What I had been saying.. till today (Thursday)

Travel History – Call to Parent/Guardian (or student if parent/guardian is uncontactable)

Updates and Questions to ask Parent:
1. We thank you for submitting your Travel Declaration just before the school holidays. As the H1N1 situation is changing rapidly, we have just sent you a letter to update you on the situation and a Travel Declaration Form this morning. You should receive it very soon. Please assist me by answering the following questions. The information is important to help us safeguard your child’s health and that of all children in the school.

2. Did your child/ward travel out of Singapore during the June Holidays? (End phone call if answer is ‘no’. Remind parent/guardian to submit on the 1st day when school re-opens the child’s/ward’s updated Travel Declaration form which they will receive by post.)

3. Which country did you visit? (End phone call if country visited is not an affected area. Remind parent/guardian to submit on the 1st day when school re-opens the child’s/ward’s updated Travel Declaration form which they will receive by post.)

For those who have travelled to affected areas (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States of America)

4. When did your child/ward arrive back in Singapore?
5. Is he/she well? (fever, sore throat, cough, headache etc…)
If the student has travelled to an affected area and is well, explain that he / she will be issued with a LOA for the next 7 days from the date of return to Singapore. During this period, he/she will stay at home, and the school will make arrangement for him/her to catch up on his/her school work. Form teacher will contact student daily to monitor his/her health. Remind parent/guardian to arrange for the Travel Declaration Form to be returned to the school, or bring it back after the LOA period.

Arrival Date ( Singapore ) Date to report to school
22 Jun ( Mon ) 30 Jun ( Tues )
23 Jun ( Tues ) 1 Jul ( Wed )
24 Jun ( Wed ) 2 Jul ( Thurs )
25 Jun ( Thurs ) 3 Jul ( Fri )
26 Jun ( Fri ) 6 Jul ( Mon )
27 Jun ( Sat ) 6 Jul ( Mon )
28 Jun ( Sun ) 6 Jul ( Mon )


4. When did your child/ward arrive back in Singapore?
5. Is he/she well? (fever, sore throat, cough, headache etc…)
If he/she is unwell, convey this message to parent/ward: “Please call 993 for medical assistance. Your child/ward should also stay at home until he/she is fully recovered. He/She should not go out e.g. shopping, out for meals, take the MRT or socialize with others until the doctor says that he/she is well.”


Note:
* If the parent/student has not received the Travel Declaration Form and the Communication Note by Friday, 26th June, 1200,
please call the school and we will make arrangements for the
parent to receive these documents.

* Form Teachers must update pupils’ health status daily till the expiry of LOA and fill up the template, “07 - Collated Class list for Travel History (2 worksheets)” accordingly.

FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
ON HOW SCHOOLS ARE COPING WITH INFLUENZA A (H1N1)

GENERAL

1. How will LOA be implemented? How will teachers inform students who have travelled to affected countries beforehand they should not report to school?

Before school re-opens, schools will communicate with all parents via multiple channels to obtain the updated travel history of their children, inform them of the implementation of LOA, and update them on any new advisories given out by MOH. The multiple channels include phone calls, emails, postal letters and notices on school websites. Those who have travelled to affected countries will be issued an LOA before school reopens.

2. For students whose parents have been to affected countries, will an LOA be issued to the students?

Presently, these students will not be issued a LOA as the students did not travel to the affected countries. However, MOE will review our measures based on the latest situation, in consultation with MOH.

3. Besides LOA, what other measures are in place to protect the well-being of the student population?

When school re-opens on 29 June, schools will implement a number of precautionary measures. These include setting up stations at the school gates to screen staff and students who are entering the school premises. Those who are unwell will be advised to go home. In the first hour, students will be asked to submit their declaration forms to their teachers. Students who register a fever, or who have travelled to affected countries, will be immediately moved to another room. The school will inform the parents of unwell students to bring them to see a doctor and seek their cooperation to exercise social responsibility and ensure that their children are well before returning to school.

Schools will institute twice daily temperature taking, and closely monitor staff and students. In addition, school assemblies will be suspended and CCAs scaled down during the first week after school reopens in order to minimise congregation of school staff and students. Recess will also be staggered. Schools will continue to keep their premises clean and remind their staff and students to maintain high standards of personal hygiene. There will also be tighter school security. All visitors will also be screened for travel history and temperature taking before they enter school premises.

MOE has also developed a public education package to educate and remind all staff and students on the need to exercise good hygiene and social responsibility.

