McGrath Elementary

Hello McGrath Families-

Our school year is well underway and we have already begun our second marking period. We enjoyed seeing so many students and their families participate in Anderson and McGrath's annual Harvest Festival!

November will go by quickly with parent teacher conferences and Thanksgiving Break fast approaching. Be sure to check out the upcoming events for this month. We look forward to seeing families in the building for Parent/Teacher conferences from November 12th-14th.

Respectfully,

Amanda Pawlik

Assistant Principal

November 5th: No School - Election Day (Staff Professional Development)

November 12th: Picture Retakes

November 12th: Full Day of School - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:30pm-7:30pm

November 13th: Half Day (dismissal at 12:17) - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:30pm-7:30pm

November 14th: Half Day (dismissal at 12:17) - Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:00pm-3:50pm

November 15th: Half Day (dismissal at 12:17)

November 18th: PTO Meeting 4pm-5pm

November 27-29: No School - Thanksgiving Recess

Pertussis (also known as whooping cough)

Pertussis can be a very serious illness and is on the rise in Michigan. The disease is caused by a bacteria that is spread through sneezing and coughing.

• Pertussis can spread easily among susceptible household members and in group settings such as schools, workplaces, and sports teams.
• Adolescents and adults are also at risk for infection since vaccine protection decreases over time.
• The time between exposure to the bacteria and disease symptoms is usually between 7 - 10 days, but in rare cases, it can take up to 3 weeks.

Symptoms:

• In the early stage of illness, pertussis can resemble a common cold. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, mild dry cough, and low-grade fever.
• After about 1 to 2 weeks, more serious “coughing spells” develop that can last for more than a minute and result in difficulty breathing.
• At the end of a coughing spell, the cough may make a high-pitched “whooping” sound as they try to catch their breath.
• Sometimes the coughing will cause vomiting. Between spells, they usually feel well.

Recommended actions:

For people of all ages, call your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms:

• Unusual cough lasting 7 days or more (with or without a “whoop”)

• Cough that comes in bursts (intermittent)

• Vomiting after coughing spells

Treatment and Prevention:

• Pertussis can be treated or even prevented with antibiotics if detected early or before the disease has started.
• If you develop any of the symptoms described above, stay home from school and contact your doctor immediately. Please also inform the school office of any illness.

• Antibiotics prevent the spread of disease.

• Antibiotics are recommended for all household contacts of a pertussis case and for other close contacts, regardless of vaccine status.
• Close contacts are people who have had face-to-face exposure within three feet of a pertussis case, or have had direct contact with their respiratory, oral or nasal secretions.

• Close contacts with cold-like symptoms should stay home and be evaluated by their healthcare provider. If pertussis is suspected, they should stay home from school and other activities until completion of 5 days of antibiotics.

• Hand hygiene, cough etiquette, Immunization and boosters are important prevention methods. Contact your Dr. to make sure you are up to date.

Our fall conferences are just around the corner! Look for communication from your child's teacher to schedule a conference for November 12th-14th.

The Book Fair is returning this fall during Parent/Teacher Conferences, November 11th-15th. Stay tuned for details.

ARRIVAL

Students that arrive by car and want breakfast, will be allowed to go straight into the cafeteria breakfast line at 8:25. Car drop off students that do not want breakfast can get dropped off at 8:30 and wait by the doors. Parents please do not drop off your students until you see adults outside and you have pulled up to the building. It is unsafe for students to be dropped off further back in the line and walking through traffic to get to the building.

DISMISSAL

Our dismissal procedure is the same as it was last year. Our car pick-up line is long. Please be display your car tag and be mindful not to block the driveways of the houses nearby.

ATTENDANCE HOTLINES

If your student is absent or going to be absent from school, please call our attendance hotline to notify us about the absence/reason. McGrath Attendance Hotline - 810-591-5838

Principal: Betsy Kato

Assistant Principal: Amanda Pawlik

Website: gbcs.org

Location: 5288 Todd Street, Grand Blanc, MI

Phone: (810) 591-5827