Health and Safety update, 3 February 2023

Dear Families,

It’s hard to believe that it's almost a month now that we’ve been back at school. Time certainly flies by when things are as busy as they are. With a number of things happening in school, outside of school and in the environment around us, I thought it would be a good time to bring you up to date with all things related to health and wellness.

We’ve had a lot of rain and chilly weather thus far this year, so it's normal that students have been suffering from the seasonal colds and flu. Please monitor symptoms and keep Edith, the school nurse, in the loop. We have had very few positive cases of Covid among our student body, but when cases have occurred our protocols have been followed and risk minimised. Overall, parents and teachers are being vigilant and the community is healthy.

Connected to the rains is the issue of water and drainage on the campus. Given the sheer volume of rain that comes down, there are areas of the school where water collects until it runs off or is absorbed. These areas are supervised by teachers and students are directed to stay out of the water, especially during breaks. Facilities have been completely sanitised and disinfected in those areas where we were concerned about water stagnation. I would like to thank all of our maintenance and support staff who work tirelessly to ensure we have a clean and safe environment.

Some of you may have had the unfortunate experience of driving on Kasiba Road between the Secondary entrance and the football field and noticing a foul smell. A storm drain continues to be a challenge for the school and residents in the area. We have been in touch with the Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) and are making every effort to work in collaboration with the LWSC to solve the problem.

If you have any questions or concerns about health and safety at school, please do not hesitate to contact Edith, Shireen, or myself.

Best regards,

Craig Patterson 

Acting Head of School

International School of Lusaka

+260 9 678 123 58

head@isl.sch.zm