Please be reminded that Term 2 ends at 12 noon on Friday 15 December. All learners are expected to leave the campus at that time. Please make arrangements for your child to leave the school at noon. Thank you.

In order to reduce the spread of infection within school and to close family members, please monitor your child for any symptoms of illness and follow the Infection Control Policy stated below. Please do not send your child to school if she/he has any of the following symptoms:

• Fever (37.6 C or above) Please ensure your child is fever free without medication for 24 hours prior to returning to school.
• Diarrhoea – 24 hours after last episode
• Vomiting – 24 hours after last episode
• Persistent cough
• Heavy nasal discharge
• Sore throat
• Red eyes (particularly with discharge)
• Rash

Consider keeping your child at home if she/he is particularly tired.

Please cover all open wounds or sores that have any discharge with a clean dressing, and seek medical attention if wounds become infected.

You will be contacted to collect your child if she/he has any of the above symptoms or if the medical team feels that your child is unwell.

Breaking the chain of infection

There are a number of strategies that Nexus International School (Singapore) employs to reduce the spread of infection amongst our community. Breaking the chain of infection is more successfully achieved when Learners, Parents and School staff work in collaboration with each other.

Within the school the practice of good hand hygiene through hand washing and use of alcohol based hand rubs is widely encouraged. Learners are taught correct hand washing techniques in classrooms, and both verbal and visual reminders are given to assist good practice. Parents are in prime place to reinforce good hygiene practice within the home.

Cleaning within the school is a good standard and meets both Singapore and international recommendations of daily cleaning in classrooms, with termly deep cleaning, and as required. Standards of hygiene within the canteen are monitored closely with members of canteen staff attending compulsory training on food handling and hygiene. Frequent monitoring and implementation of pest control procedures within the school environment reduce the risk of vector-borne diseases.

Prevention of illness is important in all age groups, but particularly with young people. Immunization is an effective method of reducing the incidence of contagious illnesses within school age children. Immunization records are requested from all parents when students are admitted to the school. Students attending the school come from a wide number of nationalities, and immunization schedules differ between countries. The large variety of vaccine schedules may have an impact on ‘herd immunity’ within the school population. Vulnerable people such as those with respiratory and cardiac conditions may be at greater risk from some communicable diseases. If you would like advice on the vaccination schedule for Singapore, please see either your Family Doctor or the School Nurses who will be pleased to assist you.

A number of infectious diseases share similar symptoms, for example; a rash may present in Chicken Pox, Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), Scarlet Fever, Impetigo, Typhoid and non-specified viral infections. Fever can be present in any bacterial or viral condition including Chicken Pox, Influenza, Typhoid and Scarlet fever. Diarrhoea and vomiting are frequently seen in Influenza, Typhoid and Gastroenteritis. The symptoms described in the infection control guidelines are frequently seen in a number of different conditions. Parents are requested to keep sick children at home; to reduce the spread of infection, and aid recovery from illness.

As the holidays approach it is important for all our learners to spend quality time with family and friends, catch up on much needed sleep, enjoy outdoor activities and eat a well balanced diet. Being independent learners they should also ensure that they organise their schedules to allow for both reading, revision and completion of tasks which will be dependent on their year level.

Our senior learners in Years 11 and 13 will need to prepare for their Trial Examinations so they should think about planning an effective revision schedule, removing distractions from their study environments, ensuring they are clear about what is being tested by speaking with their teachers before the end of term and preparing detailed study notes based on the areas that need to focus on the most. Several resources around Study Habits have been referred to and shared this Semester.

Similarly, the Year 10 and 12 learners may have coursework or texts to read during the break and therefore allocating study time as well as creating calm and comfortable environments that are conducive to study will be equally important. Our 7-9 learners are encouraged to read a new book, take interest in current affairs or revise notes taken in class. Please speak with our Librarians if you need help to select something suitable to read during the break.

We all need time out but being prepared and organised also helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Over the next two weeks it is important that you ask for guidance, be prepared and use your class time effectively.

Which learner are you....?