STUDENT ILLNESS – (when to keep a child home)  If you have questions, please call your school health aide or district registered nurse.

The following are guidelines to help you determine whether or not you should send your child to school:

• RASHES – Your child should be kept at home unless a note provided by a doctor states the rash is not contagious or until the rash resolves on its own.
• VOMITING AND DIARRHEA – Your child should be kept at home until symptom-free for one day.
• FEVER OF 100 DEGREES OR MORE – Keep your child home until fever free for 24 hours.
• STREP THROAT – Your child may return after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment and when symptom-free.
• COMMON COLD – Keep your child at home if your child is not “feeling well”, has a fever, has a lot of nasal discharge, or has a persistent cough.
• “PINK EYE” (conjunctivitis) – Your child should be kept at home and treated until your physician feels the infection is not contagious.
• IMPETIGO – Keep your child home from school until your physician advises their return.
• CHICKEN POX – Your child should remain home for approximately one week after symptoms appear or until all papules (water-filled lesions) are scabbed or crusted over.
• PERSISTENT COUGH – Your child should remain at home if the cough is persistent or disrupting to the class.
• UNTREATED DRAINAGE FROM WOUND, EYE, OR EAR INFECTIONS – Your child should remain home from school until your physician advises their return.

Our guidelines regarding communicable disease are based on the desire that your child recover as quickly as possible and doesn’t expose other students to the illness.  In general, if you are unsure whether or not to send your child to school, you should keep your child home for a day.  Also, please let the school know if you do discover that your child has a communicable disease or serious illness.

Colds and Flu

Colds and flu are caused by different types of viruses.

Viruses: Usually can cause
  HEAD COLD SYMPTOMS
  (some combination of):

Sore throat

Runny and/or stuffy nose

Cough

Congested ears

Headache, dizziness

Swollen glands

Fever, chills

INFLUENZA (Flu) SYMPTOMS

Sore throat and nasal congestion (sometimes)

Muscle aches (sometimes very uncomfortable)

Dry cough

Headache, dizziness

Fatigue

Fever, chills-the fever with flu is typically higher than with colds (102-104)

"STOMACH FLU" SYMPTOMS

Nausea, vomiting

Abdominal cramps, diarrhea

Interesting Information

·One of the best ways to prevent a cold or flu is to wash your hands frequently, and to keep them away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Get plenty of sleep (at least 8 hours a night) drink plenty of clear fluids and eat right. Avoiding crowds also helps. Keeping ill children home from school (particularly when coughing/sneezing) can help reduce spread of illness in classrooms.