To ALL Students and Parents at F.G. Blair Martial Arts:
With the start of the school year just around the corner, we recognize that there will be increased concern about health and safety in public settings – especially when it comes to communicable diseases such as colds, the flu, and the more recent strains of the flu.
As such, we at F.G. Blair Martial Arts would like to reiterate our dedication to your health and wellness while in our school. Over the coming months we will be forced to take a much stronger stance regarding allowing students (both children and adults) who are sick or exhibiting signs of illness to participate in classes.
Please remember that if your child is not healthy enough in the morning to go to school, he will probably not be healthy enough in the afternoon to go to martial arts classes. As a general rule, if your child does not go to school due to illness he should not be attending extracurricular activities. The same applies to adults and work.
Not sure if your child should stay home? Here are some general guidelines to consider:
- VOMITING AND DIARRHEA If your child has been vomiting or has had diarrhea he should not attend martial arts classes. Your child should not come back to class until he or she is free of symptoms for a full 24 hours.
- HEADACHES Headaches, especially during the winter months, are often indicative of a looming illness and should not be taken lightly. If your child has a severe headache that does not seem to be responding to analgesics (Tylenol, etc) he should not come to martial arts classes.
- FEVERS Please do not send your child to martial arts class if he has a fever. Do not give your child a fever-reducing medication and send him to class. The underlying cause of his illness may still be present and your child should not return to class until he has been fever free, without the aid of a fever-reducing medication, for at least 24 hours.
- COUGHS, COLDS, AND SORE THROATS While the common cold is relatively harmless it is definitely contagious. If your child is overly fatigued, is too headachy or stuffed up to focus, has an uncontrollable runny nose, has a sore throat, has a persistent or barking cough, or has a fever associated with his cold he should not attend martial arts classes.
- RASHES A rash can be caused by a wide variety of factors, including contagious bacterial and viral infections. If your child has a rash, please do not send him to martial arts classes unless he has been checked by a physician.
- RED EYES Your child should not attend martial arts classes if the whites of his eyes are red, are crusty, or are oozing green or yellow discharge. If he has been diagnosed with conjunctivitis (or pink eye) your child should not attend martial arts classes until he has taken antibiotic medication for at least 24 hours.
- OTHER SYMPTOMS TO CONSIDER Keep a close eye on your child if he is overly fatigued, complaining of chills, complaining of aching muscles, complaining of joint pain, sneezing, coughing, or even not eating normally. Please listen if your child seems to genuinely not feel well. He should not be in martial arts classes until he is healthy.
We also ask you to please reiterate the importance of proper health precautions while in public. Please make sure your child understands the importance of covering his mouth while sneezing or coughing, properly using tissues, and the proper techniques for hand washing and using hand sanitizer. If your child is not old enough or mature enough to manage these social behaviors than he should not participate in class until he is 100% free of symptoms.
What we plan to do:
Please understand that we have to keep the safety and well being of ALL of our students in mind throughout the upcoming fall and winter season. If any student exhibits signs of a serious or contagious illness, or has cold symptoms that prohibit him from properly focusing on or participating in class, he will be asked to leave for the day. Decisions will be made at Master Blair’s discretion. Parents who are not present during class will be called and asked to pick up their children. If we cannot reach you or a guardian your child will be asked to sit out of class until you arrive.
Once again, if your child does not go to school (or if you as an adult student do not go to work) due to illness he should NOT be attending martial arts classes. Please respect this guideline.
REMEMBER! You may feel tempted to push through your busy schedule (or your child’s) but taking 1 or 2 days to rest and fight off a looming cold or illness is much more productive than pushing through until your illness overwhelms you and takes you out of commission for an entire week or more!
We take the safety of each and every one of our students very seriously. Please help us to help you by staying home if you are ill. Your martial arts family will be waiting for you when you feel well enough to return!
Please feel free to contact Master Blair or Miss Debbie with any questions or concerns regarding these guidelines. As always, we thank you for your continuous love and support!
Recent Comments