November 6, 2009
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I am writing to provide you with an update on student absenteeism here at HSC due to flu-like illness.
Since Monday, when I reported that approximately 6% of our student population was away with the flu or flu-like symptoms, we have been tracking rates of absenteeism at the College in the 3 to 4% range. We have therefore been below the 5% threshold considered by Public Health to be indicative of an outbreak. This trend may be encouraging, but we know that the H1N1 virus is present, and that we must remain vigilant in the coming days and weeks to ensure the lowest rate of transmission possible.
It is my understanding that all of the students who are absent due to the flu are recovering well at home and that none has been hospitalized. Furthermore, as noted in my previous communication, our nurses will continue to monitor the health of returning students to ensure that they are well enough to return to school and are no longer contagious.
At home, please reinforce with your children the importance of regular hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and heeding any other advice that may be communicated by the College. If your child is ill, please inform the College, indicating if he or she has flu-like symptoms, and keep him or her at home until the fever has passed for at least 24 hours without the use of medication. Health care experts also recommend that everyone should receive the H1N1 vaccination. If you wish to obtain additional information about the H1N1 virus, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708 or 1-800-476-9708.
I will continue to keep the HSC community fully informed, and as always, can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
November 2, 2009
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I am writing to provide you with a further update on H1N1 and the situation here at Hillfield Strathallan College.
Since my last communication, we have continued to track attendance on a daily basis in order to determine how many students are absent with the flu, or flu-like symptoms. Last week our absenteeism rate was in the 2-3% range, well below the 5% threshold considered to be indicative of a flu outbreak. Today, however, approximately 6% of our student body was absent, causing us to inform Public Health that we have had an increase in absenteeism commensurate with an outbreak. It is my understanding that all of the students absent with flu-like symptoms are recovering well at home and that none has been hospitalized. Our nurses will continue to monitor the health of returning students to ensure that they are well enough to return to school and are no longer contagious.
As noted in my last letter, we are continuing with a wide-range of precautionary measures, ranging from regular hand washing demonstrations through to the daily sanitizing of buses. Although all of our athletic and co-curricular programs are carrying on as scheduled, the Athletic Association of the Conference of Independent Schools has introduced a new set of guidelines to minimize the spread of the virus at athletic events. As far as absent students are concerned, in an age-appropriate manner, we are providing them with work that they can pursue at home if they are well enough to do so.
As you know, the symptoms of H1N1 are similar to seasonal flu, including headaches, chills and cough, followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle ache, fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation. To stop the spread of the virus, people should follow the same precautionary measures as with seasonal flu, including frequent and thorough hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when ill. As well, health care experts are recommending that everyone should receive the H1N1 vaccination.
At home, please reinforce with your children the importance of regular hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and heeding any other advice that may be communicated by the College. If your child is ill, please inform the College, indicating if he or she has flu-like symptoms, and keep him or her at home until the fever has passed for at least 24 hours without the use of medication. If you wish to obtain additional information about the H1N1 virus, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708 or 1-800-476-9708.
I will continue to keep the HSC community fully informed, and as always, can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
October 28, 2009
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I am writing to provide you with an update on H1N1 and the situation here at Hillfield Strathallan College.
As you may know, over the course of the past week or so there has been an increase in flu-like illnesses in the Hamilton area. “Nearly one-third of local public schools are battling respiratory outbreaks,” the Spectator reported yesterday. “Public Health officials have identified outbreaks in 32 of 114 schools in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board,” and outbreaks were also “declared at six of the 57 schools in Hamilton’s Catholic School Board yesterday, down from nine schools on Friday.”
Here at HSC, we have not reached levels of absenteeism commensurate with an outbreak. However, we do have a number of students and employees who have been away due to colds or the flu, and within the past day or so we have had at least one confirmed case and several suspected cases of H1N1. The individuals in question are recovering at home and will not return to school until they are no longer contagious and have been without a fever for at least 24 hours.
In order to prevent infection and the spread of the virus, the College is continuing with the wide- range of precautionary measures put into place prior to the start of the school year, and previously communicated to you. These include: hand washing, the presence of hand sanitizers in every classroom and in more than 50 other locations throughout the College, the careful tracking of attendance, appropriate signage, the regular sanitization of buses, and the introduction of additional cleaning shifts. Students or employees with flu-like symptoms must stay at home and not return to school until they are well and no longer contagious. Anyone who becomes ill at school will be assessed by a nurse, isolated and sent home as required. In an age-appropriate manner, teachers will provide absent students with work they can pursue at home if they are well enough to do so.
