Outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease at primary school

| 30/09/2015 | 67 Comments

weps(CNS): Nineteen students at West End Primary School on Cayman Brac were diagnosed as having hand, foot and mouth disease on Tuesday and the school will be closed for the rest of the week, according to the Department of Education Services, who said that there will now be a thorough sanitization of the school. Parents are being asked to seek medical attention if their children show any symptoms of this very infectious disease and to keep them home until they recover to minimize spreading the disease to other students.

The DES said that at this time there are no known cases at the other primary school on the island, the Creek and Spot Bay School, but has not commented on the government-run day care centre or the high school.

According to a release by the DES Wednesday, the Public Health Department was called in to assist with the outbreak and has advised that the school should be completely sanitized.  To facilitate this process, West End Primary School was closed today, Wednesday 30 September, and will remain closed for the rest of the week, re-opening on Monday 5 October.

Hand, foot and mouth occurs most commonly in children less than 10 years old and most often in summer and fall months.

Information on Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

 

 

 

 

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Comments (67)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Aren’t test results, bearing in mind the varying abilities, the true test? Do her students make expected progress or not? Simple.

  2. Anonymous says:

    There are a few fairly simple remedies to this problem even if the principal has her hands tied in regards to actually getting rid of the problem. It is a small class, they all are at West End Primary School, and the students could easily be split up according to levels to work with another teacher and students at their level. Said teacher could be deployed in a variety of non student contact jobs. That is only one remedy.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are right,
      want to bet the education department is not going to do that?

      • Anonymous says:

        Or send teacher to other island school which is often the case with bad children!

        • if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

  3. Anonymous says:

    I live in hope of hearing about a highly contagious outbreak of Honesty, Respect, and Kindness in Cayman. Anyone think it might start in one of our many churches?

  4. Sissy says:

    I am confused; what do the accusations leveled at this teacher have to do with the outbreak?

    • Anonymous says:

      Nothing, just that the parents are very concerned for their children and the education leaders have been unwilling or unable to remedy the situation.

    • Anonymous says:

      Nothing!! lol These are just parents blowing smoke, to cover up their lack of parenting skills. They are just mad at said teacher because they are the only force of discipline at that school and their child was rep-remanded for bad behavior.

  5. Bahama mamma says:

    Sounds like internal politics. Start praying. You all need to get along. You need to wait on God. Please be reasonable and forgiving each other. Give each other a break. We are all imperfect people with flaws and faults.
    People know in a small place what is going on. Stop feeling like West Enders because they are different from others that you cannot get along. Assert yourselves. Get together at homes and write letters. Talk with your leaders and seek solutions. You do not bring on changes overnight. The best of everything as we work together in this community for change.

    • Anonymous says:

      easy for you to say when your child/family member has not been affected

    • Anonymous says:

      10:41 you must be a civil servant

    • Anonymous says:

      We are not in Sunday school. This is dealing with the future of our children. The education department has known about this problem for years but has done nothing. The truth is that the teacher is only a small part of the problem the real problem are the leaders within education who rather than act on information choose to do nothing.

  6. Anonymous says:

    “Hand, foot and mouth occurs most commonly in children less than 10 years old and most often in summer and fall months.” Fall months? What are they? I know of no such season.

  7. Anonymous says:

    It would be sensible to quarantine the Brac for a while.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Cayo Cochino………land of the welfare trough and enabler politicians. You reap what you “sow”.

  9. Amanda the Panda says:

    Folks, please calm down. Google this illness and you will get information. Getting medical attention and treating the illness like the flu with the ibuprophen pain meds and rest until symptoms are gone works. Life has its valleys so just hang in there. Things happen. This illness is not life threatening so that is the up side. This too will pass.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Heard that there were also cases of hand, foot and mouth disease at the Brac high school

  11. Anonymous says:

    Though most of the staff is exceptional, there are a few deadbeats, as in all schools. The Performance Appraisal system should change this. But won’t. They need a strong, intelligent, and experienced leader.

  12. Anonymous says:

    I agree West End has a more serious than this! That teacher is just horrible! And all the complaints written against her have been conveniently hid. I say when they sanitize start with her before she really hurts a child. I hear parents been complaining for 3 years about her madness and not a single thing had ever been done. It’s a sin and shame and the Education Dept needs to get their act together and do something!!

    • Anonymous says:

      You and the other parents need to give it up. That teacher is an untouchable and the government knows that.

      • Anonymous says:

        Why is this teacher “untouchable “?

      • Brac Momma says:

        No parent in his right mind will “give it up” when children are being verbally abused every day by a madwoman who has no business in a classroom. Any parent who has had a child in this woman’s class will tell you that their child had a wasted year. These children are terrified to go to school because of this woman. This is not a West End v. East End issue. This is a serious matter that must be addressed before this woman physically hurts a child. Shame on management for not taking this problem more seriously. The only way to resolve this matter is for parents to refuse to send their children to school and management will have to deal with the problem.

        • Anonymous says:

          “Children first, no excuses, just solutions” – Minister Tara Rivers

          Anyone reading these comments can quickly see that the gravest problem at WEPS right now far eclipses a virus. It is absolutely true that there is a teacher coming to work there each morning, given free reign of our children for hours a day, who is manipulative, unstable and professionally inept. Like so many other commenters have noted, there is a trail of evidence that documents this teacher’s patterns of intimidation, bullying, incompetence and complete lack of remorse spanning years. This is not a person who needs mentorship, or remediation, … this is a person who needs to be removed from our education system. Yesterday.

          Children first? Not in this situation. For years, residents of the Brac have been told to throw away their children’s learning, emotional wellbeing and security for a year, just so this teacher could bumble along in her “professional development.” It stops now.

