Flu Virus Updates from the Headmaster

Monday, September 28, 2009 - 5:00pm

Dear Parents,

Although it may be just another Monday to some, today is the big day for us that we had hoped it would be! The Health Centre is reporting no new ‘flu cases today and so, with 5 or 6 students in various stages of recovery, we can consider ourselves almost finished with this particular bout. Thank goodness!

We’ll be sitting down very soon to critique our plan and to de-brief in general as there will always be something that we can do better. It sounds, on the whole, as if our experience may have proved somewhat re-assuring to many people about the nature and severity of the H1N1 virus. I certainly hope so.

Now we can get back to the real agenda for the school year and the plethora of experiences and interactions that make up a Shawnigan day. My thanks to you all for the many kind words of support that came our way. Flu-less (not to be confused with flawless!), and with warm regards,

David Robertson,
Headmaster

Friday, September 25, 2009 - 4:45pm

Headmaster’s “Getting Close to Final” Flu Update

Dear Parents,

We’ve just finished our school “Terry Fox Run” 3-1/2k around our campus, the sun is shining warmly and the colour is coming back into our lives as we re-emerge from the shadow of the last week’s intruder! Our early battle with the ‘flu virus is almost over with only one student coming down today and only a handful still feeling unwell.

We are now going to wait to see how we get through the weekend before officially resuming normality, we hope, on Monday. In the meantime, we do have some fun activities planned on campus for our very patient, extremely fine young people.

I trust that you will continue to bear with me and I would intend to be in touch with you again on Monday. Feeling almost like ‘a blogger’ and with warm regards.

David Robertson,
Headmaster

September 24, 2009 - 3:15pm

Dear Parents,

Although I have nothing earth shattering to report to you today, I continue to be relatively relieved by the reduction in the overall number of flu victims in the school. What I described yesterday as a trickle is indeed still that. As they say in all the best broken down TV channels “normal programming will be resumed as soon as possible”. We are very close to resuming all aspects of our normal programming. Vigilance continues, however, and we are still stressing the sensible sanitizing measures that have worked so well for us. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and with warm regards,

David Robertson,
Headmaster

September 23, 2009 - 3:15pm

Dear Parents,

Not surprisingly, we have attracted the attention of the media in the last few days, but there has been an encouraging avoidance of the sensational in any of those interactions.  If our well-documented approach to this flu virus has yielded anything then I hope that it will have contributed to lessening the fear surrounding H1N1 and keeping it all in perspective.  The incidence of ‘fevers’ has indeed slowed to a trickle, with only 2 today so I am optimistic that we have seen the worst of it, this time around.

Morale remains relatively high around the School and apart from the sports teams ‘champing at the bit’ to get on with their fixtures, life continues apace.  I don’t know how many times I’ve reminded myself of the “this too will pass” mantra this week, but I remain very proud of all here for their handling of the situation.  Thankful and with warm regards.

David Robertson,
Headmaster

September 22, 2009 - 4:45pm

Dear Parents,

At the risk of a cliché, I do indeed have some good news and some not so good! The heartening stuff first is that the spread of the flu virus has continued to slow down quite dramatically to the current figure of about 30 in various stages of it. In that figure are only 4 new incidences today. The not-so-good part is that the final test results from the original swab have just in the last few hours been confirmed as H1N1. Two other swabs were taken yesterday and we await those results.

However, having spent much of the afternoon with the media and on a conference call with the Central Vancouver Island Health Authority, it is clear that our whole approach seems to have met with considerable approval, whatever the flu virus was. The recommendation is that we do not need to change what we are doing and, indeed, our approach to containment through sensible sanitization should continue.

The School continues to buzz through its regular day of classes, sports and fine arts programmes and the general energy of lively young people. Again I trust that you will feel comfortable with our approach and I thank you for your support. Bruised, but not beaten, my warmest regards,

David Robertson,
Headmaster.

September 21, 2009 - 2:30pm

Dear Parents,

Today’s update continues the trend that we saw over the weekend with fewer students registering flu symptoms and a fever. In the end, Sunday’s new ‘fevers’ was 9 and today’s new ‘fevers’ 6 at this point in time. Once again the stringent sanitizing, scrubbing and separating as much as possible seem to be containing the illness. As you have gleaned from these bulletins we have been able to turn what was initially a tide into something more akin to small but steady stream. We’ll take that as progress!

Resilience on the staff side has been remarkably strong and to date, we’re still only reporting two teachers affected and another two support staff. The basic programme here is carrying on with encouraging cheerfulness all round and I do salute all for their whole approach. We are still practising our ‘relative containment’ where we are tending not to send our students out and we are still not intending to bring groups in. To that end, you will see the postponement and cancellation of different events right up to and including this coming weekend.