In order to prevent the spread of the virus at sporting events, the Athletic Association of the Conference of Independent Schools has recently introduced a number of precautionary measures. For example, coaches are insisting that players supply their own identified water bottles, and handshakes with opposing teams have been replaced with other expressions of appreciation that do not involve hand contact.
As you know, the symptoms of H1N1 are similar to seasonal flu, including headaches, chills and cough, followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle ache, fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation. To stop the spread of the virus, people should follow the same precautionary measures as with seasonal flu, including frequent and thorough hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when ill. As well, health care experts are recommending that everyone should receive the H1N1 vaccination.
At home, please reinforce with your children the importance of regular hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and heeding any other advice that may be communicated by the College. If your child is ill, please inform the College, indicating if he or she has flu-like symptoms, and keep him or her at home until the fever has passed for at least 24 hours without the use of medication. If you wish to obtain additional information about the H1N1 virus, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708.
I will continue to keep the HSC community fully informed, and as always, can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
September 30, 2009
Dear parents and guardians:
As you may know, the first cases of H1N1 since the spring have been reported in Hamilton schools. Thus far, we have no known cases of H1N1 at the College. Nevertheless, with the reappearance of the virus in the Hamilton area, we should anticipate that the virus will arrive in the HSC community at some point in the coming weeks.
Although the exact sequence of events is difficult to predict, I assure you that the College will continue to follow the advice and guidelines of Hamilton Public Health Services, Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and other healthcare experts, with the well-being of its students and employees representing its key concern. As well, our response will be shaped by our own unique circumstances, and by the extent and nature of the outbreak, should it occur.
In view of what has transpired in regions or schools already affected by the virus, we can begin to envisage a number of possible scenarios. We do not anticipate, for example, that classes will be cancelled or that the College will be closed in the event of an H1N1 outbreak. Similarly, we are planning to continue to operate our Transportation and Food Services.
In the event of an H1N1outbreak, however, intermediary steps may be required in order to prevent infection and the spread of the virus. One possible response might be to restrict or cancel large gatherings, such as Chapel and assemblies. We also may modify, reschedule or even cancel certain activities, programs or trips. Anticipating a higher rate of student absenteeism, we are prepared, in an age-appropriate manner, to provide absent students with work that they can pursue at home, if they are well enough to do so. FirstClass and the College website will greatly facilitate this process.
In the mean time, the College will remain vigilant and continue with the precautionary measures outlined in my previous letters. Please note that all activities, programs and trips will carry on as planned, unless otherwise communicated, and we will inform you of any unanticipated changes in a timely manner.
At home, please reinforce with your children the importance of regular hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and heeding any other advice that may be communicated by the College. As well, if your child is ill, please keep him or her at home until the fever has passed for at least 24 hours. If you wish to obtain additional information about the H1N1 virus, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the Service Ontario Info Line at 1-800-476-9708.
I will continue to keep the HSC community fully informed, and as always can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
September 28, 2009
Dear parents and guardians:
I trust that the new school year has got off to a good start for you and your children. The College certainly is alive with activity, and the students seem to be enjoying their classes and co-curricular activities.
I am writing as a follow up to my letter of August 28 concerning H1N1 and the proactive measures being taken here at HSC to prevent infection and the spread of the virus. All of the precautions outlined in that letter have been implemented. For example, hand sanitizer stations have been installed in every classroom, as well as in approximately 50 other locations throughout the College. Appropriate signage has been put into place, and an additional cleaning shift has been scheduled on a daily basis so that various surfaces, including hand rails, door knobs, keyboards, tables and desks, can be wiped down and sanitized with greater frequency. Our buses also are being sanitized on a regular basis. We are tracking both student and employee absences, and our two full-time nurses continue to monitor the health of the College population.
Despite the appearance of back-to-school colds, HSC has not experienced any unusually-high levels of absenteeism among students, faculty or staff. Nevertheless, we should anticipate the likely reappearance of H1N1 in Ontario in the coming weeks and months. We therefore need to be as vigilant as possible in order to safeguard students, faculty and staff, and to ensure that HSC has the lowest rate of transmission possible.
