Is Your Child Too Sick For School
It can be difficult to decide about whether your child is sick enough to stay home from school. The main reasons for keeping your child home are if he/she is too sick to be comfortable at school or there is a possibility of spreading a contagious disease to other children/staff.
As a rule of thumb, a child should stay home if:
*A fever (more than 100 with or without medicine) The student must be 24 hours WITHOUT a fever AND WITHOUT medicine to reduce the fever in order to return to school. (If you have to give medicine to keep the fever down, the child needs to stay home)
*Vomited *Diarrhea *Frequent coughing *Persistent pain (ear, stomach, throat)
*Rash
The following guidelines may help you make your decision:
1. A runny nose is the way many children respond to pollen, dust, or a cold/virus. Many cold or allergy symptoms should not be a reason to miss school. Discuss with your child’s doctor medicines that can help with these symptoms (runny nose, itching/watery eyes/sneezing).
2. Coughing, especially if it is persistent, can indicate worsening cold or allergy symptoms. It can also be a sign of a secondary infection which would require a doctor to treat. It may also indicate asthma- which would also require a doctor.
3. Diarrhea and vomiting make children uncomfortable. If your child is having watery stools and/or is vomiting keep them home. Keep the child home for 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea. If the diarrhea/vomiting is accompanied by a fever or rash contact the doctor.
4. Strep throat is highly contagious. The symptoms are usually a sudden complaint of a sore throat and fever. The child may also complain of a stomachache and headache. The child should stay home until he/she has been without a fever and has been on antibiotics for 24 hours.**
5. Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) can be caused by a virus, bacteria or allergies. The eye can become red, irritated, and sensitive to light. Often there is drainage from the eye as well that can be clear, cloudy, or yellow. The child should be kept home until no longer having drainage and has been on antibiotics for 24 hours (or cleared by a doctor to return).
6. Ear infections can cause pain and sometimes a fever. If the pain is severe or persists, please have the child seen by a doctor and if a fever develops, keep the child home until without a fever for 24 hours.**
7. Flu or COVID is contagious. The symptoms can be mild or severe. They include body aches, fever, chills, congestion, sore throat and sometimes a stomachache. The child should be kept home until cleared by a doctor and without a fever for 24 hours.**
8. Lice can spread quickly in a school. As soon as lice or the eggs are discovered please notify the school nurse and treat the child (treatments and/or combing to remove all lice/nits). Keep the child home until you have treated them. Once you have, the child must be cleared by a doctor, health department or the school nurse to return to class.
***ALWAYS SEND A NOTE OR MEDICAL EXCUSE EVERY TIME YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT ***