No Swine Flu Here...

As you may have noticed from watching the news (if you are a nerd like me and watch it twice a day) and probably from work, everyone seems to be coming down sick with something. Now I know not all of them have Swine flu (or H1N1 as I think we are now supposed to call it in some ploy to make us forget the hysteria of last spring when it first started going around). I know there are other things like the regular flu, strep and a stomach virus going around.

But lets be honest, lots of people are sick. Since about the middle of last week, I've probably had a steady 20 students (of about 115 total students) gone each day. And once they're gone they are usually gone for at least three days.

(Which has been a blast for me to catch so many students up on their work. I timed myself today getting together the work for four students that know they are going to be out for at least two-three more days. It took me 30 minutes to get it all together so that they'd understand how to complete it. That's half my conference period. Then when I delivered it I noticed some of the students who's work I've gotten together already yesterday or last week was still sitting there. How frustrating the parents can't even come and pick up the work!?!)

For the past two days at my usual morning duty (Which is my arch nemesis of working, btw. Can't stand morning duty.) I've noticed how empty the cafeteria has been. Usually we are having to shuffle the seventh and eighth graders out (they are only allowed in there to eat) so that we can have enough room for the the sixth graders. But we've had enough empty seats for probably two rows of empty tables (there are a total of seven rows of tables)! It's insane how many people have been absent!

I know some school districts are going as far as to say once they reach 30% absenteeism then they are cancelling school. I'm not trying to push for school to be cancelled (though it would nice to have a few days off). But I would like it if our school district would not be in denial and actually be truthful about this whole thing. They don't have to cancel school, but just tell the community the truth!!!

This is part of the actual letter the Superintendent of my school district sent out today:

"To the Parents, Staff, and Community of ____________ ISD:

In response to several questions about the H1N1 flu and flu in general, please be aware that the ___________ Independent School District is not currently experiencing any increase in absenteeism from the students with flu-like symptoms."

(And no I did not bold and italicise the word NOT for dramatic effect. Actually, in the real letter it is underlined too. But I couldn't figure out how to do that with the limited number of font options blog spot gives me.)

Wow. I mean, I know that they could be absent for other reasons than Swine flu, but lets be honest, absenteeism is up and on the rise! I even went to the front office after reading the letter (actually I was delivering all that hard work that I did for the students, not that most of them will ever do it). While I was there I made a special point to make a comment about how much work was up there for the students that were out. I even said to the attendance clerk, and I quote, "wow it sure looks like absenteeism is on the rise!" She responded with, "I know, it's crazy isn't it?"

So where did the Superintendent get his information from? OBVIOUSLY he didn't call our attendance clerk and ask what our school was experiencing. Which I would've thought would be the first thing you would do before sending out a letter to the entire community. But who am I to second guess a man with a degree that by far surpasses mine? He must know more than I, right?

This actually kind-of reminds me of when you'd do something wrong as a kid. When your mom or dad next ran into you, you'd immediately go, "I didn't do it!" Then you find out they didn't know anything was wrong.

I haven't heard people of the community demand our district cancel school. But since the idea is out there, and a few kids definitely do have H1N1, they are probably thinking people will start demanding we close school. Maybe their thought is that this way the angry "town folk" won't start panicking and demanding we cancel school?

Swine flu? Everyone here is fine and dandy, no swine flu here...