To recap, my latest estimate, including students at home is 45 with varying stages of ‘flu, so we’re winning the battle. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have a concern. Sanguine and with warm regards,

David Robertson,
Headmaster.
 

September 20, 2009 - 3:00pm

Dear Parents,

I trust that you are not becoming impatient with these messages! The situation here has vastly improved and we now have only 23 students who are confined to bed. Of the 20 or so students who have visited the Health Centre today, none are exhibiting a fever. In addition, most of those previously affected are firmly in recovery mode. If indeed this spate of cold and flu-like symptoms that we have been dealing with is one common bug then it certainly seems to be relatively short-lived in its general impact. It may well spread quickly, but for most of our affected students it has not kept them ‘down’, as it were, for very long at all.

With only one teaching staff member ill just now, we feel confident that we can press on as normal with our classes and programmes although we will still be following our general containment procedures until further notice. To that end, we will expect the 15 or so day students who have been sick at home to stay there until at least Tuesday.

In closing, I remain very proud of our Health Centre and staff and our House staff for their outstanding commitment to the care of your sons and daughters. My thanks too to you all for your co-operation and encouragement. Optimistic and with warmest regards,

David Robertson,
Headmaster

September 19, 2009 - 1:00pm

Dear Parents,

Today's news update is a little more encouraging and we certainly seem to have slowed the spread of our flu virus.  The extra attention being paid by everyone in every area to the preventative measures seems to be having an effect on containing the infection.  We still have a lot of healthy, energetic and remarkably positive young people!  Our latest figures would show that at least two thirds of the school are symptom-free from any illness and still going strong.  Encouragingly too, a number of those who succumbed early are now almost back to normal.

Particular attention is, of course, being paid to our sick children and they are being checked on throughout the day by House staff as they rest and recuperate in their rooms.  As you may have heard, we are operating separate meal-time arrangements for the well and the unwell.

I trust that you will feel comfortable phoning us if you have any concerns and I thank you for your patience and co-operation. 

My warmest regards, 

David Robertson,
Headmaster

September 18, 2009 - 3:30pm

Dear Parents of Day Students,

I trust that you will have seen my two earlier messages today already regarding our flu outbreak.  Our whole plan is based on containment and we have briefed students and staff accordingly with a host of other measures.  The specific information that I need from you is regarding which of the options I mentioned earlier you would like to take.  i.e.  take your son or daughter home until Monday morning or have them stay here until the same time.

Please let my assistant, Romy Dolman, know what your decision is.  Romy can be contacted either at 250 743-6206 or red@shawnigan.ca

With all good wishes,  David Robertson

September 18, 2009 - 12:30pm

Dear Parents,

Further to my message earlier this morning (see below), we have taken the steps that you would anticipate perhaps to contain the spread of this flu virus. To that end, we are acting responsibly to make sure that any spread to the outside community is minimized.  Therefore, we have cancelled our participation in outside tournaments and fixtures as we have with events scheduled to bring people here.

In that vein, I would ask for your forbearance in dealing with the potential inconvenience caused by scheduled visits and leaves.  It is just not deemed wise or responsible of us to have our young people going out into public places or on public transport.  If you have plans already in place, please communicate directly with Jo-Anne Kingstone or myself if you cannot change them.

Again, the School is coping well with the adversity of all of this and we are carrying on with life here in the most positive ways that we can!  My best wishes to all.

David Robertson, Headmaster

September 18, 2009 - 9:00am

Dear Parents,

Following on from my message to you the other day, I have now been apprised of the laboratory results, as of an hour ago, of one of our first sick students. Unfortunately, this is confirmed as ‘influenza A”, a precursor or parent to H1N1. We await the further lab analysis. Nevertheless, we are proceeding as if we have the virus in our midst and we have fired into action our plan for such an eventuality.

We have cancelled our teams and groups going out from the school for the next three days at least and the same with groups coming in. Students exhibiting flu symptoms have been isolated and are wearing masks to help prevent the spread. They are being looked after and resting appropriately. To that end, we have extra medical staff on duty and an extra programme of care and attention in the Houses by the House staff. I will be communicating shortly with our day student families about staying at home or at school until Monday, rather than going back and forth.

Obviously, the school doctor and I are in regular contact and he in turn is being guided by the Medical Health Officer, Central Vancouver Island Health Authority, Mr. Fred Rockwell, whose advice is invaluable.

As you can imagine, this is a dreaded event for any school and a boarding school in particular, but I am confident that we have the ability to cope with the challenges in a calm and organized manner. I appreciate that this may be a worrying time for you and I am happy to take any calls or concerns that you may have as are the Deputy Head, Jo-Anne Kingstone and the House Directors.

Disappointed, but with warm regards,

David Robertson, Headmaster