THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF BROOKLINE

John Pierce Elementary School

50 School Street

Brookline, MA. 02445

(617) 730-2580

FAX (617) 264-6468

Pipier Smith-Mumford, Ph.D. Joshua Frank

Principal Vice-Principal

December 14, 2005

Dear Pierce Families, Staff and Other Groups using the facility:

This letter is to inform you of a possible outbreak of illness that has come to our attention at Pierce School. Outbreaks have occurred at other Brookline elementary schools over the past two weeks. The illness has not been clinically confirmed as Norovirus, but since all aspects are similar, we are providing a Norovirus Fact Sheet (attached). The most common symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.

To prevent the spread of the virus, we will need the cooperation of everyone. The following must be done at school and home:

• DO NOT send your child to school or go to work if sick with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps.
• Students and staff may not return to school until 24 hours after symptoms have stopped. If you are a food handler at the school and become ill, notify the school nurse immediately.
• All students, parents and staff should wash their hands with warm soapy water or use hand sanitizers, if your hands are reasonably clean, as soon as possible on entering the school building and throughout the school day.
• If any student, staff or family members become sick with symptoms mentioned above, please call our school nurse, Mary D’Amore (617-730-2584 or 2580).
• Any student who becomes sick in school will be sent home.
• Any sick individual should not attend any extra-curricular activities, including sports.

The Brookline Health Department has been investigating on-site today and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been consulted. The school is taking control measures, including sanitizing contact surfaces and increasing our vigilance for signs of this illness in our Pierce community. At this time, our cafeteria and Brookline’s Department of Food Services have NOT been implicated as points of origin.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Pipier Smith-Mumford