Guidelines for Keeping your Sick Children Home

Each day many parents are faced with a decision: should they keep their sick child at home or send them off to school? Often the way a child looks and acts can make the decision an obvious one. Please consider these guidelines for your student:

Colds: Please keep your child at home if he/she has a fever over 100 degrees or is experiencing discomfort that would interfere with his/her ability to perform in school (uncontrollable coughing and lack of energy).  If your child has any green nasal discharge that continues throughout the day, or a cough lasting longer than ten days, or is accompanied by fever or chills and is productive of discolored sputum, consult with 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 infection may return when eyes are clear.

Diarrhea/Vomiting: A child with diarrhea and /or vomiting should 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°. The child can return to school after he/she has been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine 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 throat can 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 nits before a student can return to school . The student also needs to be brought in by the parent after they have been treated; to have their hair checked before they are allowed back in school.

Ringworm/Scabies: Must be treated for 24 hours with medication before they are allowed to come back to school. The school nurse needs to also be notified by the parent.

Chickenpox: Cases must stay home until all lesions are scabbed over, approximately 5 - 7 days.

**A sick child cannot learn effectively and are 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 rest and recover.