Seattle Schools Community Forum

From the AP (picked up by the Times ): "State health officials reported Thursday that California is on track to break a 55-year record for whooping cough infections in an epidemic that has already claimed the lives of nine infants." " Whooping cough is a cyclical illness that peaks in number of infections every five years. Symptoms are similar to the common cold, making it a challenge to diagnose , which in turn makes it difficult for officials to determine if the worst has passed, said Dr. Gil Chavez, an epidemiologist for the California Department of Public Health. A persistent cough that lasts weeks is the tell-tale symptom of the illness , which is also known as pertussis." "The federal numbers for nationwide cases were last updated Sept. 12 and represent 519 more cases than the same period last year, according to the CDC. Other states with high numbers of infections include Texas, where health officials reported 1,783 cases, and Ohio, where fe...

Lowell was broken into last night. From the PI: "A burglar hit Lowell Elementary School early Thursday morning in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Police arrived just after midnight after a burglar alarm went off. A male suspect was seen running away into a neighborhood. A search by officers and a police dog couldn't find him. A police dog and SWAT team were used to make sure no more suspects were in the school in the 1000 block of East Mercer Street." Nothing on the district website. Also from the PI about the SPS and the swine flu , there was an article today. Unfortunately, the only thing it really said about SPS was : "Seattle Public Schools are stocking up on surgical masks, revamping their health curriculum, and preparing for a flu pandemic." I'm hoping the district will send home in the first day packets next week a sheet on what parents should do and what the district will do. I wonder if teachers will add hand sanitizer to the list of t...