I don't know if the regular flu season is hitting, if it's the dreaded H1N1 or if it's just a bad raft of colds, but I've had lots of kids absent this week. On Tuesday, I only had 6 out of 18 kids at school, and I never got above 10 present the rest of the week. Sent two home today. Other classes had a few more than the usual absences, but I appear to be the champion. Other teachers are asking what my secret is, LOL! Hopefully they'll all be back on Monday, has anyone else experienced more than usual absences?
I think that part of it is an awareness that kids who are a little sick today might be really sick tomorrow. Kids are staying home for colds, until the parents are sure it's only a cold. I'm usually incredibly OK with the idea that my own kids catch colds. But when my youngest was up coughing the other night, I lost a lot of sleep listening to her, making sure that if I heard anything out of the ordainary I would be awake enough to recognize it.
Yeah, this. I've had a lot of absent students over the past few weeks. Most of them seem to be absent for several days. When they come back, nearly every one of them talks about going to the doctor to be checked out for the flu and/or the swine flu. I think everyone is just really aware of illness this year. No one wants to get sicker than necessary by pushing it and going to school when they really shouldn't. I was out sick for a week of school myself. I rarely get sick, and certainly not sick enough to stay home from school. That week, though, I just felt rotten. I ended up going to the doctor twice and getting two different antibiotics. I'm planning on getting the flu shot, hopefully tomorrow actually. I don't normally get the flu shot, though I have had it a couple of times in my life. I'm getting it this year because I just have a bad feeling about this year as far as flu and illness. I think I'd rather be on the safe side.
Knock on wood, but the sickness hasn't hit our little school yet. We had a "scare" in 5th grade, but it was just a nasty virus that went through them. I agree with the previous posters that parents are just being more cautious with illnesses. I have to admit, that I don't like to go to the doctor, but I am going sooner now than normal, just to be sure. I think for me it is more that I don't want my immune system to be really down and then if I am exposed to the flu, I am afraid I would be more likely to get it. I do think that it would be hard to have a lot of kids out in class, because it will be hard trying to catch them all up.
I had only 10 of the 13 kids this week. There was one day that I had 5 out. (This included 2 being sent home because on further checking the child's headache was because of a fever.) Several of the kids who weren't out probably should have been as they were out of their seats blowing their noses more than they were in it! I do have the kids use a hand sanitizer. Some of the kids have strep, no flu. Usually I have a great track record with attendance but to be honest I haven't used the clorox wipes as much as I have in the past. Guess I'll have to get back into the swing of things!
We have been hit this week. One class only had 4 or 5 kids in it Friday. The nurse is staying so busy. She is sending 20+ kids home each day. I expect it to get worse before it gets better.
