- Moyock Elementary School
- Guidelines for Keeping your Sick Children Home
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By keeping your child home when they are sick, not only will they heal faster, but it will reduce the spread of illnesses around the school.

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Guidelines for Keeping Sick Children Home
Each day many parents are faced with the decision of keeping their sick child home from school
or sending them off to school. Often the way a child looks and/or acts can make the decision an
obvious one. However, when the decision is not an obvious one, please consider the following:
Colds: Please keep your child home if he/she has a fever of 100 degrees or is experiencing discomfort that would interfere with his/her ability to perform in school. If your child has any green nasal discharge that continues throughout the day, or a cough lasting longer than 10 days, or is accompanied by fever or chills, contact your doctor.
Conjunctivitis (pink-eye): Following a diagnosis of bacterial conjunctivitis, the child may return to school 24 hours after the first dose of prescribed medication has begun. Students with viral conjunctivitis may return when eyes are clear.
Diarrhea/Vomiting: A child with diarrhea and/or vomiting MUST stay at home and return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.
Fever: The child should remain at home with a fever greater than 100 degrees. The child can return to school after he/she has been fever free for 24 hours (without fever reducing medication such as Tylenol or Motrin).
Rashes: Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages. A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a health care provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child’s return to school.
Strep Throat: A child with strep throat may return to school 24 hours after treatment has begun. Signs and symptoms of strep include sore throat, fever, redness and swelling of throat, and general not feeling well.
Head lice: Identification of head lice requires treatment and removal of all live lice and decreased presence of nits on hair before a student can return to school. The parent/guardian MUST bring the student to school after they have been treated. The nurse will have the hair checked before they are allowed back to school.
Ringworm/Scabies: Ringworm/Scabies must be treated with medication for 24 hours before the student is allowed to come back to school. The school nurse must be notified by the parent.
Chickenpox: Students with chickenpox must stay home until all lesions are scabbed over, approximately 5-7 days.
A sick child cannot learn effectively and is unable to participate in classes in a meaningful way.
Keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school community and allows the
child an opportunity to recover and rest.