Dear Parents and Students,

Silver Lake Regional and Union #31 School Districts serving the towns of Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton announce the lift of the temporary ban on all outdoor school activities. After consultation with Halifax, Kingston, Plympton and Massachusetts Department of Public Health officials, students will be permitted to resume daytime outdoor school activities on Tuesday, September 13. The schools are making every effort to reschedule outdoor evening events for the early fall. Rescheduled evening events will be published on the Silver Lake Regional School District website, www.sl-regional.k12.ma.us. Please check the links on the homepage for individual school event schedules.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends that the public take action to avoid mosquito bites and reduce mosquito populations around their home and neighborhood.

• Limit your time outdoors during peak periods of mosquito activity (dusk and dawn) or if you must remain outdoors, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants.
• Use a mosquito repellent that contains DEET (the chemical N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and follow the directions on the label. Products containing DEET should not be used on children less than 2 months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or lower for older children and adults. Higher concentrations of DEET may provide protection for a longer period of time, but do not provide a higher level of protection. If you are concerned about exposures to chemicals, use the lowest concentration of DEET which provides protection for the length of time you will be exposed to mosquitoes, and wash your skin when you return indoors.
• Take special care to cover up the arms and legs of children playing outdoors. When you bring a baby outdoors, cover the baby’s carriage or playpen with mosquito netting.
• Fix any holes in your screens and make sure they are tightly attached to all your doors and windows.
• Remove any standing water around your home that is available for mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes will begin to breed in any puddle or standing water around your home that is available for more than four days. Make sure water does not collect and stagnate in ceramic pots, trash cans, recycling containers, old tires, wading pools, bird baths, etc. Remove leaves and debris that may prevent drainage of roof gutters.

Information about EEE and reports of EEE activity in Massachusetts during 2005 can be found on the MDPH website at http://www.mass.gov/dph/media/2005/pr0902.htm.

Thank you for your attention to this information.