DENVER -- A student at West Middle School in the Cherry Creek School District has been confirmed to have the H1N1 swine flu virus, the district said Thursday. The student has not been in class since Monday and is recovering at home.

School principal Sheila Graham said Friday is a non-contact day and no classes are scheduled. Crews will work to clean and disinfect the building through the weekend and classes will be held as scheduled on Monday.

On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Health reported 25 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in the state.

The letter to parents of students at West Middle School, posted on the district's Web site, is below:

May 7, 2009

Dear West Middle School Parent(s)/Students/Guardians:

The Tri-County Health Department has notified the Cherry Creek School District that they have confirmed one case of Influenza A H1N1 flu virus in a student who attends West Middle School. The School District and West Middle School are collaborating with Tri-County Health Department to monitor the situation. At this time, Tri-County Health Officials have not confirmed or reported any other cases in the school district.

The student has not attended school since Monday, May 4th, and is under the care of a physician while recovering at home. The student has siblings enrolled at Greenwood Elementary School. Those students and their other family members are not showing any symptoms. They are also receiving preventative treatment. Friday, May 8th was already scheduled to be a non-contact professional development day at the Elementary and Middle School levels and no classes are scheduled in these schools.

As a result of this situation, the District has directed that, effective today, Thursday, May 7th, all after school and weekend activities are cancelled at West Middle School. District Maintenance crews will be working throughout the weekend to clean and disinfect the building.

School is scheduled to be in session on Monday, May 11th, and all classes and activities will resume as normal. Please check the District website for updated information (www.cherrycreekschools.org).

Please continue to monitor your child for symptoms prior to sending him or her to school. The West Middle School nurses will continue to monitor children while they are at school. If your child shows symptoms, he or she will be asked to remain home for seven (7) days. This will help to limit the spread of what Tri-County has indicated is, at this time, a mild influenza strain.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind our students, staff and families to practice these health tips from the Center for Disease Control:

Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze

Wash your hands often with soap and water

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Avoid contact with sick people

Our goal is to keep the children of West Middle School and the Cherry Creek School District safe. We will keep you updated on any changes involving the students at West Middle School. If you have any questions, please call Tri-County Health (303-220-9200) or Cherry Creek School District (720-554-4484).

Sincerely,

Sheila Graham
Principal