          How? Write down your child’s firsthand experiences with this teacher. Send it to the Senior School Improvement Officer, the DOE Complaints Officer, the Chief Education Officer and to Minister Rivers. Tell them unequivocally what you expect, and refuse to be placated by assurances that “the matter is being taken seriously” or “a plan is in place.” Brac Momma rightfully challenges parents to keep their children out of her classroom. Imagine how powerful it would be if those families with children her class all kept them home for just one day, and each called the people listed above, the Compass and Cayman Net News to simply state what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. Refuse to accept the lie that this teacher is untouchable!

      • Anonymous says:

        6:57am I ask you this – if your child was at WEPS being abused by her right now would you give it up? When your child begs you not to send them to school out of fear for the teacher tell me what you would do. This woman has serious issues that need to be addressed ASAP. Education Dept where are you??

        • Anonymous says:

          How was your child abused? Was it because this one teacher did not let them get away with what they wanted too? Did the teacher actually put her foot down to the foolishness? Here in Cayman Brac the level of professionalism from some parents are disgusting!

          These parents are complaining about a teacher who has NOT physically, mentally or emotionally abused a student. While her teaching methods are not that as a regular foreign teacher who government hires, who lets the children do as the please because they are afraid of parents and doesn’t care about the academic achievement of the students. But my thing is as well, when I go to collect my child from school I always see all the children running to the teacher and giving them hugs. I doesn’t sound to me like they are afraid of the teacher it sounds like the children of these parents got in trouble and now the parents are vex while the child is over it.

          Parents, if you have such a problematic teacher request a PTA meeting with them to discuss issues you may feel are issues instead of bulling the teacher here on social media. Why don’t you set an example for your child to follow instead of acting more childish than them.

          • Anonymous says:

            If it was only a few parents/students who had a problem with this teacher I may agree with your point. However when it is the vast majority of students over the last 3 plus years, from many different backgrounds the common problem is the teacher not the students. You need to stop living in denial. I think you well know that parents have tried to solve this problem but there has been no cooperation from this “teacher”.
            While you are trying to defend the indefensible you may want to consider another teacher at that school. This person is a “foreign teacher” who instills discipline and behavior in her students. Not by intimidation or inappropriate actions but rather in a calm & professional manner. The results of the schools inspection speaks for itself.

          • Anonymous says:

            You are living in denial my dear. Your one voice compared to the multiple others in the comments surely say you are not correct in your assumptions or observations.

            The files on this teachers are too numerous to count. The fact that parents will tell you they have transferred their child because of her speak volumes. The problem is not the school but rather the teacher.
            Foreign teachers are teaching in a manner that their students are achieving targets. Some of our local teachers also excel in their teaching but when we have a problem let us stop this idea of hiding it and covering it up and then shifting the blame to someone else.

            Facts are facts, the teacher needs to be out of the classroom. Parents, stand up and let your children feel safe in school. Children getting into trouble has never made them fear their teacher. There is a problem, and no, it is not the children nor the parents, nor the school!!!

          • Anonymous says:

            I agree with the other posters in regards to this comment (9:20). When you have 3 years of complaints from an array of parents something is seriously wrong!

            This should not be about foreign or local teachers. This should be about the person, the teacher causing this havoc and the lack of action.

            But I must ask you 9:20 how do you know they were not abused?

          • Anonymous says:

            It is true that she hugs, not entirely appropriate. Very mixed messages here.

          • Anonymous says:

            9:20, I would suggest that you refrain from commenting. It is obvious that you are naive to what is happening. Unless you were privy to details of this teacher’s practice, your assumptions are unfounded. You would either have had to be observing the teacher’s classes firsthand or have had a child in her class to make any reasonable judgements. What evidence do you have to support that kids were not emotionally abused? What do you know about teaching methods? What teaching methods does she use and how are they different from the other foreign teachers? Are you also suggesting that she is not hired by government? What do you mean by other foreign teachers hired by government? Don’ redirect this as a local vs foreign teachers issue.We need to objectively address issues without the expat/caymanian foolishness. At the end of the day, the children will suffer if they are not taught; Expats/Caymanians. How shallow are you to think that the public hugs of a teacher suggest that they are effective teachers. The system is blessed that you have nothing to do with performance management. It is obvious that parents have been crying out for a long time now and have not been getting any solutions. The responses to this article which was unrelated to the issue is proof of a drowning man hanging on to the last straw. I hope the Ministry/Department will finally address the issue putting the children first.

    • Selena says:

      30/09/2015 at 8:16 pm
      you are not as powerless as you think. Google:Teacher/Bully: How My Son Was Humiliated and Tormented by his Teacher and Aide

  13. Da bracker says:

    TB and scarlet fever is also now going around too many people coming that are not been screened Temporary work permit holders don’t need a medical neither do spouses and siblings of government employees These are just not the usual contagious viruses but serious health conditions from third world countries .

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, this whole temporary work permit farce needs to be looked at. Everyone seems to be getting their foot in the door with a temp permit these days. Also, as the case has shown with the young lady who recently passed away after a tragic accident, there needs to be insurance in place whether you are on a temp permit or not. People should have to proof of medical insurance coverage no matter if they are on full permit or temp permit

  14. Ron says:

    It would have been nice if the article included the symptoms.

    CNS: There’s supposed to be an info sheet attachment from Public Health but I haven’t got hold of it yet. Hopefully I’ll get it tomorrow.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Next we will hear that “Mad Cow Disease” is here as well.

  16. Anonymous says:

    What’s being done to quarantine certain politicians that carry foot in mouth disease?

  17. Just Askin' says:

    Alden cetch it too, or he got foot in mouth disease?

  18. Anonymous says:

    That’s the least of the problem at WEPS.

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