March 19, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We know we are living in a time of uncertainty and this situation can cause a lot of anxiety for both children and adults. The main reason for the closure of schools is that we want to enable as many people as possible to practice social distancing. We are in serious unprecedented times right now and we need each other more than ever. Social distancing is not social isolation, and your school nurses want you to know that we are here for you and your children. We will be available for consultation during regular school hours at our respective email addresses: ewainwright@rsu56.org kwilcox@rsu56.org
We want to take a moment to talk about what social distancing means for you and your family. Social distancing means that you keep a distance of six feet from others. So piling all the kids together to go to a movie is not advisable. We don’t want to sound like alarmists but the purpose of this is to not expose ourselves to others who might unknowingly have the coronavirus. When people want to have kids play together, it defeats the purpose.
Most children are not in danger unless your child is immunocompromised from cancer or another serious medical condition. Healthy children "are at reduced risk" of serious illness from coronavirus, however, they can be “SPREADERS” of the virus. They could unknowingly and without symptoms infect others.
This is a great time for all kinds of family activities. Outdoor recreational activities like hiking, walking, and biking should be encouraged for the whole family. Just remember to keep a good distance from each other and not share communal playground equipment.
Remember, good health habits like getting plenty of rest and eating fruits and vegetables are recommended for good immunity. Additionally, as we have been reminded by so many, we need to continue frequent handwashing, covering our coughs and sneezes and stay home if you are sick.
As CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently said: “We have an obligation to each other, I think, more than ever before. How I behave affects you and how you behave affects me.” Your health and safety is our number one concern and priority. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Kathy and Erin