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To Send or to Keep Home:

Child Sickness Guidelines

The following illness guidelines will be strictly enforced for the health, well-being and safety of all concerned.

Parents/caregivers are strongly encouraged to monitor their children for signs of illness every day, as they are the front line for assessing illness in their children. Students who are sick should not attend school. Children should not be sent to school with any signs or symptoms of illness (see below) or if they are not able to participate in normal daily routine activities within a school day. Sick children expose other children and staff members to illness. We ask for your cooperation, as this is very important in providing a healthy and optimal learning environment for students and staff. 

In the event a child becomes ill during the school day and needs to be picked up, the parent/guardian will be contacted to pick up the child as soon as possible. Please keep your contact information up to date in genesis 

Please notify the main office of your child's absence, including the reason/estimated duration. This information enables the Health Office to track illness trends. 

Any change to your child’s health should be reported to the school nurse in a timely fashion. (ie. surgery, hospitalization, significant medication changes, new medical diagnosis)

The following guidelines will help you decide whether your child is too ill to go to school.

Your child is too ill to go to school if he or she has any of these signs:

  • Seems very tired and needs bed rest (this is common with flu symptoms)
  • Has vomiting or diarrhea
  • Becomes short of breath or is wheezing
  • Has a cough that disrupts normal activity
  • Has distracting pain from an earache, headache, sore throat or recent injury
  • Has yellow or green drainage from eye(s)
  • Breaks out in a rash; not all rashes require that a child stay home from school, so check with your child’s doctor

Your child cannot return to school for 24 hours after any episode of vomiting or diarrhea. 

Fever

Your child should not go to school if his temperature is above 100.3 degrees F. They may return to school when they have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications.

Contagious Disease

Your child should stay home from school if they have a contagious disease.

A contagious disease is one that can be spread by close contact with a person or object. Examples are: chickenpox, flu, vomiting, diarrhea, colds, strep throat and "pinkeye." A disease may be contagious before the child shows signs of illness. It is very hard to prevent the spread of some germs, especially in a school classroom. Good hand washing will help prevent the spread of germs.

If your child has a contagious disease, ask your doctor when they may return to school. Additionally, please notify the nurse of any communicable disease such as strep throat, flu, stomach virus, chicken pox, etc.

School is a child's work. It is important for normal development. Ask your doctor if you are not sure about keeping your child home.