Welcome back. September is an exciting time as we welcome students and staff back for another year. Our new school calendar should have arrived in your house- holds at the end August. Please join us for a concer t , a game or any of our fun student events.

The first day of school also marks the date of the Build- ing Maintenance Levy vote. With the passage of the Building Bond Referendum, the federal stimulus package will pay for approximately $700,000 towards the payment of the proposed maintenance bond. Like many federal programs, such as "Cash For Clunkers", this is only available for a limited time. Passage of the bond this fall also allows Staples Motley schools to access the low interest rates currently available and to take advantage of the current market for receiving the construction bids to make the necessary facility improvements.

School district construction projects throughout the state have been coming in extremely well, allowing communities to save significant dollars and get a very good value for their investment.

By being mindful of our commitment to students and taxpayers, only essential items have been identified for the bond, resulting in a cost of $3.08, per month, to the average homeowner. If passed, the money will be used to insulate and replace roofs, replace old, inefficient single pane windows, replace worn flooring, in needed areas, throughout schools, renovate restrooms to accommodate persons with disabilities, close Freshwater Education Cooperative building and move to high school, install a biomass burner. For more information about these projects and other referendum information, please watch for the next edition of the Cardinal Chronicle or contact me at 218-894-2430.

This fall/winter we will be dealing with both seasonal influenza and the H1N1. Both forms of the flu are highly contagious, mostly spread by coughing and sneezing. H1N1 is different than seasonal flu in that the largest number of hospitalized cases of H1N1 has been in people between ages 5-24 (schoolage children); for seasonal flu most hospitalized cases are among older people.

We want to keep the school open for students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. We are working closely with state and local agencies to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools. For now, we are doing everything we can to keep our school functioning as usual.

Here are a few things you can do to help:

o Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water.

o Teach your children not so share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues.

o Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.

o Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or do not have signs of a fever, without using fever reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.

o Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.

If the flu becomes more severe, we will take additional steps to prevent the spread of the disease. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.

Our preschool literacy program, the "Birthday Club" continues. If you are new to the area or have moved, please make sure to update your address with one of our elementary school offices (Motley at 218-652-6170 or Staples at 218-894-2433). We want to keep your child on our mailing list so they stay part of our Birthday Club.

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday, Sept. 8, for the Building Bond Referendum. If you have any questions about when and where to cast your ballot, please call 218-894-2430.

For more information about what is happening in our district, check our website (www.isd2170. k12.mn.us) and our Facebook page to be aware of what's happening in our schools. If you have questions, please contact me at 218-894-2430 or mschmitz@ isd2170.k12.mn.us.