Flu season continues to take a toll on staff and students at local schools as nearly 20 per cent of one Flin Flon elementary school was absent last Friday.
Ecole McIsaac School reported 75 students absent from class on Friday, Jan. 16, making up 18 per cent of the enrolled children.
Ruth Betts Community School noticed a similar trend with 30 absent students, though principal Tammy Ballantyne says it’s hard to determine the reason for all the absents.
“We have seen an increase,” said Ballantyne, “But it’s not confirmed that they are all due to illness.”
Flin Flon School Division Superintendent Blaine Veitch says the flu can often take a toll on both staff and students, and although the numbers may appear high, he says it isn’t alarming.
“It doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it’s cold and flu season,” said Veitch, commenting on the number of students absent from school in the past week. “And when it does happen there is a 10-20 per cent absentee rate. I don’t know that I’ve seen it get past 20 per cent.”
The flu continues to take affect students and staff at Hapnot Collegiate, though vice principal Patty Korchinski says it’s harder to gauge the number of absent students at the high school level.
“It’s hard to know,” said Korchinski. “We do have students away sick, but we don’t have parents calling us [like at the elementary level] to let us know their child is sick at home.”
Hapnot Collegiate students attend five periods of class a day and Korckinski says it’s hard to estimate how many are away if a student attends the morning classes and not the afternoon classes.
“It’s just hard to gauge a percentage,” she said. “I don’t think we have been hit as hard as the elementary schools, though.”
All three Flin Flon schools also reported a number of staff absent due to illness.
“We’re just pushing staff and students to stay home if they are sick,” said Korchinski. “And we see it too often that they will come back too soon.”
Across the border, Creighton Community School principal Stacey Lair says she hasn’t noticed anything too concerning, yet.
“Nothing of significance,” Lair said. “We’ve had students absent for two or three days, but compared to years past it’s nothing too big for us, yet – knock on wood.”
On a smaller scale, local daycares and nursery centres have also noticed an increase in absent children.
In the past week, Guidance Nursery has noted between six and 10 students missing per day – a steady increase from the normal one or two children missing on a typical day.
Kiddie Korner Daycare reported between two and five children absent on a daily basis since as far back as December.
“Typically we don’t have anyone missing,” said Director Brenda Brooks. “When they are healthy, they are here.”
Smiling Hearts Daycare in Creighton hasn’t noticed a trend yet and hopes to stay on the low end of absent children.
Reducing the spread of germs
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention suggests staff and students stay home from school while sick and to avoid close contact with others.
The Centre provides these tips on how to stop the spread of germs:
• Wash your hands
• Cover your mouth and nose
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects
• Stay home from work, school and other errands while sick
