H1N1 Update

[Vickneswary]

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Due to H1N1 precautionary measures, may we request that your child/ward be quarantined at home for 7 days if they have returned from any of these affected countries (please see list below).

Please do not allow your child/ward to come to school and participate in any school activities even if he/she feels completely well.

Please seek medical attention for your child/ward immediately if they develop any flu-like symptoms.

Thank you for your kind cooperation.


H1N1 Affected Countries as of 06/07/2009

Argentina,
Australia,
Canada,
Chile,
the Dominican Republic,
Japan,
Mexico,
Panama,
Philippines,
Spain,
Thailand,
Hong Kong SAR, Macau,
Indonesia,
New Zealand,
United Kingdom and
the United States

The list of affected countries will be updated based on information from Ministry of Health.

[Limmengwei]

Advice to all who returned to Singapore from affected countries from MOH

Pay close attention to your health for 7 days, watching out for symptoms such as :

• High fever (> 38 deg C)
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Body aches
• Runny nose
• Headaches
• Tiredness

If you have any such symptoms, you should call 993 promptly for an ambulance. You should avoid taking public transport or taxi to minimise exposure. To help in contact tracing, the public may find it helpful to keep records of their movements for 7 days (for example by keeping taxi receipts) after their return.

[Limmengwei]

Dear Parents,

As the school approaches the last week of the June Holidays and prepares for school opening, we wish to notify you of the following measures put in place by the school so that we can together do our part in containing or mitigating the transmission of the Influenza A H1N1 virus within our community. As of 23 Jun 2009, our current alert level is Yellow.

To remove the risk of schools being a major point in community transmission of H1N1 in the coming weeks, the school has either cancelled, postponed or scaled down all school activities for the rest of the holidays, except for AYG-related(Asian Youth Games) activities, competitions and academic activities involving the graduating levels.

Please kindly refer to the letter attached. Your kind cooperation and necessary action is most appreciated. For any enquiries, please feel free to call us at 64561336 for assistance or clarification.

Thank you & Take Care!

[Limmengwei]

GENERAL

Q1: My child did not travel during the vacation but some of his family members came back from one of the affected countries after 22nd June. Will he/she be served a LOA(Leave of Absence) by the school?

A: No, as long as the child has not personally travelled to any of the affected countries, he/she will not be served a LOA. However do monitor the health of the family members closely and seek medical attention if anyone develops flu-like symptoms.

Do keep us informed promptly should there be any confirmed case amongst the family members, the school will advice accordingly.


Q2: How is LOA calculated?

A: 7 full days from the very day the student returned to Singapore. The student can come back to school on the 8th day, e.g. if the student returned to Singapore from affected countries on the 24th June Wednesday, he/she will need to self-quarantined till next wednesday (1st July) and can only return on Thursday (2nd July).



EXAMINATION MATTERS

Q3: What will happen to students who have to miss their Oral Examinations beginning 2 July 2009 in the event they are put on LOA?

As Oral exams are conducted over a 10-day period, the affected candidate can be re-scheduled to take the make-up oral exam.

As Listening Comprehension (LC) is conducted on only one day, candidates who are unable to sit for the LC (whether due to H1N1 or other reasons) would be given special consideration so that they would not be penalised due to their inability to take the examination because of valid reasons. (Note: such special consideration applies for all students who fall ill and is well-established.)



We will update the FAQs along the way. Do call us at 64561336 if you have any enquiries or concerns.

Thank you.

[Limmengwei]

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Please kindly note that MOE has revised the new trigger temperature reading to 37.6

Do monitor your child's/ward's temperature regularly.

Please do not send your child/ward to school if they have temperature at or higher than 37.6

Even if they do not have a temperature at 37.6, but have other symptoms such as running nose, sore throat or persistent cough, please do not send them to school. Kindly seek medical attention immediately, inform your child's/ward's Form & co-form teachers, and rest well.

We greatly appreciate your co-operation and understanding. Thank you.

[Limmengwei]

Dear Parents/Guardians,

The school would like to thank all of you for the support and cooperation given during the first week of Term 3. MOE has adviced the schools on the precautionary measures needed for week 2, and we would like to keep you posted of the developments.

The following notification has been sent to all students, it is hereby attached for your reference.

