1. Have you been to the Thurston Nature Center? Thurston School in Ann Arbor has a new rain garden--worth checking out. It was worked on by the third grade classes. (And apparently the nature center was used for filming "Flipped" as well! A movie was also filmed on the Ann Arbor Open at Mack playground, but I don't know what move it was.)
2. Small victory on the AAPS web site. This Week, the internal feature that I wrote about here, has been moved to the front page under publications. If you read This Week, you will see more good news about the AAPS.
3. Also on the AAPS web site--a new survey on cafeteria offerings. It's short, and there's lots of space for comments. Tell them what you think! (See the image, both This Week and the Survey can be found on the right-hand side of the page.) I hope you have a good year.
4. There's also new information on the AAPS web site around H1N1 flu. The upcoming season promises to be challenging. For one thing, all kids are recommended to get the H1N1 flu shots (yes, that is plural--they are supposed to be given one month apart), and many kids who have underlying health conditions (say, asthma) are also expected to get a seasonal flu shot. In case you are having trouble adding, that's 3 shots, and my guess is that a lot of people won't get them all. The new absence-reporting procedure asks you to tell the school why your child is sick (i.e. sore throat, fever, broken arm) and this is supposed to help them keep track of the flu. The only thing is that I bet a lot of parents won't follow it. I wrote about how my brother-in-law told the school his son had a 100 degree fever, and they said he had to stay home for a week. It wasn't the flu. My nephew was fine the next day, but he still couldn't go back to school. Will you tell, if you don't think it's the flu and it might mean staying home for a week?
5. How do you feel about school starting? You can take my unscientific poll if you like (right-hand side, top). I always feel like a Mack Truck has hit me--the change in pace is striking.
Information, news, and ideas about Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and Michigan schools; thoughts about education; and occasionally other stuff too.
Well, that's a tough one. On the one hand, I'd just as soon decide for myself when my child is well enough to go to school, thankyouverymuch. On the other hand, there are plenty of kids who get sent to school when they are clearly still contagious, so maybe some guidelines are in order. But this does seem a bit extreme.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify. We are asking that children and adults with a fever of 100 degrees or more not return to school until they are fever free without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours, then they can return to school. Public Health tells us that the H1N1 virus presents with a fever for up to 5-7 days usually. That is they the 5 day out OR the fever rule above.
ReplyDeleteAlso the movie "Flipped" was filmed at AA Open as well as Thurston this summer.
Liz Margolis, Director of Communications, AAPS
Liz, thanks for the clarifications. Are there any plans underway for school-based H1N1 vaccination clinics? And if so when will they happen?
ReplyDeleteYes we will provide vaccinations at schools. Plans are still under discussion with the Public Health department. It depends on how many vaccinations they receive but we would like to provide clinics during the day and in the evenings if there are enough for families and staff of families. Public Health would be organizing these clinics with nurse and health care volunteers. The Federal Government is providing the vaccines for free but not the administrative costs. Of course consents would need to be provided prior to any vaccinations of students.
ReplyDeleteIt will happen when the vaccine is available - last heard mid-October.