Walking down Greenview Avenue in Rogers Park, Lynette Graham, 38, grasped her grocery bags while wearing latex gloves and a tattered yellow surgical mask. She lives just behind Kilmer Elementary, the school that officials shut down Wednesday after one child contracted a probable case of swine flu.

“I just want to keep myself safe,” she said.  “My kids had their friends who go to Kilmer in my home. Now I’m really worried.”

Graham has severe asthma and an autoimmune disorder. She doesn’t want to risk contracting the swine flu and is taking extreme precautions to keep her healthy.

“I would still walk around like this even if it didn’t break out at Kilmer.”

Graham is the mother of two, a senior and a sophomore at  nearby Sullivan High School. She was concerned after hearing on the news that Kilmer Elementary was closed and went into her teenager’s school to find out what was going on.

“The school just gave me a handout and said it was up to me whether or not I want to keep my kids in school.”

Unfolding a wrinkled white paper from her coat pocket, Graham said that the only thing the school is doing for concerned parents is providing this piece of paper. The sheet contained swine flu information and common questions and answers. She said she is also frustrated because the school nurse was not in today to talk to about additional concerns.

“I just want to make it to my son’s graduation alive.”

The first U.S. death from swine flu was confirmed Wednesday in Texas. Although Chicago is over 1,000 miles away from the location of the death of the 23-month-old, Chicagoans are still concerned about their safety.

“Many parents are full of fear, but I haven’t seen more kids out sick than in the past,” Laura Donkle said.

The 51-year-old Irving Park resident is a teacher at the Chicago Waldorf School. As she watched her students play in the dirt in the school’s playground, she said that the best thing a teacher can do in this type of situation is be responsible.

“If you see a child that may be sick, send them home. Wash your hands, and just be smart.”

A little girl ran up and asked Donkle to help her pretend to plant a garden. Donkle smiled and patted the golden-haired girl on the head and told her she would be there in a minute.

“I haven’t had anymore kids go home sick than I have had in the past. But as a teacher, you just have to be more attentive to your student’s health and report anything out of the ordinary.”

Donkle’s calm attitude is not unlike other Roger Park residents.

“I’m not nervous.”

Mustafa Kasia, 11, is a student at Kilmer Elementary and lives on Greenview Avenue. He was born in Jordan and has been in Chicago for over a year. Although the fifth grader coughed into a fistful of tissues, he said he was not worried about the possible outbreak.

“But a lot of kids are sick. There are ten students in my class who are sick.”

He translated for his mother, Fawzia Dlaifi, who is from Iraq and doesn’t speak English. “Everything scared me in Iraq, but here, I’m only a little bit scared.”

Another student, who spent the day off bouncing a yellow ball up and down the sidewalk, said he knows the child who is possibly infected. The 12-year-old, while biting the sleeve of his sweatshirt, said he sat next to the student in class.

“I’m worried about him. He is my friend.”

No one is confirming who the student actually is. The only information released is that the student is 12.

Phil Carlison, 55, was wondering what all the hype was about and walked up the stone stairs of the school’s main entrance to read a notice posted on Kilmer’s locked doors; one in English, one in Spanish.

As he stood reading with his golden retriever, Bell, at his side, a police officer opened the door and handed him a copy of the flyer. A school librarian in Skokie said he’s not as worried as his son and daughter-in-law are about getting sick. 

“I heard that it may be more serious in younger people. As an older person, I may be less at risk.”

Carlison stuffs the piece of paper the police officer gave him into his pocket and shrugs.

“I’m not that worried. It’s not like I am going to wear a mask anytime soon.”