H1N1 Update 9/23/09

As of this morning Delano Schools knows of no confirmed H1N1 cases among its student or staff population. There have been students reported with influenza like illness.

We ask parents to keep their children home and notify the school nurse if your child exhibits symptoms of influenza like illness, which is a fever of 100 degrees or higher and a cough or sore throat. So that we can track the number of influenza like illnesses, please state when you call the nurse or leave a phone message if it is an influenza like illness.

If your child has a health condition (such as asthma, diabetes, lung or heart problems) contact their health care provider for instructions if your child develops influenza like illness.

If you r child has influenza like illness as described above keep your child home for at least 24 hours after his or her fever is gone without the use of medicine. For many children this could be 5-7 days.

Use the screening tool to determine when your child needs to stay home and what to report to the school.

Special School Board Meeting

The school board held a special meeting on September 15. The purpose of the meeting was board member orientation and to discuss future plans and goals.

Among other things, the board discussed the District's financial situation and the expiration of the current operating levy of $430 per pupil unit in 2012. The state average operating levy is $823. The district is currently deficit spending utilizing reserves to balance the budget. This gives reason to consider renewing and increasing the current operating levy prior to its expiration.

The board also discussed the facility needs of the District as the buildings are all over capacity.

The board set another special meeting on October 8 at 6:00 p.m. to continue discussion on the financial situation and the building needs.

Text of the President's Message

Here is the text of the President's message on Tuesday http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

President Obama's Message

On Tuesday, September 8 at 11:00a President Obama will be addressing the school children of the nation on the Internet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ and also over C-Span television. According to information we have received from the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, the message will be "to challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning...the President believes that education is a critical part of building a new foundation for the American economy."

We are leaving it up to each teacher as to whether or not they want to use the 15 minute message in their class. Parents who do not want their children to hear the message can contact their respective school and if their child's class is viewing the message, the student will be excused from that portion of the class to another setting.