As you know, the symptoms of H1N1 are similar to seasonal flu, including headaches, chills and cough, followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle ache, fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation. To stop the spread of the virus, people should follow the same precautionary measures as with seasonal flu, including frequent and thorough hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when ill.
I encourage parents and guardians to monitor their child's health and to reinforce the importance of hand washing at home. At school, any student or employee with flu-like symptoms will be isolated and sent home until such time as he or she is no longer at risk of infecting others. If your child is ill, keep him or her at home and consult a physician. Anyone who has been sick with a fever will be required to stay home until he or she has been well and without a fever for at least 24 hours. Please ensure that you have put into place appropriate child care arrangements in case your child becomes ill and must stay at home.
If you wish to obtain additional information about H1N1, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708. I will continue to keep the HSC community informed, and as always, can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
August 28, 2009
Dear parents and guardians:
With the new school year about to begin, I am writing to provide an update on the H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic and the preventative measures being taken here at Hillfield Strathallan College.
The World Health Organization, along with national, provincial, and local authorities, continues to track the H1N1 pandemic, and most experts believe that H1N1 will recur in the autumn, possibly before a vaccine is readily available to Canadians. In view of this situation, the College is taking proactive measures to prevent infection and the spread of the virus. Building on our experiences from last spring, we have developed a crisis management plan that includes a communication protocol and a variety of preventative measures. Although we are not aware of any HSC students, staff or faculty members who have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, we recognize the need to monitor the situation very carefully and to be proactive in our planning so that we are well prepared for whatever may occur in the coming months.
The symptoms of H1N1 are similar to seasonal influenza (flu), including headaches, chills and cough followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle ache, fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea may occur. To stop the spread of the virus, people should follow the same precautionary measures as with seasonal influenza, including receiving a seasonal flu vaccine, frequent and thorough hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when ill. As Ontario's Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, has declared, "The best way for Ontarians to protect themselves and those around them is to wash hands frequently, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, and stay at home if you're sick."
Here at HSC, our overall approach will be informed by the information received from Hamilton's Public Health Services and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. We also have consulted and will continue to consult a number of other experts in the health care community. The College's top priority remains the well-being of its students, as well as of its faculty and staff, and our overriding goal is to ensure that the HSC community has the lowest rate of flu transmission possible.
Reflecting the protocols established by local hospitals, the College's pandemic plan includes the following key elements.
- We will reinforce the importance of effective hand washing as the most significant means of preventing infection. Our two full-time nurses, along with other faculty and staff members, will provide students with hand washing demonstrations. In addition to our washroom facilities where hands can be washed with hot water and soap, we have placed hand sanitizers in every classroom. Also there are more than 50 sanitizer stations located throughout the College. We will require students, faculty and staff to wash or sanitize their hands on a regular basis. As well, everyone visiting the College, including parents, will be required to wash or sanitize his or her hands upon arrival and departure.
- We will reinforce among students, faculty and staff the importance of other preventative measures, including proper cough and sneeze etiquette, and staying home when sick.
- We will increase the frequency with which we sanitize various surfaces, such as bus seats, hand rails, door knobs, keyboards, tables and desks.
- In taking daily attendance, we will follow up with parents to determine why a child is away from school and whether he or she is experiencing flu-like symptoms. We will follow a similar process with faculty and staff.
- At school, any student or employee with flu-like symptoms will be isolated and sent home until such time as he or she is no longer at risk of infecting others.
- Any one who has been sick with a fever will be required to stay home until he or she has been well and without a fever for at least 24 hours.
- Unless otherwise communicated, all activities, programs and trips will carry on as planned. Specific arrangements for field trips will be communicated directly to parents and guardians. As well, we will endeavour to communicate any unanticipated program changes in a timely manner.
I encourage parents and guardians to monitor their child's health and to reinforce the importance of hand washing at home. If your child is ill, keep him or her at home and consult a physician. As well, prior to the start of the school year, please ensure that you have made appropriate child care arrangements in case your child becomes ill and must stay at home. If you wish to obtain additional information about the H1N1 virus, please consult the Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708.
I will continue to keep the HSC community informed, and as always, can be contacted at headmaster@hsc.on.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
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