Sickness tearing through GS

by Sophia Graham

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Covid-19 and other sicknesses are tearing through Greenfield students and faculty right now. As of Thursday, February 8, there were three known cases of Covid, along with other illnesses like strep throat and the flu circling campus. 

As Dana Batchelor, Healthcare Coordinator at Greenfield, said, “I think it’s just a national trend right now. I don’t know that it’s Greenfield specifically, I think it just might be our turn.” Trends can be seen especially in families with kids in different grades.  

Mrs. Batchelor has begun a health initiative at Greenfield to help educate people about health and hygiene. She will teach about things like handwashing and other healthcare. “This school year it’ll be kindergarten through fourth grade, and the ninth grade.” The ninth grade is included in this because they are taking a required health class this year. The younger kids have a harder time managing their health, and unlike upper schoolers, they spend most of their day in the same room. This healthcare initiative will hopefully help prevent spread among lower schoolers, and by extension, older students and faculty.  

The school also has a specialized cleaning spray to use when sicknesses get out of hand. It's very powerful, and only certain people can even use it. It helps to prevent spread throughout different grades and different parts of school. 

Half of the students and faculty polled who responded said that they have been sick recently, and all said that they know someone who has been sick. This shows how widespread illnesses are at Greenfield right now.