Clovis Unified acts to protect the health of students from H1N1

Say No 2 Flu brochure

Clovis Unified works closely with our local public health organizations to protect the well-being of our students and curb the spread of illness in our classrooms.  With the advent of H1N1, a new strain of influenza with a limited availability of vaccine, our efforts to protect the health of our students and staff have been re-emphasized.

Before the start of the 2009-2010 school year, Clovis Unified staff have been reminded of these simple steps that can prevent the spread of flu.  Please remember that these steps can be used by everyone in your family to help keep our students healthy and ready to learn!

•  Cover your coughs and sneezes.  Staff will educate students on the importance of covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.  When a tissue is unavailable, using an elbow instead of a hand to cover sneezes or coughs is another important prevention measure.
• Remind students to practice good hand hygiene, and provide the time and supplies for them to wash their hands as often as necessary.
• Be a good role model.  Adults should always practice good hand hygiene and cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze.
• Those who are sick should stay at home until at least 24-hours after they no longer have signs of a fever. Students and staff with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
• People experiencing severe flu symptoms, especially those who are at high risk for complications if they become ill with an influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible. People at high risk include those who are pregnant, have asthma or diabetes, have compromised immune systems, or have neuromuscular diseases.

 In addition:

• Staff will keep an eye out for sick students and send them to the school health office for evaluation. 
• Clovis Unified will continue daily cleaning and sanitation of rest rooms, lockers, door handles, sinks, drinking fountains and other high contact areas.  In addition, each classroom and health office is equipped with disinfectant cleaner that can be used as necessary.
• School health offices have been provided disposable masks for use by anyone exhibiting severe symptoms to prevent coughing or sneezing on others while waiting to go home.

Clovis Unified will continue to remain in close contact with the Fresno County Health Department to remain prepared to protect the health of our students and staff through effective prevention measures. In addition, the District has a plan in place to respond should a widespread outbreak occur in our community.  If you have any questions about Clovis Unified’s preparedness for seasonal flu or H1N1, please contact the Nursing Services Office at 559-327-9466. More information about H1N1 can be found at the Centers for Disease Control.

The following information from Fresno County Public Health is also helpful in understanding the similarities and differences between H1N1 and seasonal flu.

While symptoms of Seasonal Flu and Pandemic Flu H1N1 are similar, populations that experience
severe illness are different. Those at highest risk from Seasonal Flu infection are the elderly (over 65
years of age) and the very young (under 59 months.) With Pandemic Flu H1N1, the populations
currently considered at greatest risk for hospitalization and death include pregnant women and
children and young adults (6 months to 24 years of age.) Individuals with chronic medical conditions
are at higher risk from both kinds of flu.

• Steps to prevent Seasonal Flu and Pandemic Flu H1N1 are the same and include:
  

• Get a vaccination as soon as it becomes available.
  

• Cover nose and mouth with a tissue or the corner of the elbow for coughs or sneezes. Throw
  the tissue away after each use.
  

• Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after coughs or sneezes. Alcohol-based
  hand cleaners are also effective.
  

• Stay home when sick and keep sick children home from school.
  

• Avoid close contact with others who are sick.
  

• Avoid social gatherings when ill or if existing medical conditions increase the risk for flu
  complications.
  

Seasonal Flu vaccine shipments are expected to arrive earlier than usual this year with initial
shipments of vaccine expected in September. Consumers should contact their health care provider
now to arrange for a Seasonal Flu vaccination. Additional information and Seasonal Flu vaccination
clinic schedule will be posted on the Fresno County Department of Public Health website at
www.fcdph.org/flu. Consumers can also call the Department’s toll-free hot line at 1-888-993-3003.

Buchanan High School leadership students win Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award

The Buchanan High School Leadership Class has been named a winner of the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, San Joaquin Valley. The students were nominated for their work on the annual Buchanan Ambiance Fashion Show fundraiser which raises money for Children's Hospital of Central California.  The judges were impressed with the volunteer time at the hospital that the leadership students incorporate as part of the fashion show project.

Buchanan High School's Leadership Class, along with other 2009 honorees, will be recognized at the National Philanthropy Day luncheon scheduled for November 17. Each year, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) sponsors National Philanthropy Day to celebrate the philanthropists, volunteers and fundraising professionals who give of their time and money to make the Valley a better place to live.  Each year money made from ticket sales and a special VIP night silent auction go directly to the hospital.  In addition, student models collect donations throughout the community and school to be added to funds given to Children's Hospital.  To date, the show has raised more than $100,000 in its 11-year history.

Use of automated notification system keeps schools, parents in touch

Any parent who spends a significant amount of time each night digging through their student’s backpack to glean the latest scrap of information coming home from school will appreciate the District’s new automated phone notification system.

In October the Governing Board approved a contract with Global Connect, a web-based telephone, email and text messaging system that will allow all CUSD schools and the District to stay in direct contact with parents to deliver important news and information updates.  

 Many secondary schools in Clovis Unified have long used autodialing technology to communicate attendance and event information to parents by phone.  While these systems have significantly improved the way that schools get information straight to parents, autodialing technology is much slower and has limited functionality when compared to web-based systems like Global Connect.

 Now, in a large high school, a message sent to every family can take up to 24 hours or more. With the new automated notification system entire school populations can be contacted within minutes; and in the event of a district-wide emergency capacity can be increased to allow the District’s entire 37,800 students to be contacted in well under an hour.

By the start of 2010, parents will also be able to manage their preferred phone numbers using a parent web portal. While changes in the order of phone numbers called will not override what is in the District’s student database, it will allow parents to be called using those phone numbers most effective for them at a given time of day.  This portal will also allow parents to access the most recent messages delivered to their phone number in case they miss a call.

According to Kelly Avants, administrator, communications, the system will also allow the District to implement attendance calling features at every school site, instead of just at those schools that have invested in autodialing equipment.  “Not only will we now be able to send out daily attendance calls at every school site, but we will be able to do so early enough in the school day to get students back in class that same day if possible,” Avants said. 

Over the next several months, school staff will be trained in the simple web interface that allows personal messages to be created and delivered to parents.  Since last spring, seven schools have piloted Global Connect to send messages on a variety of topics to their parent community.

“We’ve used the system at Reagan to inform parents about field trips, big events, Back-to-School Night, and overdue lunch accounts,” said Reagan Elementary Principal Robb Christopherson, Ed.D..  “We have used it to keep the Reagan community connected to what is going on at school, but it is also a powerful element of our safe school plan. In a matter of minutes we can contact every parent’s home and cell phone numbers,” Christopherson said.

The system has also been used for several district-wide calls informing parents of the District’s H1N1 response, and to notify parents when police action occurred near a CUSD school prompting a lockdown.

“Part of the power of using a direct messaging system like this is how it increases our ability to stay in touch with parents,” Avants said. “However, we also understand that families won’t appreciate being flooded by calls from Clovis Unified.” 

“We have to use the system judiciously,” said Christopherson, “because the last thing we want is for our parents to dread the frequent ‘robot’ phone calls from the school.  I have had many parents come up to me and thank me for sending the reminder phone calls home.  We work hard to communicate with our families at Reagan, and this system is just another tool to ensure that the communication gap is reduced or eliminated,” he added.

Financially, the system also makes sense for Clovis Unified.  With the ability to deliver messages by phone and electronically, over time schools will be able to limit the number of printed flyers sent home with students.  Using a single system will also allow schools individually maintaining and servicing autodialing systems to consolidate expenses. More information will be shared with parents as schools across the District begin use of Global Connect. Questions about the new system can be directed to the Communications Office at 559-327-9092.