4. Why were parents not informed earlier that affected students would only be allowed to return to school after 7 days of returning to Singapore?

The global situation for Influenza A (H1N1) is dynamic. MOE has been monitoring the situation very closely. In recent weeks, Singapore has seen a sharp increase in the number of confirmed cases. As travel is the major source of new H1N1 cases, MOE has decided to implement a 7-day leave of absence for all school staff and students to slow the spread within the school community and in Singapore.

TEACHING AND LEARNING MATTERS

5. What are the learning provisions put in place for students who are on LOA? Will there be remedial lessons planned for them?

For students who are on LOA, schools will send the relevant learning materials covered in class to them as part of the home based learning package for as long as they are on LOA. In this way, they will be able to keep pace with their classmates and minimise the disruption to their learning when they return to schools.

Teachers will keep in touch with these students and provide help if necessary. As home-based learning will not be able to replicate face to face teaching and learning, schools will also provide make-up lessons where necessary.

EXAMINATION MATTERS

6. What will happen to students who have to miss their Oral Examinations beginning 2 July 2009 in the event they are put on LOA?

As Oral exams are conducted over a 10-day period, the affected candidate can be re-scheduled to take the make-up oral exam.

As Listening Comprehension (LC) is conducted on only one day, candidates who are unable to sit for the LC (whether due to H1N1 or other reasons) would be given special consideration so that they would not be penalised due to their inability to take the examination because of valid reasons. (Note: such special consideration applies for all students who fall ill and is well-established.)

END

24 June 2009

Dear staff,

7-DAY LEAVE OF ABSENCE (LOA) FOR STAFF RETURNING FROM H1N1 AFFECTED COUNTRIES

1. As part of measures to reduce the risk of Influenza A (H1N1) among staff and students when school reopens on 29 Jun, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will issue Leave of Absence (LOA) to all school staff and students returning from affected countries on and after 22 Jun for the next seven calendar days upon their arrival in Singapore. This will reduce the risk of H1N1 spreading within the school community and in Singapore when school reopens. While on LOA, staff will stay away from school and work from home as directed by their school. Similarly, all students returning from affected countries on or after 22 Jun will also be issued LOA.

2. In addition to LOA for affected student and staff, we will also implement other precautionary measures. The school will be directing all pupils to use the school’s main gate. All side gates will be closed from 29 June to 3 July 2009. This will allow us to set up stations at the main gate to screen students and staff when they come to school. Dismissal of pupils will be, however, via the main gate and the 2 side gates as per normal. When the situation improves, we will open the 2 side gates for students to enter the school.

3. Upon entering the school, we will advise those who have returned from an affected country on or after 22 Jun, but have somehow missed the earlier notification, that they are on LOA and should go home. Those who are unwell will also be asked to go home. We will also institute twice-daily temperature taking, and closely monitor our students. In addition, school assemblies will be suspended and CCAs scaled down during the first week after school reopens in order to minimise congregation of school staff and students. Recess will also be staggered. There will also be tighter school security. All visitors will be screened for travel history and temperature taking before they can enter our school.

4. The additional measures are part of the precautionary measures that our school has already implemented to prevent the spread of the virus among our staff and students. We will continue to maintain cleanliness of our school premises, remind staff and students of the importance of personal hygiene and monitor staff and students for signs that they may be unwell.

5. We seek your cooperation and understanding in the school’s efforts to implement these measures. Let us work together to keep our schools open, and safeguard the health of our staff and students.

6. Before the close of Term 2, you would have submitted your travel plans for the June holidays. However as the travel plans might have changed, all staff are required to re-submit the travel declaration form, attached together with this letter, when school re-opens. If you have travelled to any of the affected countries and returned on or after 22 Jun, you are to stay at home on LOA for the next 7 calendar days. (Note: Day of arrival from an affected area is considered as Day 0. You can only report back to work on Day 8.)

7. Please complete the form and email completed form to our CSO, Theresa at lam_mee_yin_a@moe.edu.sg by 23 June, 2009, Wednesday, 1200.

8. The Influenza A (H1N1) affected countries are those considered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as having community spread and/or are known to have exported cases. As of 23 Jun, these countries are Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States of America. Please refer to the MOH website (http://www.moh.gov.sg) on Mon 29 Jun for updates.

9. Our staff and students’ safety is of utmost concern to us. MOE is in close consultation with MOH and will activate other appropriate measures should there be a need to. We will continue to keep you updated of new developments.

10. Please contact the school if you need any clarification. We will be happy to assist you.
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