Healthy Tips

Tips for Keeping Your Child Healthy For School

Note:  If your child does not feel well, it is best to keep them at home for the day.  Please be sure to call the school office to report their absence.

Hand washing is the best defense to ward off all the germs encountered throughout the day.  Hint-Please remember to have your children wash their hands after toileting and before eating!  However, if they do become ill...

Common Childhood Illnesses-The Virginia State Code requires that students be excluded from school if they have a contagious or infectious disease.  Please observe the following guidelines before allowing the student to return to school after an illness:

Colds-Please teach your child to cover their mouths when coughing, and to throw their tissues away after blowing their nose.  If they feel well enough, and do not have a fever or excessive cough, they may attend school.

Runny Noses / Draining Ears-If your child should have yellow or greenish drainage from their nose or ears, they should be taken to the doctor to be checked for a possible infection.

Fever-An oral temperature over 100 degrees F. is considered a fever.  If your child has been ill and has a fever during the evening, the child should be kept home the next day as the morning temperature may be normal, but then rise by the afternoon.

Strep Throat-If your child has strep throat, they must stay home for 24 hours from the time the antibiotics were started.

Pink Eye-If your child has “pink eye” (conjunctivitis), they will need to see a doctor who will be able to diagnose if it is a viral or bacterial infection.  Your child must stay home at least 24 hours after the first dose of medicine is given, and until there is no further drainage from the eyes. 

Chicken Pox-All the chicken pox lesions must be crusted and dried before returning to school 

Head Lice-This can happen to anyone!  However, there are some preventive things you can do.  Please teach your child not to share hats, combs, and other items of clothing with other children!  If your child does get lice or nits (eggs) in their head, they must use a pediculosis treatment and be nit-free before returning to school.  After treatment, the parent must bring their child back to school so he/she can be checked before returning to the classroom.  Always alert the school of your child’s contacts, so they also can be checked. 

Vomiting/Diarrhea-If your child has been vomiting, keep him/her at home until they are symptom-free for 24 hours.  If  your child has had diarrhea, keep him/her at home until the stools are formed.

Rashes-Rashes can be indicators of contagious/infectious diseases.  Your child will need to be seen by their doctor for diagnosis and/or treatment.

Scabies-Scabies is a skin disease caused by a tiny “itch mite” that burrows under the skin, causing a very itchy red rash.  Your doctor will prescribe a medication, and your child may return to school after this medication has been applied.  The itch may continue for several weeks.

Impetigo-The most common cause of blistering sores in children is impetigo, and they are usually caused by a strep or staph bacteria.  Your doctor should diagnose this condition and prescribe an antibiotic.  Your child may return to school  24 hours after starting the antibiotic.  An open, draining wound may be a sign of infection and should be checked by a doctor. Open wounds need to be cleaned and bandaged while your child is in school.