CES Weekly Update

Due to the winter wellness schedule, we have changed our January COL assembly from January 28 to January 23. The assembly will be held in the CES gym at 8:20 a.m.

Our school nurse, Sarah Kartluke has some important reminders for all of us in an effort to keep us healthy! Please click on the following link to read her message: Respiratory Illness is on the rise

This week was a busy one for our sixth grade volunteers. Ezra Miller, Miles Magnanelli, and James Hutchins volunteered at the North Country Animal League and did a stellar job making the meet and greet room shine! They were treated to some quality time with a very sweet puppy.

Lacie Tobin, Eponine Grey, Millie French, and Kahli Provost volunteered at the Cambridge community lunch for the month of January and they were so busy! We believe that it was the busiest lunch so far and we could not have served everyone without their help. Thank you to all of our hard working, compassionate students for their service! They are making a difference in their community!

Finally, please remember that this coming Monday, January 19 is a day off for CES students and staff in observance of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday.

"You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." MLK Jr.

To Complete the Annual Update Process:

1. Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account.
2. In the left menu, select More → Online Registration Update, and click Start next to Annual Update Forms.
3. Be sure to click SUBMIT when finished.

If you don’t yet have a Parent Portal account, email IC-support@lnsd.org for assistance.

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) is Circulating in the Community

The Health Department is reporting that cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, are on the rise in some areas of Vermont. While most cases have occurred in Washington and Lamoille Counties, cases have occurred across Vermont. Most cases have been among school-aged children. Now is a good time to make sure you and your family are up to date with whooping cough vaccination (DTap or Tdap). Be on the lookout for symptoms in your family. Please keep sick children at home to help protect our school community and if your child is diagnosed with pertussis, notify the school. Contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

About Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that spreads easily from person-to-person through the air in respiratory droplets when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes. While vaccination against whooping cough is effective, protection from the vaccine fades over time. People who are vaccinated can still get whooping cough, but their illness is often milder, and they are less likely to spread the illness to others.

Symptoms

Early in the illness, whooping cough appears like a common cold. Symptoms may include runny or stuffy nose, low-grade fever, and a mild cough. After one to two weeks, people may develop rapid, violent, and uncontrollable coughing fits that can last six weeks or more.

Coughing fits can cause people to:

• Make a high-pitched "whoop" when they inhale

• Vomit during or after coughing

• Struggle to breathe

• Stop breathing momentarily

• Have difficulty sleeping at night

• Feel tired

• Fracture (break) ribs

Whooping cough is very serious for babies. About one in three babies who are younger than one year old and get whooping cough need hospitalization. Many babies don’t have a cough at all. Instead, they may experience choking episodes or periods where they stop breathing.

Vaccination

The best way to prevent whooping cough is to get vaccinated with the DTaP or Tdap vaccine, which are recommended for everyone. It’s recommended that pregnant people get vaccinated during the third trimester of every pregnancy to provide protection to their baby before birth.

Treatment

It’s very important to treat whooping cough early, before coughing fits begin. Antibiotic treatment early in the illness can help make symptoms less severe, shorten the length of illness, and decrease the contagiousness of the person who is sick. People with whooping cough are no longer considered contagious after just five days of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Without appropriate treatment, they are considered contagious for 21 days after the start of their cough.

After Exposure to Whooping Cough: Preventive Treatment with Antibiotics

People may need to receive antibiotics if they’ve had close or prolonged contact with someone with whooping cough. People with an uncertain amount of exposure should talk to their healthcare provider if they live in a household with a person at high risk of severe pertussis such as a young infant or pregnant woman, or a person who has contact with infants. Preventive antibiotics are also known as postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis (PEP). These are medicines given to someone who has been exposed to harmful bacteria to help prevent them from getting sick and to prevent further spread of the disease. These medicines are very effective. They may have side effects, which are often mild and go away on their own.

