Student Illness & Absences

Our goal at Dowagiac Union Schools is to educate your children and the best way for us to do that is for your child to be in school. Studies show that children with good attendance are more successful in school. We also understand children can become ill during the school year and require your children to stay home due to illness. Below is some information that may be helpful regarding your child's illness and absence.


    • Hand Washing, Hand Washing and then more Hand washing. Research shows that the best way to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses is frequent and adequate hand washing. Our staff are continuously encouraging their students to wash their hands throughout the day, but it is an important practice to continue at home. Having students wash their hands when they get home from school and before they eat is a great routine to get into. Everyone should wash their hands with soap and water for at least 2 minutes every time they wash their hands.
    • If your child is sick please keep them home. We understand that many times students have runny noses, cough, and just not feeling well. If you kept your student home every time he/she doesn’t feel well your child could potentially miss a lot school. We do not want this either, so if your student has any of the following please keep them home. We do not want them spreading germs to other students and staff.
      • Fever of 100.4 degree Fahrenheit or higher
      • Vomiting or diarrhea two or more times in a 24 hour period
      • Crusty, bright red, itchy eyes and/or discharge from their eyes that is yellow or green
      • Sore throat that is accompanied by fever, headache, stomach ache or swollen glands
      • Stomachache that is accompanied by fever, vomiting, diarrhea, sharp pain and/or hard belly
      • Persistent phlegmy cough
      • Unexplained or undiagnosed rash

If you child is experiencing any of the above please keep your child home until he/she is symptom free for at least 24 hours or until a doctor indicates that your child can return to school. Your child must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication such as Motrin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol or etc. before returning to school.

  • Ensuring that your child is getting enough sleep and is eating a balanced healthy diet. These

Help increase the effectiveness of your immune system which is needed to prevent your child

From becoming ill.

  • If you keep your child at home please contact your school building to report his/her absences.
  • If your child is seen by his/her doctor or provider, please provide your school secretary with a

school excuse form from the physician office so that your child’s absences can be waived. Too

many unexcused absences will be reported to our truancy officer

  • Please make sure that your school secretary has your most up to date contact information as well as emergency contact’s information. There are times when your student may feel fine at home in the morning before school, but becomes ill while at school. We need to be able to contact you or an emergency contact to come and pick up your child if he/she needs to go home. Also if there is an emergency with your child, we need to be able to reach someone.

Resources-

How sick is too sick to come to school?- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iNqwC9Q82XfuZY3_JBeLDN7MWZcsYOM-IIrBN5vTRgY/edit?usp=sharing