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Fall is here! It's time for turning leaves, pumpkin picking, trick or treating... and colds, viruses, allergies, and the flu (spooky!) Below are some tips to help keep you and your family healthy and safe this autumn.
It can be very hard to tell a typical seasonal sniffle from something more serious. While illness may present differently for everyone, there are patterns of symptoms to watch out for when trying to determine what might have you or your family feeling less than your best.
Stop the spread!
The best way to protect your family against serious complications from COVID-19 or the flu is to get vaccinated. Vaccines are available for everyone 6 months and older. The CDC also offers the following tips to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
When you are sick, stay home!
Cover your cough and sneeze
Wash your hands frequently with soap
Get plenty of sleep
Disinfect commonly touched household surfaces regularly
I know balancing cold and flu season with work, school, and activites can be a challenge. Please do not send your children to school if they have had a fever in the last 24 hours, have other significant symptoms of illness that may make it difficult to get through their day, or may be contagious to other students or staff members. Let's work together to keep Brookside healthy this fall and winter!
Sick day? The New Jersey Department of Health monitors school absences to help track illness trends and outbreaks in our community. When reporting an absence for your child, please remember to specify a reason, including the symptoms or a diagnosis if you have one. This information is reported weekly to the state, but is anonymized for privacy. Thank you for your help!
FARE_TPP22_StaySafe-1080x1080.pdfWishing you a spooky but not scary Halloween!
FARE's Teal Pumpkin Project has partnered with CVS this year to make their allergy aware Halloween initiative even easier to participate in. You can purchase a teal pumpkin and festive non-food treats at CVS or other retailers, and add your house to the interactive Teal Pumpkin Project map if you would like to be listed as a food allergy-safe trick or treat spot.
Class Parties and Goodie Bags
Please keep in mind that any goodie bags which are sent home from class Halloween parties or events may not contain food or candy. Food offered at our class parties must be school-safe; please follow up with your class parents, homeroom teachers, or the health office with questions.
Avoid Costume Anxiety!
For our younger students, if the are planning on wearing a costume that is more difficult than their usual wardrobe to remove (overalls, bodysuits, lots of layers, etc.), consider having them practice taking it on and off at home a few times before our Halloween parade and parties here at school. The extra minute or two it might take can sometimes cause tricky situations when it's time to go to the bathroom.
Too much candy?!
This year we will be coordinating a Halloween candy trade in through the Brookside Health Office. If your kids ended up with more candy than you know what to do with, encourage them to bring some in to donate between November 1st and 3rd. Every student who donates will get a special spooky surprise, and all donated candy will be donated to the residents of CareOne at Valley on Old Hook Road after school on November 3rd.
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