More information can be found at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) School and Child Care Settings website CDPHE
The best way to remain healthy and prevent illness from spreading is through good hand washing habits (washing hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, blowing nose, sneezing/coughing, and before/after eating), getting vaccinated for preventable diseases, and staying home when sick!
Stay home when sick!
· If your student is not feeling well enough to take part in their usual activities due to illness symptoms, they should stay home.
· If your student needs to be picked up from school, have a plan in place to pick them up as soon as possible.
Fever
· Defined as a body temperature over 100.4° F.
· Students may return to school after being 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen).
Vomiting/Diarrhea
· Students may return to school 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea unless it is caused by an illness that requires them to stay home longer.
· If your student has a medical condition that causes them to have spit-up, reflux, or loose stools regularly, please work with your school nurse to develop a plan.
Cough
· Remind students to cough into their elbow; this helps keep the hands clean and decreases the spread of illness.
· If the cough is severe or uncontrolled, keep your student home
· If a cough lasts longer than two weeks, we encourage checking in with your healthcare provider.
Lice (Signs of Lice)
· Itching of the scalp, presence of live lice, eggs attached to the hair shaft, or small pinpoint scabs at the base of the hairline.
· If live lice are present, students may remain in school until the end of the school day; however, they cannot return until after receiving an approved pediculicide (lice) treatment per CDPHE guidelines.
· Reminder: Lice is a Nuisance and not a public health concern
· This means it is not a reportable infectious disease, as it does not spread disease.
· It is not due to poor hygiene habits.
· We do not send notification letters home to the school community when lice cases are present, unless directed by the public health department.
· We do not perform routine classroom-wide lice checks.
Vaccines
· Many childhood/school-aged illnesses can be prevented by receiving routine vaccines. Talk with your student’s healthcare provider or school nurse for more information.
Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school a healthy and safe place to be for your children!
Cherry Creek School District Health Services Department