One key point to note: ALL students, including those previously on LOA or have made plans to travel to affected countries this weekend, are allowed to report to school from next tuesday (7th July) onwards unless they are unwell.

If your child is unwell, kindly seek medical attention for your child.

Thank you very much for your kind attention. Take care, and do approach the school at 64561336 if you have any other concerns.

Best Regards

H1N1 UPDATES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR WEEK 2 TERM 3

Dear students,

Thank you all for your cooperation for the whole of this week, this notification is to give you an update of the developments as well as the school's strategies on H1N1 for next week.

As you are aware, there are more locally infected cases compared to imported ones. No longer can we solely look at people who have travelled to affected countries as a means to stop transmission. As a nation we need to be more prepared in minimising the scope of transmission locally within our community.

During such Mitigation Phase, we shall adopt appropriate strategies to cope with the situation. For Term 3 Week 2, we shall focus on the following strategies:

Strategy 1: Continued emphasis on personal and social responsibility

Strategy 2: Early detection and isolation of students and staff who are sick or at risk of being infected

Strategy 3: Social distancing to break chain of transmission, slow down spread in schools, and ensure continuity in our usual business


STRATEGY 1: CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON PERSONAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

a)To slow down the spread of H1N1, anyone who feels unwell should not come to school and should see a doctor. Students are encouraged to return home immediately after school instead of meeting together after school.

b)All students are encouraged to maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and wash their hands with diligence. The school will ensure that there are sufficient washing facilities (e.g. soap) for staff and students' use.


STRATEGY 2: EARLY DETECTION AND ISOLATION OF STUDENTS AND STAFF WHO ARE SICK OR AT RISK OF BEING INFECTED

In order to slow the spread of H1N1 in school, and expedite contact tracing if necessary, students should reduce their movements around the school, keep to your class as much as is possible (i.e. minimise contact beyond own class and level). If there is a real need to meet in large groups, please consult your teachers first and try not to hold any session for more than an hour.

Important School Screening & Monitoring Procedures

a)Twice Daily Temperature Screening

(i) The twice daily temperature screening will continue.
(ii) Visual screening for unwell students at the gate, as well as at the start of every lesson.
(iii) Report immediately if yourself or any classmate is feeling unwell.


(b)Monitor Absence of Staff and Students

Please inform your Form/Co-Form Teachers whenever you are not well to turn up in school. Your Form Teachers need to know the reasons for your absence. In particular, inform your teachers the MCs for duration and inform them if they are related to influenza-like illnesses.

If any of your family members unfortunately becomes a confirmed case, please kindly inform the school immediately.

c)Travel Declaration Forms and LOA (Travel to Affected Countries)

Please kindly note that the issuance of LOA (Travel to Affected Countries) will stop with effect from Mon 6 Jul. All existing LOA (Travel to Affected Countries) issued will cease from Mon 6 Jul.

In other words, students who have travelled to affected countries (including this weekend) will no longer be issued LOA automatically. All students regardless of their travel history will be allowed to come to school provided that they are well. Those who are still unwell need to seek medical attention and stay away from school. LOAs will only be issued by the school if need to for future cases.

So the school is expecting ALL students to report back to school next tuesday, unless they are unwell.


STRATEGY 3: SOCIAL DISTANCING

Our school has developed a School Operations Continuity Plan (SOCP). The following measures are part of this plan:

(a) Continue to cancel mass gatherings including Open House and CCAs(MOE will provide further guidance for CCAs and Open Houses scheduled for the rest of this term subsequently.)

(b) Continue to suspend school assemblies

(c) Review the need to host major events like Speech Days and concerts

(d) Suspend non-urgent mass lectures and workshops

(e) No sending of students as spectators to National Schools' Competitions

(f) Adjust physical arrangement in classrooms to minimise contact (e.g. rows of single desks)

(g) Stagger recess times and assign seating for classes during recess

(h) Ensure Home-Based Learning is in place for affected students


Again, the school thank you for your cooperation. Do monitor your health very closely and look after yourself and all at home.

Don't Worry. Stay Healthy. Take Care.

[Limmengwei]

SCHOOL MEASURES FOR TERM 3 WEEK 3

Dear parents/guardians,

Please kindly be informed that the guidelines for week 3 will remain the same as that of week 2.

Please continue to monitor the health of your family members. If your child/ward is unwell please seek medical attention. Do not come to school and inform the school and your teachers.

