Weekend Update 3/19/21
Seasonal Allergies:
● Unfortunately, many symptoms of allergies mimic those of COVID-19
● With Spring and the accompanying seasonal allergies quickly approaching, consider starting any allergy medication now to lessen the severity of symptoms once they begin
● If you child takes any allergy medication while in school, please have the physician write an order and make arrangements to drop off medication
For more tips on seasonal allergy management please visit: https://www.aafa.org/pollen-allergy/
Back to School- Take 2!
As the district prepares to welcome back some students for the first time this year, here are a few reminders:
Please print from this link and send in if you have not already done so in September:
https://www.littletonps.org/pupil-services/health-services/health-forms
● Student Health Emergency Form- required for all students
● Parental Permission for Over the Counter Medications – optional
● Permission for Prescription medication- required for Epi’s, inhalers, daily meds.(Doctor’s order is also required)
Pooled Testing:
Remember, pooled testing is only a screening and is NOT intended for sick students or staff. It does not take the place of individual testing for a person with symptoms. If your child has ANY of the symptoms listed below, they should stay home, call the attendance line, and contact the school nurse.
● Temperature 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
● New onset of cough, shortness of breath (if chronic allergic/asthmatic cough - a change from baseline)
● Sore throat Headache (with other symptoms)
● Fatigue (with other symptoms)
● Body or muscle aches
● Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
● Nasal congestion or runny nose (with other symptoms)
● New onset of loss of taste or smell
Even though the local health metrics have improved, COVID is still here and we must not let our guard down! Please continue to follow mitigation strategies, including wearing a well-fitted facemask, social distancing, frequent hand washing, and avoid unnecessary travel.
You may still give consent for your child to be included in pooled testing using this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiv5E0BikQXmHf1vrh8CYiLmCzR6W1jrx4PdQyhk6stbUd6w/viewform
● New consents received by Thursdays at 5pm will be included in the following week’s pooled testing collection.
● If your child participated in pooled testing, you will be notified individually only if your child was a member in a positive pool. So remember, no news is good news!
● The Project Beacon portal is used only if a follow-up test is needed. So if your child is in a positive pool, you will be notified to arrange for the follow-up test using the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test as soon as possible with the school nurse. The follow-up test will result in 15 minutes.
● Individuals who have previously tested positive (on an individual, not pooled, test) in the past 90 days should be excluded from pooled testing. After 90 days, they may be included again in the pools.
Travel outside of MA:
The Massachusetts travel mandates are changing to travel advisories starting Monday 3/22/21. Stay tuned for the details- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order
COVID-19 Vaccination
Massachusetts residents can now pre-register for their COVID vaccine at: https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine?n
The timeline has been updated for remaining groups:
● March 22nd: Residents 60+ and certain workers
● April 5th: Residents 55+ and residents with one certain medical condition
● April 19th: General public ages 16+
Substitute Nurse Opportunities: Support your community while enjoying parent hours and a short commute. Littleton Public Schools are in need of substitute school nurses. If interested, please contact your school nurse for more information or contact Dorothy Mulone at Central Office for an application - dmulone@littletonps.org