Newton South principal: wash up Lions!

Brian Salzer, the principal at Newton South High School, said that not only would the school remain open, but there's plenty of soap and paper towels for everyone in the restrooms.

Updating the school community in this unusual flu season, Salzer said school would be open today, even as students and parents may have their eyes on the warm weather and long weekend approaching.

And yes, said Salzer, there is enough soap at South.

"We have had some questions regarding the availability of soap and paper towels in our school restrooms, and I wish to assure you that our custodial department is conscientiously monitoring this, so students and staff can frequently wash their hands as recommended," he said.

His message before the long Memorial Day weekend was one of several sent out by area school officials, as they deal with canceled events and new calendars because of the outbreak.

The Fessenden School in Newton, for example, had to cancel 14 athletic contests — the last ones of the school year — and none of them will be rescheduled. At Winsor school in Boston, a breakfast where fifth-graders were going to share their writing became a victim of the flu; the sixth-grade’s plays, however, were spared.

Over in Lincoln-Sudbury, Principal and Superintendent John Ritchie told parents that "upwards of a hundred students'' were out at Curtis Middle School, "but appears to be declining.'' "Thus far, only two of these students have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, and clearly many others are students with strep throat, seasonal allergies, or normal seasonal illnesses. State Health officials have advised him and his staff to monitor the situation closely, but have not advised the closing of Curtis at this point,'' Ritchie wrote.

In Newton, Salzer's note also included a note from Ruth Hoshino of the Newton Health and Services Department, announcing that there would be no closures Friday in Newton Public schools and answering some common questions about swine flu.

Salzer wrote that "currently [there are] significant from school, nor do [they] have any confirmed cases among [their] students."

The attached note from Hoshino notes that schools are paying very close attention to its population for any signs of flu-like symptoms. Anyone with these signs is sent home, and decisions to close school are based on the school depend on not just the number of sick students but the schools ability to function despite absences.