Precautions to Prevent the Spread of Influenza Pandemic in Child Care Centres

On 30 April 2009, the Ministry of Health raised the Disease Outbreak Response System alert status for Singapore from Yellow to Orange. This signals the necessity to implement enhanced measures to prevent the possible introduction of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus into our school. As of Monday, 4 May 09, please adhere to the following procedures :

a) All parents of children are required to make a health declaration in respect of you or your children upon your return from overseas travel, after a public holiday, absence for more than 3 days and in other cases, fortnightly. All staff are required to make the same health declaration.

b) All visitors to the Centre are also required to fill in a copy of the Health Declaration form. This includes grandparents, domestic helpers, school bus drivers/assistants and other relatives who bring the children to school.

c) Daily temperature checks for staff, children and visitors.

d) Children and staff who exhibit symptoms of influenza or respiratory illness must not attend school until they have been certified by a medical practitioner to be medically fit to attend school.

e) Mandatory leave of absence for staff and children who have travelled to affected places. Please update the school regularly with condition of the absent child via telephone, sms or email during the period of leave or absence from the school.

You can refer to the MOH flu website (www.flu.gov.sg) for more information on the Influenza outbreak.

We wish to emphasise the importance of ensuring that yours and your child/children's contact details and alternative care arrangements records are up to date.

It will be much appreciated that you take your child/children's temperatures prior to sending them to school. If they or a sibling have fever or flu-like symptoms, please do not send them to school.

We seek all parents' co-operation and continued vigilance during this period, to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our children. Thank you for your understanding of the above matters.

Cancellation of Mother’s Day Event - 8 May, 2009

In view of the current flu situation, we have reluctantly decided to cancel the up-coming Mother's Day event on 8th May, 2009 (Fri). This is to minimise the risk of exposure to our children.

As we are at the initial stages of the flu pandemic, there are numerous unknowns. We feel that at this point of time, it is best not to expose our children to unnecessary crowds hence we made the decision to cancel the much looked-forward event. We apologise for the disappointment and the inconveniences that may arise but we trust you will understand our objectives as the children's health and safety is of utmost important.

We will monitor the situation and make a decision about the Father's Day event towards the end of May. We hope that the situation will improve by then and perhaps we can combine the two events.

Excursion – 22nd May 2009 Theatre Show (Fantastic Mr. Fox)

Players Theatre is staging Roald Dahl's ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’, adapted for the stage by the UK’s National Children's Dramatist, David Wood in May 2009. Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of literature's favourite characters. This show, suitable for all ages, promises lots of interactive fun - allowing the audience to join in the “digga-digga-dig” antics, join the animals in their celebration, dancing the night away, feasting and telling the tale of Boggis, Bunce, Bean and the one and only…. Fantastic Mr. Fox.

The school plans to take the children to this show on 22nd May, 2009, Friday 9.30am – 10.30am, which is our scheduled excursion in May. The performance will be held at Ulu Pandan CC Theatrette. Cost for this trip is $25 per child (including ticket and transportation).

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ is a play with strong educational value, is stimulating, creative and has social and literary breadth. It encourages problem solving and thinking out of the box. Through the play, children are exposed to ideas of community and team work. It also teaches self-belief, perseverance and determination. We believe our children will benefit from this theatrical experience.

Please complete the consent form for your child’s participation in this excursion and return the form to us by Wednesday, 18th March, 2009 as we have to book tickets early in advance to ensure availability.

On the day of the excursion, please dress your child in the school’s T-Shirt and equip him with a water bottle with a sling. Please ensure that your child is in school not later than 8.30a.m. The school bus will leave at 9 a.m.