Guidelines

Colds and runny noses are rampant in the winter months. If your child is sneezing and/or coughing excessively, they belong at home. Oftentimes children will feel well when they get up but will become exhausted and not feel well by mid-morning due to excessive coughing or the stress of their illness. It's important to allow your child the extra rest they need to get well. Instruct your child on proper use of tissues for coughing, sneezing and nose blowing. Children should also be instructed on good hand washing techniques, as more colds are spread by contaminated hands than by infected droplets in the air.

Fever Temperatures should be normal for 24 hours before sending a child to school. If your child has a fever in the evening, they should not come to school the next morning; fever may occur again in the afternoon.

Vomiting If your child vomits during the night, do not send him to school the next day. He should rest and be put on a liquid or soft diet.

Diarrhea Loose stools have many causes. Children should not come to school until bowel movements have normal consistency. If diarrhea persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, consult your physician.

Earaches Hearing is an important sense for learning. earaches should never be ignored. Keep your child home and contact your doctor. If you see ear discharge, with or without pain, call your doctor, in case of a ruptured eardrum.

Strep Throat A child with a strep throat who has been on antibiotics for 24 hours may return to school.

Chicken Pox is contagious from about one day before the rash breaks out to the time when all the blisters have crusted over (approximately 7 days). Children may not return to school until the contagious period had passed.

Conditions such as lice, scabies, impetigo, ringworm, pinworms and conjunctivitis (pink-eye) must be properly treated and non-contagious before the child returns to school. In the case of lice, all nits (eggs) must be removed from the hair.

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