Hi,
The first year in any new enviorment is a tough one for anyone, teacher or student. They are exposed to all new types of germs, etc, and until their bodies build up immunities against them, well, it's pretty much a given that they will get hit with several of them. Follow the simple suggestions posted already, the hand sanitizers or just really good hand washing works great, for the teacher AND for the students, eat well, get plenty of rest and sleep (a tough one for a new teacher I know), and take vitamins and suppliments like extra C, zinc, and a great one not mentioned yet is a good probiotic. Most of the bodies immune system is in your digestive tract, so taking a good probiotic to keep your digestion healthy will help in a BIG way. They are available at all pharmacies over the counter, and you can take once or twice a day. It really will help. Good luck! Also, he may want to restate to the parents that keeping their child home when they are ill is a policy that should be followed for the health of the entire class, as well as the teachers. Some parents just don't get the importance of this, and with the pressure of getting to their own jobs, end up sending kids to school who really have no business being there. (they give them motrin and tylenol, and cough syrup and hope that none of the teachers will notice that their child is too ill to be at school. Then the meds wear off 4 to 6 hrs later, and the kid feels horrible, and it is almost time to go home so most schools will allow the child to remian for the rest of the day unless they are vomiting. However, it is unfair to the sick child and now the germs have spread throughout the class and school, bus or wherever the child has been.) Unfortunatly, most of these viruses etc., are most contageous BEFORE the symptoms are present, but it does not mean that your son cannot take precautions. Good luck! Keeping himself healthy at all times will help his body stay healthy when these germs are going around! It will get easier in the following years.