School health policies * new changes this year - quick answers



A sick child cannot learn effectively and is unable to participate in classes in a meaningful way. Keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school community and allows the child an opportunity to rest and recover.

Please see below for FISD guidelines to help you know whether your child should come to school or stay at home.

Please do not send sick children to school.

When to Keep Your Child Home from School:

1. Signs of severe illness, including fever, irritability, difficulty breathing, crying that doesn’t stop with the usual comforting, or extreme sleepiness.

2. Temperature of 100° or above (must have temperature below 100° for 24 hours before returning to school-without taking a fever reducing medication).

3. Diarrhea (episodes of loose stools in 24 hours). A child must be diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of suppressing medications before returning to school.

4. