School Health Services

In an effort to promote good health in all children, it's important that you keep your child home from school for an illness or communicable disease. A child who truly does not feel well enough to participate in class should stay home, not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of the other students. One of the questions many parents have is when not to send their child to school. 

Here are some general guidelines for you to follow to help make that decision:

Temperature

If your child's temperature is 100.4 degrees or above, please do not send him/her to school. They may return to school after they have been without a fever (without the aid of fever reducing medications) for 24 hours.

Diarrhea

Three or more unexplained episodes of watery or loose stools over 24 hours OR sudden onset of loose stools. May return to school 24 hours after last episode and able to tolerate a normal diet.

Vomiting

Unexplained episode(s) of vomiting. May return once vomiting has subsided for 24 hours and can tolerate a normal diet.  

Respiratory Illness or Cough

Serious, sustained coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. May return when symptoms are improving and will not disrupt the learning environment.

Sores/Rash

Presence of uncover-able sores or an undiagnosed rash. May return to school once sores have scabbed, able to be covered, or with doctor's note. 

Suspected Pink-eye

Presence of irritation of the eye accompanied by tears, swelling of the lids, extreme sensitivity to light, and the buildup of a sticky fluid that dries to a straw-colored, crusty material accumulating at the corners of the eye. May return to school once diagnosed by a medical provider and prescribed medication has been taken for 24 hours. 

Head Lice

Presence of live lice or nits. May return to school after receiving treatment and cleared by the School Nurse. 

Other

At the discretion of school health services or the student is requiring more care than the school can safely provide.

If your student has been seen by a medical provider, please obtain a school excuse and return it to the front office of your student's school. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the health of your student, please contact the school nurse. 

You can help your child stay healthy by encouraging frequent and thorough hand washing. Hand washing is the single most important defense against disease. Dirty hands spread bacteria and viruses that cause diseases. Teach your child to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating.

Please note that the KEY to stopping the spread of illnesses is good hand washing! It is important to encourage children to wash their hands before eating, after playing outdoors, after using the bathroom and after blowing their noses or sneezing. Even though hands appear to be clean, they may carry germs and microorganisms that are capable of causing disease.

4 simple steps to keeping hands clean

1. Wet your hands with warm running water.
2. Add soap, then rub your hands together to make a soapy lather. Do this away from the running water for at least 20 seconds, washing the front and back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and around your nails.
3. Rinse your hands well under warm running water, letting the water run back into the sink, not down to your elbows.
4. Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel. Then turn the water off with a clean paper towel and dispose of properly.