ACS Athens: American Community Schools

Hand Hygiene 

• Students and staff are encouraged to wash their hands often with soap and water. Liquid soap, paper towels or air blow dryers are available in all bathrooms. 
• Parents should teach their children the importance of good hand washing especially before eating, after using the restroom and when coughing and sneezing. 
• If soap and water is not available, alcohol based hand sanitizer has been placed in all classrooms, offices, libraries etc. Apply one squirt into the palm of the hand, rub it well over the entire surface of the hands until it dries.

Respiratory Etiquette 

• Everyone should be covering their coughs and sneezes by using a tissue.
• Tissues should then be disposed of immediately in a trash can. 
• If a tissue in not available, cough into an arm or sleeve.
• Teach children to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. 

Routine Cleaning 

• Housekeeping will be cleaning surfaces and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact such as desk tops, cafeteria tables, door handles, handrails, etc. 

Stay home when sick!

• Students and staff should remain at home when ill and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to prevent the spread of illness.
• Students who are ill and miss formal exams (IB exams, Mid terms, or Finals) must present a written doctor’s excuse when they return to school.
• Teachers should be alert for students who have come to school sick or become ill during the school day and send those students to the Health Office for evaluation. 
• Any student deemed too ill to stay in school will be kept in the Health Office until picked up by a parent and taken home.
• If you become ill with flu-like symptoms, you should call your doctor for advice to see if treatment and testing are necessary.
• Any individual with chronic medical conditions such as heart or lung problems, diabetes, asthma or a weakened immune system should seek medical treatment early.
• Sick individuals should remain at home until free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Aspirin should never be given to children below the age of 16. Give Depon or Ibuprofen instead.
• Parents and staff are encouraged to inform the school of any absences due to flu-like illness and especially any confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu.
• A daily report is sent to the Greek Ministry of Education informing them of any confirmed H1N1 cases and the number of students and staff absentees.

Last updated on November 6, 2009 by ACS Admin