If you are notified that your child may have been in close contact with a person with pertussis while at school, you should consult with their healthcare provider to determine if PEP is needed.

It’s Ok to Have Questions about Vaccines

Many people may have questions and concerns about vaccines. Asking questions helps you make the best choices for yourself and your family. Your doctor or pharmacist can provider answers and help you decide which vaccines are right for you.

Like any medicine, vaccines can cause side effects. They're usually mild, like a sore arm or feeling tired for a day or two.

Recommended sources of information:

• Your health care provider, pediatrician, and pharmacists

• HealthVermont.gov/VaccineInfo | @healthvermont

• VaccinateYourFamily.org | @vaccinateyourfamily

• HealthyChildren.org | @healthychildrenaap

• VaccineInformation.org | @immunizeorg

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center | @childrensphila

For more information about whooping cough, visit HealthVermont.gov/whoopingcough.

You're Invited: Gone Guys Documentary Screening

Lamoille North Supervisory Union and the Lamoille Restorative Center invite families and community members to a special screening of the Vermont documentary Gone Guys on Monday, February 2, at 6:00 PM in the Lamoille Union Auditorium. The evening will include the film screening, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Gone Guys explores the growing isolation and disengagement of boys and young men, a challenge affecting communities across rural Vermont and beyond. While the event is free and open to the public, attendees are asked to reserve tickets and learn more at https://bit.ly/45SK0re.

We hope to see you there.

Resource: Vermont Family Network – Support for Families

Vermont Family Network offers free information, education, and peer support to families of children and youth with special health, mental health, or educational needs. Their resources help caregivers navigate school systems, access services, and strengthen family voice - with a focus on connection, advocacy, and belonging.
Learn more here

Save the Date! HLV Games Gala: Families are invited to join Healthy Lamoille Valley for an evening of fun, connection, and games!

Date: Saturday, February 21
Time: 5:30–8:00 PM
Location: Jenna’s Promise

Admission: Choose your own adventure! Suggested Donation of $10/person or $25/family (Financial assistance is available). This includes game play, costume contest, entry to door prizes and snacks.

More details will be shared in February’s newsletter or keep an eye on HLV’s Facebook page for updates.

Feeling the Winter Blues? You’re Not Alone.

Winter can feel heavy - shorter days, colder weather, less time outside, and changes in routine can affect mood and energy. It’s normal to notice shifts in how you’re feeling during this time of year.

Some signs to watch for include:

• Feeling more tired than usual
• Losing interest in things you usually enjoy
• Feeling down, irritable, or disconnected
• Sleeping more (or less) than usual
• Wanting to isolate or withdraw from others

If these feelings last more than a couple of weeks, or start to interfere with school, friendships, or daily life, it’s important to reach out. Talking with a trusted adult, school counselor, coach, or friend can make a real difference.

Small things can help too - staying connected, getting outside when possible, keeping a routine, and doing something kind for yourself or someone else. You don’t have to handle it alone.

Sharing Priority

Cambridge Area Rotary – Bike for Friends Program: This collaborative community program connects gently used high-end bicycles with individuals who may not otherwise have access to them.

• Donating a Bike: Those with gently used, high-quality bicycles they no longer need can

contribute to this meaningful community initiative.

• Each BFF recipient will also receive a new bike helmet!

• Individuals or families in need of a bike or bikes are encouraged to reach out to learn about available options and the application process.

• No questions are asked about income levels.

• On behalf of recipients, social service agencies, case managers, youth leaders, educators, and the like are encouraged to make requests too!

• For both bike requests and donations, interested parties should contact: Sam Lotto, swlvt57@gmail.com, Phone/Text: 802-793-5509

• Resources

• United Way Resource Page

• Vermont 211

• Lamoille Area Recovery Network (LeARN) is available to support flood survivors with recovery resources: learn@uwlamoille.org, 802-730-9513

• Flooding Resources: All other resources previously sent can be found here