When should your child stay home from school for an illness?
Here are some general guidelines for parents:
- Fever - Keep your child home if their temperature is 100° F or higher. Your child may return to school after they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever reducing medications.
- Diarrhea - Keep home until stools return to normal.
- Vomiting - Keep your child home if they have vomited in the past 24 hours.
- Severe cough and cold symptoms - Keep your child home from school for persistent cough or severe cold symptoms.
- Persistent sore throat - Keep your child home if sore throat is more than mild or if accompanied by a fever. Get medical care if symptoms worsen and last longer than a few days.
- Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) is contagious – Keep your child home from school for the first 24 hours after treatment begins.
- Headaches - Keep child home and seek medical attention for persistent headache, especially if accompanied by fever or sore throat.
- Rashes - can be the sign of contagious conditions such as chickenpox, bacterial meningitis, scabies, or impetigo. Keep your child home until they're diagnosed. They can return to school with a doctor’s note when no longer contagious.
Emergency Care and Illness
There is a health room in each school. The school nurse provides emergency care for illness and injuries occurring in school while the pupil is under jurisdiction of the school.
Note: Treatment of injuries or illnesses occurring at home is not the responsibility of the teacher or school nurse.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND A CHILD TO SCHOOL IF HE/SHE IS ILL.
If he/she has had a fever, he should remain at home until his temperature has been normal (98.6 Degrees) for twenty-four (24) hours.
The school should always be notified of any change in home or work telephone numbers. If your child is ill, the expectation is that your child will be picked up within 30 minutes.
If an emergency situation should arise, valuable time can be lost in trying to locate a parent. It is highly recommended that you have a family physician and list his/her telephone number as well.