Health & Wellness

South St. Paul Schools tests drinking water in every building for lead every five years. The Minnesota Legislature passed a law requiring schools to do this in 2017, but the District has been testing since the late 1980s.

If lead from a water source is found to be over the EPA’s recommended guideline, the district either takes that fixture out of service or replaces it, and then retests that source to verify that replacing it lowered the lead below the guideline. Some fixtures are not meant for drinking water, like bathroom sinks, custodial slop sinks, lab sinks, or hose connections, so those are not routinely tested. Please only take water for drinking from water fountains, breakroom sinks, elementary classroom sinks, or other fixtures that are clearly meant for drinking water.

Staff and students consume more water at home than at school. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has excellent resources for educating yourself and testing your home. A few great tips are:

• Let your water run for a minute before using it for drinking or cooking. Lead frequently comes from fixtures, and running water through the fixture flushes out lead that has accumulated, especially if the fixture hasn’t been used that day.
• Use cold water for drinking and cooking. Hot water leaches more lead from pipes and fixtures, and hot water flows through your water heater, which is extra plumbing for it to pass through. If you need hot water for hot drinks or cooking, put cold water into a pan or cup and heat it up with your stove or microwave.
• Test your water. Lead testing kits can be purchased at stores like Home Depot or Lowes for $10-$20. The kits include information on what levels are considered high or low, and some include suggestions on what to do if your results are high. You can also use a local lab, but they will be much more expensive, and won’t give you better information than a mail-in.

For more information from MDH, visit their website here.

Most people have heard of radon, but many do not know that it is a naturally-occurring, radioactive gas that is very common in Minnesota. Radon is so common here that in 2009 the Minnesota Legislature passed a law that all new homes have to be built with a passive radon mitigation system. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, only behind smoking. The Twin Cities are in the EPA’s “Zone 1,” which is the classification for radon concentrations likely to be over the action level, and is the highest category.

There is no requirement to test schools for radon, but South St. Paul Schools has done so regularly since the late 1980s. District practice is to test every occupied space in contact with the ground in every building every five years, following guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency. When radon over the action level is found, steps are taken to mitigate radon down below the action level, and then re-test to verify that the mitigation was effective.

Most people have a much greater chance of being exposed to radon in their homes than in school buildings. Students and school employees spend twice as much time at home as they do at school on a school day, which doesn’t include weekends, holidays, or summer, when most students and staff aren’t in school buildings at all. Another reason is that all of our school buildings are constantly being ventilated during the day, so if any contaminants are present, they are continuously being removed from the building. Most home furnaces only run when they are heating or cooling, and depending on the weather, they might run only for short periods of the day, or even not at all. They also tend to recirculate air, with whatever contaminants are in it, whereas school ventilation systems completely replace the air in the building several times per hour with fresh outdoor air.

The Minnesota Department of Health has great resources for radon in your home, and they contracted with one of the largest radon labs in the country to supply low-cost, effective test kits to Minnesota residents. It’s the same lab we use for testing our schools. You can test your home for $12.95, and November to March is the best time to do it. It includes the kit, the postage to send it back, and the report. You can order your test kit here.

For more information about radon in your home, visit the Minnesota Department of Health website. 

If you have questions regarding radon in our schools, please feel free to direct them to David Slomkowski, Health and Safety Coordinator, or Mark Fenton, Director of Buildings and Grounds.

Some buildings still have asbestos-containing building materials.  These are materials that are generally away from students and most staff, and they are maintained in good condition and inspected continuously for damage.  Asbestos that is not damaged or disturbed poses no health risk to building occupants.  Most remaining asbestos is also non-friable, which means it is difficult to disturb in a way that releases fibers, like floor tile.

During the past school year and continuing into this school year the following asbestos management activities have occurred or are being planned:. 

• Twice yearly periodic surveillance inspections
• Third-year periodic re-inspections
• Asbestos repairs if needed
• Training of district personnel
• Asbestos removal when warranted, such as during construction or renovation

These activities are conducted in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 763 “Asbestos Containing Materials in School; Final Rule and Notice.”

The designated person for the district is Mark Fenton. He can be contacted at 651-457-9431.

The asbestos management plan can be viewed during regular office hours at the District Office or at each school office.

South St. Paul Schools has a board-approved Indoor Air Quality Management Plan. Our IAQ plan is based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s  “Tools for Schools” indoor air quality program designed specifically for schools.

The plan’s goal is to provide indoor air quality that contributes to a favorable learning environment for students, productivity for teachers and staff, as well as an environment that is as healthy as practically possible. The intent is to provide a road map to assist in managing indoor air quality.

For further information you may contact Mark Fenton, Buildings & Grounds Director, at 651-457-9431.

South St. Paul Schools is required to inform parents, guardians, and school employees that the district applies certain pesticides and herbicides on school property.

Because of such variables as weather, it is impossible to realistically predict the day on which herbicides will be applied.  As a general rule, the district applies only one herbicide—dandelion preventer—twice per year during the summer break in June and August, during times when there is no scheduled use of the affected area.

The district applies pesticides only on an as-needed basis, and as such, it is likewise impossible to predict when they will be applied.  A pest elimination service inspects each building monthly, and applies only category IV pesticides in affected areas, on average twice per year in each building, and always on non-school days.  Category IV pesticides are in the least harmful category, and are not regulated by this law.

If you have questions regarding the use of pesticides and herbicides in South St. Paul Schools, you may contact Mark Fenton, Director of Buildings and Grounds, at 651-457-9431.

Walk like a penguin or a ninja!

Have you ever seen a penguin waddle from one place to another? You probably thought these ungainly birds moved the way they do because of their round shape or short, stumpy legs, but in truth, penguins are just super smart, and very experienced at walking on slippery surfaces. You may have noticed our “Walk Like a Penguin” signs at many entrances to buildings all over the district during the winter.

This is a reminder to get in the penguin mindset whenever the weather or walking surfaces are poor:

• Look down at your footing and the walking surface. Walk around slippery spots if possible, and keep your phone in your pocket. Penguins don’t walk in a straight line either, and they never mess with their phones while walking.
• Take short, flat-footed steps. Slow down! There is no prize for getting to the building first.  Penguins only race when sliding on their butts, and that’s just messy.
• Bend your knees slightly, like a ninja! You might look like you’re trying to be stealthy, but that just means you’re doing it right.
• If possible, keep things out of your hands, keep them in a backpack or shoulder bag.
• Lean slightly forward — this helps with your balance, but it also makes you fall forward if you slip, not backward. You might sprain your wrist, but you won’t smash the back of your head, which is by far the leading cause of serious injuries and deaths when falling. This is especially important when walking downhill. Hills are naturally more slippy because that’s how gravity works, and because of the angle, you almost always fall backward, which is doubly dangerous.
• Place both feet on the ground and check the surface before stepping out of your vehicle. Many winter slips happen when transitioning from a vehicle to walking.
• Wear appropriate shoes and boots, with waterproofing and good, grippy soles.

Remember, safety is a mindset before everything else. Get in the right frame of mind, and make smart decisions.

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent flu. The tips and resources below will help you learn about steps you can take to protect yourself and others from flu and help stop the spread of germs.

1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
2. Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.
3. Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other serious respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, coronaviruses, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), are spread by cough, sneezing, or unclean hands.  Wear a mask in public if you are sick to help prevent spreading your illness to others.
4. Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6. Practice other good health habits. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Click here for more information on how to prevent the flu.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention