ILLNESS
A child's ability to learn, perform and behave can depend on how a child feels physically. We ask that sick children remain at home if their illness is, or if they may be contagious, and could cause illness in other children. We ask your cooperation by calling the school and informing the nurse of that illness as soon as possible.
If your child becomes ill at school, the nurse will call you to pick him/her up. If your child has special medical or health problems, please inform the school nurse.
WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME
Here are some guidelines:
TEMPERATURE: Your child MUST remain home if he/she has a fever over 100. School policy reflects that your child be fever-free, without medication, for 48 hours before returning to school.
DIARRHEA or VOMITING: Your child should be free of diarrhea and vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES/ CONDITION: Your child must remain home when he/she shows symptoms of a contagious disease such as strep throat, conjunctivitis (pink eye), flu, impetigo, ringworm, or if head lice is suspected. Please feel free to call the school nurse if you have any questions.
NASAL DISCHARGE: If your child has copious, continuous, uncontrollable nasal discharge, this increases the risk of exposure and illness to other children and staff. Please keep your child at home until the secretions are more controlled.
Thank you for your cooperation in following these health precautions to protect your child and other children from illnesses. We know it can be difficult for working parents to have a sick child at home.
HEAD LICE POLICY
Anyone can contact head lice. Having head lice does not indicate poor hygiene. Head lice do not cause disease, but are a time-consuming nuisance. If the school nurse finds evidence of head lice, the child will be sent home at the end of the day for the parent to administer treatment (Family doctors, the school nurse and pharmacists can provide treatment advice) . Upon completion of this treatment and before the child is allowed back in school, he/she must be re-examined by the school nurse. School policies indicate that all nits (eggs) within two inches of the scalp must be removed before returning to school. This is a time-consuming, but necessary, task that helps ensure that the head lice do not spread to others. Please call the school nurse if you suspect head lice, so that other children in the classroom can be monitored.
STREP THROAT
Most sore throats are caused by viruses as seen in colds or seasonal allergies. However, for children between the ages of two and eighteen, there is a tendency to develop “strep” throat.
According to literature, you can suspect “strep” if the tonsils are enlarged, and if there are white patches on the tonsils and there are big lymph nodes in the neck and under the chin. Often strep throat is accompanied by a low grade fever and either a headache or stomach ache.
The only certain way to diagnose “strep” throat is with a throat culture. The physician will usually prescribe an antibiotic such as penicillin and your child must stay out of school at least 24 hours after the medication has started and until he/she is fever free for 24 hours.