Newspaper Page Text
The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - 11
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Georgia’s School Systems Making
Preparations to Deal with Possible
Spread of the Novel H1N1 Flu Virus
“This year, Georgia
faces a unique challenge in
planning for and handling
concerns about the H1N1 flu
virus in our schools,” said
Governor Sonny Perdue, who
sent a letter this week to local
school superintendents
informing them of plans to
continue close communica
tions from the state. “The
state is working closely with
local systems and our col
leges and universities to
ensure we are responding in a
way that will limit the spread
of the virus and reduce the
impact on our students.”
Earlier this year, State
Superintendent of Schools
Kathy Cox and Georgia
Department of Community
Health Commissioner
Rhonda Medows jointly
communicated to local
school superintendents out
lining some of the steps that
should be taken to prepare. In
addition, Commissioner
Medows will host a telecon
ference with superintendents
tomorrow, and another is
already planned for next
week as well. Georgia DOE
has a website for information
about the H1N1 virus -
www.tinyurl.com/gadoe-
flusite . Similar joint com
munications have also been
sent from Commissioner
Medows and University
System Chancellor Erroll
Davis to university and col
lege presidents and from
Commissioner Medows and
Technical System
Commissioner Ron Jackson
to technical college presi
dents.
“In addition to practic
ing good hand hygiene, we
are encouraging everyone -
both students and teachers -
to receive the seasonal flu
shot,” Commissioner
Medows said. “Those who
become ill with flu symp
toms should recover at home
and remember to cover their
mouths when coughing to
reduce the spread to family
and friends.”
Schools can take some sim
ple, temporary steps to help
limit the spread of the virus
and reduce the workload on
the public health system. For
example, the state is recom
mending that schools not
require a doctor’s note for a
student to return to school
because of the increased bur
den it places on doctors’
offices already busy treating
those currently ill. Also, any
students and staff that are ill
should be separated from
others until they can be taken
home. Frequent hand-wash
ing is encouraged, as well as
the use of hand sanitizers,
particularly before snacks
and meals and after bathroom
breaks. Schools should also
reduce any focus on perfect
attendance programs, which
often encourage sick students
to come to school when they
should be at home.
“I know that the news
about H1N1 Flu is unsettling
for parents, students and edu
cators, but I would encourage
everyone to focus on prepara
tion and prevention. Since
last spring, the Georgia
Department of Education has
been working closely with
the Georgia Division of
Public Health and the
Centers for Disease Control
on this issue,” added
Superintendent Cox. “We
have been regularly commu
nicating with our local school
districts and providing them
with guidance, best practices
and the most up-to-date
information we have.
Additionally, we are working
with state and federal offi
cials on plans for a mass vac
cination program involving
schools, should that be the
recommendation of the
health experts.”
In addition to precau
tions taken at school, parents
and students can also take
some simple steps to protect
themselves, such as follow
ing basic personal hygiene
practices such as covering the
mouth and nose when sneez
ing or coughing.
DeRenne Avenue Business Association
to hold Annual Meeting
The DeRenne Avenue
Business Association, Inc
will hold the Annual Meeting
and Installation on
September 24, in the March
Auditorium at Noon.
MarRonde Latson-
Lotson, Director of the
Savannah Economic
Department, will officiate
the installation of the 2010
class of Directors and
Officers.
Tom Thomson
Executive Director of the
Muncipal Planning
Commission will give an
update on the beutification of
the the Main Entrance to
Savannah at the terminus of
1-516 at Montgomery Street.
This being the state's
2nd most populace city.
The Savannah
Entrepreneurial Center and
the UGA Small Business
Center will be present.
Additional tables are avail
able for commercial display.
There will be door
prizes and charter member
ship applications at the reg
istration table. The public is
invited to a reception with
light refreshments following
he program.
Chris Blaine serves as
president.
Savannah Winners of National
Business Excellence Awards
Announced
Hancock Askew & Co.,
LLP and Wesley Community
Centers of Savannah Inc. are
Savannah's winners of the
2009 Alfred P. Sloan Awards
for Business Excellence in
Workplace Flexibility.
