Increasing cases of the flu have prompted a local high school to close for the rest of the week.

Bishop Brossart High School will be closed Tuesday through Friday, including cancelling all extra-curricular activities.

Today's absentee rate reached 20 percent, prompting the school to send students home early.

The school cancelled their football game last Friday.

Principal Richard Stewart sent out the following letter today to parents:

Dear Parent,

As you may know flu is spreading easily from person to person and school-age children are among the groups most affected. We are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu in Bishop Brossart High School, but currently flu conditions in our community have become more severe.

We are working with the Department of Catholic Schools and with Dr. Steven Katkowsky, District Director of Health for the Northern Kentucky Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take.

Since flu conditions have become more severe, we are now implementing the following steps to prevent the spread of flu within our school. Preemptive Dismissal. We will keep students home for four days (Tuesday through Friday) and then reassess with the Northern Kentucky Health Department. We will keep you informed of when students may return to school.
 
During dismissal teachers will continue to post assignments on the school Edline site so that the educational process can continue. All school activities will be cancelled during the week, including all sports practices and competitions.
 
We hope to reopen as quickly as possible, but we need your help to do this. Here are a few things you can do to help since flu conditions are now more severe.
 
Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.

Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. If they don't have a tissue, they should cough or sneeze into their upper sleeve, not their hands.
 
Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.

Extend the time sick children stay home for at least 5 days, even if they feel better sooner. People who are still sick after 5 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have gone away.

If a household member is sick, keep any school-aged brothers or sisters home for 5 days from the time the household member became sick. Parents should monitor their health and the health of other school-aged children for fever and other symptoms of the flu.

Don’t send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are sick at school will be sent home. Staying home when sick will allow your children to rest and allows you to monitor their health closely. Keeping your sick child home is the responsible thing to do. It protects fellow students and school staff, especially those who are at higher risk of severe illness from the flu.

For more information about H1N1, visit www.flu.gov or the Northern Kentucky Health Department at www.nkyhealth.org . We will notify you of any additional changes to our school’s strategy to prevent the spread of flu.

Sincerely, Richard L. Stewart