100 Gardner Middle School students out sick, many with flu-like illness

GARDNER, Mass. — 101 students at Gardner Middle School were out sick on Monday and many reported having a flu-like illness, according to Gardner Public Schools Superintendent Mark Pellegrino.

The school nurse confirmed five students tested positive for the flu.

The school district notified the town’s Board of Health and sent an email home to parents.

Pellegrino told Boston 25 News a cluster of the sick students were exhausted from taking part in a play this past weekend.

“This is not yet considered an ‘outbreak’ by medical standards,” Pellegrino said.

School leaders were expected to talk to the school physician on Tuesday.

Custodians will also be doing additional cleaning and sterilizing.

Eight of the sixth-grade students who signed up to attend the overnight Nature’s Classroom field trip at Camp Cody in Freedom, New Hampshire had to stay home because they were ill. The trip started on Tuesday and the students are scheduled to return to Friday.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, flu-like illness is defined as a fever above 100°F in addition to either a cough or sore throat.

Cox Media Group