Dear All,
This post is about the 10-day suspension. I would like to remind everyone of the need to avoid public gatherings (esp. with co-pisay students) and to keep a healthy regimen during the break. Like what was done by DLSU, after the 10-day suspension, there won’t be another suspension even if we continue getting confirmed cases of h1n1..
I know that by now you have already heard of what will happen to the first and second quarter grade..Roughly, there will be like a “merging” of first and second quarters. This means we will skip 1st qtr perio and just go on with the regular school days.. your first perio for the school year will be given sometime October ( basta yung second qtr sked). Your grade for the second quarter will be reflected as your first qtr grade as well, such that in your cards, you’ll have the same grade for 1st & 2nd. Some people compare this to a “semestral” or trimerstral system. I’ve observed that there are those who feel apprehensions towards it..
Should we be worried over this plan? Personally, I think that this plan is the best we can come up with given the present circumstances. It’s certainly better than pushing through with the 1st qtr perio in August.. I’ve heard from some of you that you’ve only had like 3 long tests so far. Which means that if we push through with 1st qtr perio, and if you’ve gotten not-so-stellar marks in those LT’s, chances are you’d get really low mark for the first qtr. And you’re in cumulative system. I hope you get what i mean. The upside of this “extended” or “merged” quarters is that, 1. you’d get more quizzes and long tests–more chances to perform well, and 2. we all won’t find a hard time catching up. Also, some of us teachers are proposing that the 1st-2nd qtr periodic test coverage be “shortened” (i.e., not all the 1st-2nd qtr topics will be included in the perio coverage). Some teachers said that their 2nd qtr perio will include ONLY second qtr topics..like for the socsci unit, we’ve agreed that the topics covered in the 1st LT will no longer be included in the perio..
Now more about H1n1…
I hope you are in good condition and are free of ILI (influenza-like illness) symptoms! Anyway, as you know, we have suspended the classes for 10 days to prevent contact within the pisay community in the effort to curb the spread of the h1n1 virus. However, be aware that we can all contract the virus ELSEWHERE, especially outside our homes (e.g., malls). Which means, the suspension will be useless if we won’t take care of our health anyway. Also, since we all have been in pisay in the past weeks, and knowing that there were confirmed cases of h1n1 infection, all of us are technically possible carriers of the virus already. Hence, the 10-day suspension of classes also serves as a means to “self-quarantine”.
Due to this, the school has announced the NEED TO STAY HOME during the 10-day break. Everyone is requested to stay home and avoid public places like the malls. In this regard, the school has requested the faculty to help in CLOSELY MONITORING all students to make sure that they are home everyday, and not elsewhere. The advisers are to call their advisees daily to check on them. In this regard, I have enlisted the help of the class officers in calling everyone in Beryllium. So please expect their call or mine starting today. I hope I get to talk to you when I call! 😀 To those who don’t have landline or are residing outside MM, please expect the CISD office to call you.
Yesterday, we had a meeting with parent representatives. I would like to share with you some of the important updates and new SOPs:
1. There are members of the community that are more at risk than others. “At risk” persons are those who are more likely to be SERIOUSLY affected by the virus (or to whom the virus might have more serious consequences). These at risk are normally the very young ones or the very old ones. For your age group, these are signs of being at risk:
– those with existing serious illness (cancer, etc)
– those with existing pulmonary or heart condition (asthma, hear problems, etc)
– those who have illnesses related to very low resistance or weak immune system
If you are at risk, kindly CHECK if you are experiencing ILI (influenza-like illness) symptoms:
– colds, cough, fever, headache, fatigue, muscle or joint pains, lack of appetite, soar throat, vomiting, diarrhea.
If you are at risk and are experiencing any of these symptoms, kindly get in touch with me and I will give you the contact details of CISD. This is because you can get a free swab test (for H1N1) from the DOH if the school recommends it. This SOP is very important for the at-risk students.
2. After the suspension, those who are still sick should stay home. Even if you come to school, you should present a medical certificate at the clinic and if dra. batoon sends you home, you have to go home. Everyone will be scanned with the thermal scanner and when you have fever, you will be sent to the clinic and will also be advised to go home. These students who comply will be given make up for what they miss in school. Those who exhibit ILI symptoms but do not comply to these policies will be sent home and will NOT be given make up for the requirements they missed.
3. Do not take TAMIFLU (the antiviral drug used for h1n1) if you are not confirmed that you have h1n1 because you might swimply develop resistance to the drug.
4. Once we come back, everyone is required to bring their own HYGIENE kit which includes: towel/tissue papers, bar soap/hand wash, alcohol/hand sanitizer.
5.There also might be a 5-day policy of wearing masks. Details about it will be announced once we go back.
That’s it for now. I hope that everyone gets to read this. More to come in the next days. Thanks!
socsci3 of sy 2009-2010 