This past Thursday, Dec. 6th, students and teachers noticed absences in their classrooms. This wasn’t because of a field trip and it wasn’t Senior Ditch Day, yet according to the Attendance office 126 students were called out for the day because due to a fever or feeling sick. 15 more were sent home from the nurse that same day. According to attendance secretary Mary Burkhardt on an average day 75 kids, at most, have stayed home and three to four leave early.

“It’s begining of the flu season so it’s to be expected,” nurse Cheryl Novak said. “I checked in with all the other buildings in the district and they’re seeing a little bit of an increase, I don’t think as much as we’re seeing here right now.”
Even though an increase in student absence is to be expected, Burkhardt was shocked.
“I’m surprised that many kids have left,” Burkhardt said. “It’s a lot of kids, way more than normal. I don’t remember 15 [kids] going home in one day.”
The absences were suspected to be because of the beginning of flu season. With cold weather comes sickness and along side, runny noses and absent students. Novak provided a few key ways to help students and staff stay safe this season.
1) Wash your hands, several times a day, with soap and water!
2) Eat a well balanced diet
3) Get plenty of sleep, eight hours is highly recommended
4) Cover your mouth when you cough.
5) If you have a fever, higher than 100 degrees, diarrhea or vomiting stay home until you are free of that for 24 hours.
If students follow these five steps the nurses office may be a little less crowded in the upcoming weeks leading to winter break.
“We’re busy! That’s all. We do the best that we can, we’re constantly cleaning in [the office],” Novak said. “And we are trying to get the sick kids out as soon as possible as to get the infection out of the building.”