WOODBURY — As we were grabbing our scarfs and gloves, we were also grabbing tissues and cough drops. More and more Nonnewaug High School students have been absent the past month due to the sick season.

“There are a lot of kids out right now,” says attendance secretary Jennifer Alena. “Usually there’s around 60 out a day, but now we’re between 90 and 100.”

A place often visited around this time of year is the nurse’s office.

“This has been the busiest last three weeks in the health office for the school year,” says Nonnewaug High School nurse Sandra Snabaitis. “I think after the holidays, when people are together and people are closer since they’re indoors and droplets are being inhaled, the viruses spread. A stomach bug in the home goes from one family member to the other.” 

Considering there’s more than 700 people, between students and staff, at Nonnewaug, it’s very easy for viruses and bacteria to grab ahold of anyone, whether it’s flu, COVID, or other bugs.

“I think people try to take those precautions, but it just takes somebody sneezing in the hallway and somebody walking behind them,” says Snabaitis. “It takes one person to wipe their nose coming in here and touching my handle, and then the next person touches the handle and then goes down to lunch.”

Students have also expressed the struggle of making up classwork when missing time being sick.

“Last week I had chills and a fever, so I had to leave early,” says junior Olivia Gwiazdoski. “I had to make up a final and chem work.”

Another worry among the students is the assumed rule that if you miss more than nine classes in a half-year class or more than 18 in a full-year course, you could potentially lose credit for the class. Principal Mykal Kuslis says that’s not always true for illnesses provided a student has the proper documentation.

“If you’re sick and you’ve gone to the doctor and you got a doctor’s note for all nine … you don’t necessarily lose credit,” Kuslis said.