On Tuesday, there were 24 students out in the Ada elementary and 18 in the high school.

By Monty Siekerman
Don’t let the flu get you, and, if you are sick, stay home and get well. That’s the message Marlene Vermillion posted on Facebook earlier this week. She is the Ada school nurse.

Ada has 880 students enrolled. On Tuesday, there were 24 students out in the elementary and 18 in the high school. During the worst of the flu season last year, there were as many as 80 students absent on any given day in the high school alone.

But to prevent Ada numbers from increasing, read this note from the nurse:

“There has been a steady increase in illnesses/absences among the students of Ada Schools. Respiratory symptoms of coughing, chest congestion, sore throat, runny nose and sneezing are among our students as well as the flu-like symptoms of fever, chills, headache and nausea.

“The spread of these airborne viruses can be controlled with prompt diagnosis and effective preventative measures.  

“A child needs to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.  Any child placed on antibiotics is contagious to his peers until the first full day of medication has been administered.  

“Practicing proper hygiene can help prevent the spread of these common contagious illnesses.  Frequent handwashing and covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing helps limit the spread of germs. The elbow cough and sneeze technique is encouraged.

“We recognize that being sent home from school or not attending school can be upsetting for your child and disrupts your daily routine but our goal is to control the spread of the respiratory and influenza virus among our students. We want to keep our learning environment healthy for all our students and staff at Ada Schools during the winter season.

“If you have any question please contact us.”