The Sloan Awards for
Business Excellence recog
nize organizations that are
striving to find new ways to
make work “work” in today's
difficult economy. The awards
honor organizations of all
sizes and types in 30 commu
nities across the nation that are
using workplace flexibility as
a strategy to increase work
place effectiveness and yield
positive business results.
Step Up Savannah and
the national partners of “When
Work Works”-Families and
Work Institute, the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce's
Institute for a Competitive
Workforce, and the Twiga
Foundation-cooperated this
year to promote the presti
gious national awards in the
Savannah area. The awards
will be presented to the local
companies by Step Up
Savannah, Inc. at its annual
meeting on October 20.
The award means that
Hancock Askew & Co. LLP
and Wesley Community
Centers of Savannah, Inc. rank
in the top 20 percent of
employers from around the
country in terms of flexible
work programs, policies and
culture. The organizations
were evaluated in a rigorous
two-step process, first com
paring their applications to
national data from the
Families and Work Institute's
“National Study of
Employers,” and then corrob
orating the employers'
responses through an employ
ee survey.
"It is an honor to win the
Alfred P. Sloan Award for
Excellence in the Workplace,"
said Harry Haslam, managing
partner of Hancock Askew.
"As a firm we continuously
focus on employees' needs for
workplace flexibility and
oblige them, blending them
with the firm's needs . We
began a concerted effort to
make our workplace more
flexible 15 years ago and our
current programs are an evolu
tion of this process. Our great
est assets are our people.
Without them, we do not exist
as an entity.”
Tammy Mixon, execu
tive director of Wesley
Community Centers, com
mented on her organization
winning, “We are thrilled and
honored to receive the Alfred
P. Sloan Award as a small non
profit.
“We take pride in focus
ing on the workplace and car
ing for our employees so they
may care for our customers.
We actively build flexibility
into our workplace so that our
people can pursue their educa
tion improving their creden
tials, and attend classes during
the work day. This benefits our
customers and our employ
ees,”
Each of the 2009 Sloan
Award winners also will be
recognized nationally and fea
tured in next year's edition of
the “Guide to Bold New Ideas
for Making Work Work,” pub
lished by Families and Work
Institute.
Hancock Askew and
Wesley Community Centers
will be honored by Savannah's
local award administrator,
Step Up Savannah, at its annu
al meeting on October 20,
which starts at 7:30 a.m., at the
Civic Center.
Omegas Donate School Supplies to
May Street YMCA
L-R: Thad Hodges, Peter Doliber, Tremil Tillman, James Melvin, and Anthony Fulton.
The Brothers of Mu Phi
Chapter, Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Incorporated
recently donated much need
ed school supplies to the
May Street YMCA after
school program.
On hand to receive the
donations were Executive
Director Peter Doliber and
program participant Tremil
Tillman.
Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc., is a national
organization established in
1911 at Howard University
in Washington , D.C.
Our fraternity is com
prised of college educated
men who believe in the orga
nization’s Cardinal
Principles of Manhood,
Scholarship, Perseverance
and Uplift.
James “Slim” Melvin serves
as president of the Mu Phi
graduate chapter here in
Savannah.
Attention: MBEJWBEJDBE's
Ui an effort to give opportunity to contractors
for meaningful participation of all aspects of
construction of she Wastewater Facility for
the City of Port Wentworth, Go. hv are
requesting but proposals from potential sub
contractors that would be considered minority
or disadvantaged businesses, Please submit
bids prior to the September 16, 2009
2:00PM bid date. Drawings A specification^
can he viewed at the offices of the City of Port
Wentworth, Ga„ Port City Design Group and
the Dodge Plan Rofttti in Savannah, Snath
Atlantic Cintsimction, ltu\, 317 Hwy 22 f
South. Greenwood, SC 29646. Call South
Atlantic @ (S64I 229-7531. EOF.
W
VISIT OR CA
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