General Illness
It can sometimes be difficult to determine when a child should stay at home due to illness. Parents struggle with concerns over their child missing too much class as well as missed work for themselves. On the other hand, children who are truly ill have a difficult time in class and are less productive in their learning. There is also the potential for increased exposure to illness for other students when a child attends school while ill. In general, keep your child home:
For fever of 100.4 or greater
For vomiting and/or diarrhea that occurs more than once.
Symptoms of illness such as sore throat, body aches, severe pain (head, throat, abdominal), cough, etc.
If you are unsure whether or not to keep your child at home, don't hesitate to contact the school nurse. Students may return to school when:
1. Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
2. Vomiting and/or diarrhea free for 24 hours.
3. Other illness symptoms are improving
Children who show signs of illness or are persistently crying so that they are unable to participate in normal classroom activities should also be kept at home.
Below are some other conditions for which a child may need to stay home.
Students diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun.
By the time a child is identified as having head lice, the condition has most likely been present for a month or more, and will pose little additional risk of transmission to others by the end of the day. The burden of unnecessary absenteeism to the students, families and community far outweighs the risks associated with head lice.
For more information about head lice, click here.
Ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin much like athlete's foot that derived its name from the ring-like shape of the infection. Students with ringworm do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun.
Ringworm can be treated with over the counter fungal creams for approximately one week. Check with your family doctor for treatment options.
For more information about ringworm, click here.
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat that often causes symptoms such as intense throat pain, fever, headache, stomachache, and white patches on the tonsils/back of the throat. For more information and a complete list of symptoms, click here.
Please contact the school if your child has a positive throat culture for strep. Children should not return to school until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours and temperature has returned to normal.
Conjunctivitis
Pink eye (conjunctivitis) is a condition in which the lining of the eyes and eyelids become inflamed, causing the whites of the eyes to look pink. Not all forms of pink eye are contagious or require treatment. The most common types of pink eye are viral, bacterial, and allergic.
Viral conjunctivitis is caused by the same virus that causes the common cold. Many people refer to it as “a cold in the eye.” It typically occurs along with other cold symptoms. It is characterized by eye redness/irritation, and swelling of the eyelids. This form of conjunctivitis will go away on its own and is generally not treated with antibiotics. A child with a cold virus that includes this type of conjunctivitis should stay home until symptoms are improving.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by a bacterial infection in the eye and is the form of pink eye that produces copious discharge from the eyes, often causing the eyes to seem “glued” shut in the morning. This type of conjunctivitis requires a visit to the physician and antibiotics. Children with this form of conjunctivitis should be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.
Allergic conjunctivitis causes redness of the eyes, itchiness, and swelling and is related to allergies. It is not contagious.