Hand Washing is always the best defense against illness!  Review the steps of proper handwashing with your child frequently! 

 

Illness Guidelines:

 

You are encouraged to keep your child home from school if he/she is sick.  This helps to maintain the overall health and wellness of the school.  Your child should remain home from school if:

 

Vomiting/Diarrhea within the past 24 hours:  Students should be able to tolerate foods/fluids for a full 24 hours following a "stomach bug" with vomitting and/or diarrhea. They should be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.

 

Fever Free during the last 24 hours:  Your child should remain fever free without the aid of fever reducing medication such as Tylenol or Motrin for 24 hours before returning to school. A fever is generally a symptom of an illness which is contagious to others. Children who come to school too early after a fever typically start to fatigue during the school day.

 

Coughing that is uncontrollable: If your child is consistently coughing, he/she will be distracted during the school day. Uncontrollable coughing, especially with inconsistent covering of the mouth, is a major contributor to the spread of illness.

 

Diagnosis of Strep Throat or Scarlet Fever: Your child should not return to school after a strep infection until he/she has completed 24 hours of antibiotics. Your child must also be fever free as stated above.  Also, please make sure your child feels up to going to school. Even after treatment of antibiotics, your child may be feeling ill.

 

An open/draining sore or wound that has not been evaluated by the doctor:  Skin infections can spread easily to others especially in an elementary school setting. 

 

A red/crusty/weepy eye: This may indicate a pink eye infection (conjunctivitis). Pink eye is highly contagious to others.  Your child may return to school afer he/she has been seen by a doctor and on antibiotics for 24 hours.

 

Please make sure your contact information is up to date in the school's system.  In the event that your child becomes sick at school, please have a plan in place for them to be promptly picked up from school. 

 

 

RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER AN INJURY/ACCIDENT:

 

If your child has been injured and is returning to school with a cast/crutches/concussion.  Please notify the school nurse and provide a doctor's note to the health office.  This note should include any restrictions at school (PE Exclusions etc) and mobility limitations (must use crutches etc).