The Connecticut Department of Health and the Darien Health Department have been providing some great information regarding the H1N1 flu. For the latest information at the state level, please visit The State of Connecticut's CT Flu Watch website. For information within the Darien community, please visit the Darien Health Department website.

Data from the past supports the view that the situation in Darien has been less than during the regular flu season according to the Darien Director of Health and our School Medical Advisor.   Even though this situation appears to be very manageable, our approach still remains the same:

We continue to re-emphasize the importance of routine health practices, especially hand washing, etiquette for coughing, and for not sharing personal items like food and water bottles. Information regarding Summer programs and camps from the CDC and the Darien Health Department are available as links below.

The links below will connect you to additional information documents provided to us cooperatively by the Connecticut Departments of Health, the Connecticut Department of Education, and the Darien Health Department.

1. CDC Key Facts about Swine Influenza (4/28)
2. CDC Update on School and Childcare Facilities (5/5)
3. Letter to School Communities from CT Department of Public Health (5/6)
4. H1N1 Flu Facts for Families from CT Department of Public Health (5/6)
5. Tips to Parents on When to Keep Your Sick Child Home from CT Department of Public Health
6. Darien Health Department statement on confirmed H1N1 flu case (5/11)
7. Cleaning and Disinfecting Surfaces to Help Prevent the Spread of Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Virus
8. CDC Guidance on Day Camps and Summer Activity Programs (6/30)
9. Summer School, Camps & the Flu (6/30)

Last fall, the Darien Board of Education approved a collaborative survey effort with Darien Family and Youth Options and The Darien Coalition to Address At-Risk Behaviors (DCAARB).   A unique type of survey was administered which sought to obtain data through a broad perspective.  The instrument used is known as The Survey of Student Resources and Assets and it looks more globally at adolescent experiences, including many positive experiences.  It has been utilized by a number of Southern Fairfield County communities.  This survey also was supplemented with additional questions on the topics of alcohol and drug use. 

We administered the survey during a single class period to grades 7 through 12 at the middle school and high school.   The survey questions were completed anonymously, placed into a sealed envelope, and no one in our schools reviewed them. A few weeks ago, the data results, organized by grade, by gender, and by the entire school district were received by DCAARB, who then presented the findings to the Board of Education at its May 12th meeting.  Subsequent presentations have been made to the Darien Human Services Council and to a Co-meeting of the Darien High School and Middlesex Middle School parents.  Other presentations will take place in the future.

At the end of this message is a link to the presentation of the results in Adobe PDF format.  In the months ahead, we believe this information will be the subject of deeper consideration by local service agencies, by Darien educators, and most especially, by parents.  It is hoped that the data will be examined for what it tells us about the many substantial positive assets of our young people.   We also value this information since it can guide us to devise approaches to further strengthen our youth as well as to substantially diminish the prevalence of at-risk behaviors, particularly regarding alcohol and certain drugs.

Should you have questions regarding the data or information presented in the PowerPoint, please contact Moira Rizzo of Darien Family and Youth Options at
655-8973.

May 21, 2009

Results of Survey