NEW GLASGOW - Student absences at schools around the county have been soaring.
Carolyn Pierce, communications manager for the Chignecto Central Regional School Board, said on Tuesday that the board is getting figures from the schools each day when absences due to illness pass 10 per cent.
"This is illness, not necessarily flu-like or H1N1," she said.
As of yesterday, 13 county schools cracked the 10 per cent threshold. There are 22 schools in the county plus the adult high school.
Pierce said the stats are kept for the Department of Health but they are also being reported to the CCRSB since last Wednesday.
"The first couple of days in the Celtic Family (Pictou County schools) there was not anything above 10 per cent," she said. "On Thursday we had the Highland Middle School at 18 per cent absences due to illness, it was the only school in the Celtic Family above 10 per cent."
Numbers at some county schools approached or cracked the 30 per cent mark, but the board was aware that could happen.
"Public Health has been advising us from the beginning to expect it."
Staff absences are tracked as well, Pierce said, but the board doesn't release that information.
The board is trying to fight the spread of any illnesses through an implemented cleaning policy.
"We're still maintaining cleaning high-touch areas - desktops, door knobs, areas like that - far more frequently.…We've been doing that right since the beginning of the year."
She said the board is encouraging all students, staff and parents to follow the guidelines set down by the health department. The board is also encouraging students to be in class if possible.
She said if parents call to report a student absence for illness, it would be appreciated if they could tell what type of illness it appears to be.
Student absenteeism in schools soaring
- Published on November 4, 2009
- Published on February 20, 2010
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Ray Burns
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Comments
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- got the flu
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:32:00
To get real. you must not have a child or your not a very responsible parent. This flu is like no other and it needs to be prevented. My child is 5 and in her first year of school. Last thursday she had a cough and a runny nose. We keep her from school. by the weekend her cough had worsened were we had no sleep for 3 days.We were very concerned and had her to the doctor and she has H1N1.We have had a week of sleepless nites hoping it doesn`t get worse. She is still sick after a week and is on antibiotics. I think we all need to take whatever steps we need to stop this outbreak.
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- Concerned Parent
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:59
A few kids out every once and a while is what the schools are used to. When you have over half of most classes out - there is something wrong. The kids that are at school right now are just biding time. You can not teach a new concept to 10 kids and then again in 2 weeks when the other 15 come back. Yes it is a flu, and people get sick all the time, but these numbers are high , schools are the greatest at risk - because kids are kids....if they do choose to close the schools - just imagine how germ free they would be with all the extra cleaning that would be done and most would come back germ free. A fresh slate most would say. Closing schools may be a little much, however if it is what is needed to help combat this , then they need to get cracking and make a decision. I think they need to do this , the kids are just going to continue to get sick - it will not end otherwise. Ultimately it should come down what is best for the kids - schoolwork can also be done at home - and some parents forget this.
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- C'mon
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:57
c'mon folks!!! Only 250 people graced the doors of the H1N1 assessment clinic. If you think you or your child are sick go to the clinic, get some professional advice(go to work,stay home, see a shrink) and go from there.
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- EC
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:57
My son won't go now because he is scared of getting sick. I was told by someone at the hospital that 17 teachers have had the flu so far just from his school (NRHS)
I also think they should close the school, at least until everyone is vaccinated.
Ya, don't get me started on that debacle. -
- someone
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:50
ok let's close all the schools and then what some businesses would have to close because they would have no one to work because they have no child care for their children... i am pretty sure some people wouldn't be happy if they didn't get their gas or their coffee due to lack of workers... It is a a flu a common thing!!!!!!
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- mother with 2 kids H1N1
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:50
Come on people ....it is the flu....closing the schools for a couple weeks wont help ...do u think these kids who think they r well are going to stay home?? Or if a person Feels they are better are they still going to stay home from work ....i think not !!
It is a FLU...... thousands of people get the flu every year and we dont talk about closing the schools or anything like that ....as for untill everyone is vacinated .....not everyone WANTS to be vacinated! And since they cannot be made to and since it DOES NOT stop you from getting the flu ( only lessens the symptoms) I say deal with it like u do every other flu season and ignore all the media hype about it ! More people die every year from the flu then they do this N1H1 crap! -
- John S
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:48
... story a bit light on details. Looks more like a press release. At Northumberland High School(NRHS), there have been over 400 students absent for each of the past 2 days.
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- GetReal
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:41
EC From NS: You should boot your kid in the butt and send him to school. What kind of person would condone that kind of thing from their kid???? concerned mom from Nova Scotia: You need to get a grip of reality. Its the flu for god sakes, not the plague.
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- mother with 2 kids H1N1
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:40
very well said GetReal !! I totally agree!
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- spookyduke
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:37
My son is in grade 8 at westville middle school. They say absentism is normal for the flu season. I know my son had 9 kids in his class today . That is present not the absent ones. He normally has like 22 kids in his class. That is not normal.....NOT IN MY OPINION
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- PicotuMom
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:36
All you people who are going on about the flu kills more people..how do you know this? The swine flu is a new strain, there is not enough data to prove this fact!!
Regardless we are all not stupid, we KNOW this is A flu, but it's not THE flu...and yes the flu does kill many every year...90% being elderly, with chronic health conditions. The swine flu also spreads at a much faster rate than the seasonal flu, and embeds itself in the tissue of your lung ( the main difference between the two) They don't mass vaccinate for the regular flu, so excuse some of us for being worried about this. Will shutting the schools stop the spread no, but it may help slow it down WHO KNOWS. Why doesn't everyone stop attacking each other, none of us know how this will all turn out for certain. I don't blame these kids for wanting to stay home, IT S ALL THEY ARE HEARING ABOUT, from parents, teachers, freinds, the media, and then we expect them to go to school around hundreds of other kids and feel safe!! I'm sick to death of all of this, but seriously grow up and stop putting others done that don't agree with yuor opinion... -
- concerned mom
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:33
This is getting scary and I don't understand why they don't shut down the school for a couple weeks until this wave of sickness dies down a bit. Children spread germs like wildfire...that is known. It doesn't matter about the hand sanitizers and hand washing in the classrooms, one person sneezes or coughs and forgets to cover (90% of the time with kids) they just infected numerous others!
I was told West Pictou has half their teachers out and 1/3 students (maybe more - this was a couple days ago).
I heard that they won't close the schools because they are closing them for a week in February because of the Olympics! Not sure if that's true but if it is, I think it's ridiculous! I think our kids health is way more important than Olympics!