Please inform the school immediately if unfortunately there are any confirmed cases (including all family members).

For confirmed cases, the school will serve LOA to the affected students or staff and render the necessary support.

The school will continue to safeguard the health of your child/ward with all the precautionary measures in place.

[Limmengwei]

SCHOOL MEASURES FOR TERM 3 WEEK 3 - UPDATE 1

Update to all parents/guardians,

1)CCA activities will resume next week (week 4), except for graduating classes.

2)Influenza-Like Illness

The school is monitoring very closely students and staff who may be unwell with flu-like symptoms. If your child/ward is unwell with flu-like symptoms and is given 7 days MC(or more) by the doctor, please inform your child's/ward's teachers and the school immediately.

If there are too many of such cases from a class, the school may have separate arrangements for the particular affected class.

Thank you and take care.

[Miss Czarina]

http://whitleysec.sg/eportal/attachment.php?attachmentid=3903&stc=1&d=1247794468

http://whitleysec.sg/eportal/attachment.php?attachmentid=3904&stc=1&d=1247794468

[Limmengwei]

SCHOOL MEASURES FOR TERM 3 WEEK 4


We appreciate your understanding and cooperation for all the school measures taken so far to slow down the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) in our school. Please kindly take note of the following information given to the students for Term 3 Week 4.

SCHOOL MEASURES FOR TERM 3 WEEK 4


We appreciate your understanding and cooperation for all the school measures taken so far to slow down the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) in our school. Please kindly take note of the following for Term 3 Week 4.

It is important for us to stay aware that the Influenza A (H1N1) virus will continue to spread further in the community. We must therefore continue to ensure that schools do not become sources of transmission as young children are more vulnerable to Influenza A (H1N1), and schools are places where children are in close contact for sustained hours.

We will review and modify our measures in view of the latest situation. We will continue to monitor the dynamic health situation and fine-tune our approaches accordingly over the next few weeks.

The 3 strategies we are adopting are namely,
a)personal and social responsibility;
b)early detection and isolation of students and staff who are sick or at risk of being infected; and
c)social distancing


(A) STRATEGY 1: CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON PERSONAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY


(a) To slow down the spread of H1N1, anyone who feels unwell should not come to school and should see a doctor as soon as possible.

(b) You must play your role in maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene.


(B) STRATEGY 2: EARLY DETECTION AND ISOLATION OF STUDENTS AND STAFF WHO ARE SICK OR AT RISK OF BEING INFECTED

Temperature and Visual Screening of Students, Staff and Visitors

We must continue to be vigilant and ensure that those who are unwell do not come to school. Therefore, the following monitoring measures will continue:

(a) Twice-daily temperature-taking and reporting
(b) Visual screening of unwell students at the school gate and at the start of every lesson and CCA.
(c) Temperature and visual screening of visitors


Management of Confirmed Cases and Close Contacts

Although testing for H1N1 will not be carried out for most cases except for those in high-risk groups, schools may still be informed by MOH of confirmed cases involving our students or staff. If you or family members unfortunately become a confirmed case, please inform the office and your teachers immediately so that we can advise you on the necessary measures to be taken.


Management of Students and Staff on MC due to Influenza-Like Illness (ILI)

Doctors may issue Medical Certificate (MC) of 7 days (or longer) for influenza-like symptoms such as runny nose, fever, cough and sore throat. Please inform the school immediately when you are given 7 or more days of MCs.

However, it is noted that some doctors issue a short MC (e.g. 2 days) at the first consultation, but later issue further MCs (e.g. another 5 days) to extend the medical leave period to a total of 7 days or longer. You also need to alert the school as well as long as you are given a prolonged period of MC due to flu-like symptoms.


(C) STRATEGY 3: SOCIAL DISTANCING

Social Distancing for school activities involving students

1)School Assemblies. Daily assemblies will continue to be suspended to minimise interference with the first temperature-taking screening.

2)Recess Arrangements. Assigned seating arrangements for classes during recess will continue. However, the school may need to stagger recess timings for classes which are segregated due to a large number of students with ILI MCs.

3)CCAs. Schools will resume CCAs in Term 3 Week 4 (except for graduating classes and on 22nd July*) CCA groups are to observe the necessary precautions such as marking attendance, temperature-taking and visual checking at the start of the activity.

