Hacking coughs and loud sniffles have been echoing throughout campus in recent weeks, and empty seats have become increasingly common, as the post-winter break illnesses have made their rounds recently. The Winter Concert, originally scheduled last December, was postponed to January due to high absences in Lower and Middle School.

School Nurse Ms. Lorena Beltran is definitely aware of the uptick in students going home early. The health office traffic has been high, with more students coming in feeling unwell. “Definitely more absences and a lot of kids [are] coming in that we have to send home because they have high fevers,” said Ms. Beltran. Attendance data from the first two weeks of January show a noticeable spike in students missing school after the break. Although the highest number of absences occurred right before winter break, on Thursday, December 18, and Friday, December 19, Ms. Beltran believes most absences were due to early travel, with the absences from the first few days of that week largely caused by illness.

During cold and flu season, the nurse’s office regularly treats students with sore throats, runny noses, and fatigue. “I see students come one day like, ‘I have a sore throat. I’m really tired.’ I let them rest because they might not have a fever, but then they’re out the next day,” said Ms. Beltran. 

The health office does not provide over-the-counter cold and flu medicine, and so students who aren’t feeling well are sent home.

For many students, the decision to stay home or push through the day is not new, although prioritizing health often comes at a high academic cost. Students like Spyglass staff photographer junior Allison F. chose to come to school with a mask. “I was feeling really not up to doing work that whole last week, and I still kind of feel like that now,” said Allison. “There’s classes, there’s homework, you can’t get enough sleep, and it’s hard to get well in that situation.”

Teachers are also struggling to manage their courses when, at times, a third of the class is absent. Upper School history teacher Ms. Willa Greenstone said, “When it’s really extreme, like there was a day last Friday…and people were sick, it got to the point where it did impact the class.” Since only four students attended class, Ms. Greenstone was forced to change her original lesson plans.

At the same time, Ms. Greenstone recognizes the academic pressure that weighs on students even during sickness. “There are waves when you see that everyone’s getting each other sick, and people are out a lot,” she said. “I would prefer they stay home and not get each other sick, or at least wear a mask… I get why people do that, but they have to rest and take care of themselves.”

Upper School math teacher Mr. Wood recognizes the dilemma between prioritizing academics and health. “But if they come to school not feeling well, that can impact [other] students in class,” said Mr. Wood. “So I think it’s best they do stay at home until they’re well.”