Police have reported a suspicious person who spoke with a juvenile near Waban Park. A man pulled up a vehicle alongside the girl and asked if she wanted a ride. The vehicle was a dark gray, mid-sized foreign sedan, probably a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. The girl ran to her neighbors house.

Audrey Parad Peller
Principal
John Ward Elementary School
10 Dolphin Road
Newton Centre, MA 02459

(617)559-6450
audrey_peller@newton.k12.ma.us
 

 
June 17, 2009
 
 
This will be the final update of the H1N1 swine flu outbreak for this school year.
 
 
All of the Newton Public Schools are still having some influenza-like illness (ILI) activity.  The school nurses are continuing to monitor the number of overall absences and make phone calls to determine how many of those absences are for ILI.  Please note that the state guidance has not changed and any student that meets the criteria for ILI will be excluded from school and related activities for seven days starting with the day they first became ill.  This criterion is a fever above 100º and at least one respiratory symptom such as cough, sore throat or runny nose.  We know that this exclusion can be difficult especially with the disappointment of having to miss the special end-of-year activities.  However, this exclusion is necessary to prevent the potential spread of illness that has shown to be easily transmitted from one student to another.  We request your assistance in keeping everyone healthy by reminding your child about hand hygiene and cough etiquette, and by keeping your child home for the complete exclusion period.
 
 
Public health experts are concerned that the H1N1 virus may persist into the fall and at this time, the severity of the illness is unknown.  It is likely that there will again be strict enforcement of exclusion policies for students and staff with flu-like illness.  It would be advisable for parents to develop contingency plans should their child become sick and need to stay home.  
 
 
Thank you for working with the health and school departments to effectively manage the flu outbreak in Newton during these past few months.
 
 
Have a wonderful summer.
 

 

Ward School PTO