*The O levels Mother Tongue Listening Comprehension will take place on 22/07/09. To allow the candidates to better prepare themselves, school will be dismissed at 12.40 p.m. CCAs are to be suspended on this day so as to provide a conducive environment for our students.

(D) SCHOOL-ORGANISED OVERSEAS TRAVEL PLANS FOR STUDENTS

Schools have been reviewing their overseas travel plans for students since the start of the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak. As Singapore has moved into community transmission and MOH no longer issues travel advisories to H1N1 affected countries, we can review our previous position.

However, given that H1 N1 is globally pandemic, the school will consider all aspects carefully before going ahead with any school trips. The school will carry out a thorough risk-assessment to make sure that there are adequate risk-management measures before proceeding with overseas travel. In carrying out the risk assessment, the school will include considerations such as: adequate medical support at the overseas destination, and adequacy of school resources to manage a case among the travelling students while they are overseas.

And as usual, should any trips be deem suitable, parental consent will be sought first before commencement of any school trips.

(E) PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS MATTERS

The school has prepared a letter for parents to notify parents of the measures for Term 3 Week 4, a copy of the letter is attached here (http://whitleysec.sg/eportal/showpost.php?p=19965&postcount=9).

As usual, please consult your teachers or the school general office for any clarifications. Thank you.

[Miss Czarina]

Videos on how we can reduce the risk of spread of H1N1- maintain high standards of personal hygiene and practice other precautionary measures:

"How to Protect Ourselves and Others, Do it the Right Way"

Wash Well (http://whitleysec.sg/videos/washhands.wmv)

Check Temperature (http://whitleysec.sg/videos/checktemp2.wmv)

Wear a Mask (http://whitleysec.sg/videos/wearmask.wmv)

[Limmengwei]

Update for all

MEASURES TO CONTINUE IN TERM 3 WEEK 5 AND 6

Dear all,

The Parents' Letter for week 5&6 was sent out to all last friday, the following are the summary of the measures:

1)Personal Hygiene and Social Responsibility. School will continue to emphasise to students, parents and staff the importance of personal hygiene and social responsibility.

2)Visual Screening. Schools will continue to visually screen students, staff and visitors for flu-like symptoms at the school gate and at the start of every lesson and CCA.

3)Temperature-Taking for Students and Staff

Temperature-taking will continue, to ensure that those who are unwell do not come to school. However, its frequency will be reduced:

FOR WEEK 5 ONLY: once-daily, and will only be carried out at the start of the school day.

FOR WEEK 6 : it will only be carried out at the start of the first and last school day of the week, e.g. on Monday and Friday.

4)Management of Confirmed Cases and Close Contacts

Close contacts of Confirmed Cases will no longer be placed on Leave of Absence (LOA), in view of sustained and increased transmission in the community with most cases being mild. Students and staff who are on LOA will return to schools on 27 Jul 2009 (Mon), provided that they do not display any flu-like symptoms (fever, runny nose, cough or sore throat).

Please inform your form teacher or the school immediately if you unfortunately become a confirmed case.

While we no longer issue LOA to close contacts of every close contact case, we need to ensure that there is no cluster of ILI forming in our schools. Therefore, we need to continue to monitor the number of students and staff on MC due to Influenza-Like Illness (ILI).

For all students on MC, please do not return to school until your MC expires and you have recovered from the illness.

5)Social Distancing Measures

In consideration for the overall school tone, the school will modify the following social distancing measures.


(a) Assemblies. Daily and Weekly assemblies will resume.

(b) Recess Seating Arrangements. Assigned seating arrangements for classes during recess to discontinue.

(c) Classroom arrangements. Schools no longer need to make special arrangements to the physical arrangement in classrooms to minimise contact, for example, rows of single desks. Group work and other cooperative teaching strategies could proceed.

(d) Student Supporters. Schools could send student supporters for inter-school competitions.

(e) Other Mass Activities within School. School could resume the following mass activities after making the necessary risk assessments. However, students from graduating classes should not be involved, to avoid spread of H1N1 to many graduating students if there is an outbreak.

(i) Mass Lectures and Workshops for students
(ii) Major events involving known participants such as Speech Day and Concerts
(iii) Major events involving the public such as Open Houses