January 27, 2005
Click on Detroit
A fourth school has added its name to the list of those closing due to several students suffering from flu symptoms, Local 4 reported.
Grosse Pointe Academy announced Thursday afternoon that it would shut down on Friday to prevent the virus from further spreading.
"Due to a widespread outreach of the flu and flu-like symptoms, and after consultation with the Wayne County Health Department, the Grosse Pointe Academy will be closed on Friday, Jan. 28," said Head of School Phil Demartini in a statement released Thursday. "We will use the three days to disinfect the school and make sure we are germfree when the children return on Monday."
Demartini emphasized that parents should keep their children home on Monday if they are sick.
All Grosse Pointe Academy events planned for Friday and Saturday have been postponed.
Approximately 90 of the 350 students who attend the preschool through eighth-grade school have reported flu symptoms, officials said.
The other schools affected include Divine Child High School on Silvery Lane in Dearborn, St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School on Whittier in Grosse Pointe Park, and Gaudior Academy on Avondale in Inkster, Local 4 reported.
St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School made the decision to cancel classes when 78 children called in sick, Local 4 reported.
"We were worried about the children. We didn't want it to spread anymore," said Maria Elena Murguia, of St. Clare of Montefalco. Four janitors were disinfecting the school Thursday.
Officials at Divine Child High School said that 144 of its 899 students were out sick with the virus on Tuesday and 195 were out on Wednesday.
School officials decided to close the school for the remainder of the week to allow students to recover. The school's maintenance staff will also sanitize the building during the off days, said Divine Child Principal John Kiselica.
"Many of the students that were still in the building were coughing and complaining of headaches ... so we just decided that rather than risk it, we're going to clear the school for a couple of days," he said.
Kiselica said there doesn't seem to be any unusual symptoms associated with the virus, but it has spread to more than 20 percent of the school's population. The symptoms included body aches, coughing and respiratory problems, Local 4 reported.
"Everyone was coughing and sneezing, worried about getting sick," said Divine Child student John Miazgowicz.
Doctors said closing an entire school is a rare, but wise decision.
"If it lasts for more than five days, that's definitely a sign there is something else going on," said Dr. Frank McGeorge at Beaumont Hospital.
St. Clare of Montefalco is expected to reopen Friday. Classes will resume at Divine Child and Gaudior Academy on Monday.
Copyright 2005 by ClickOnDetroit.com.
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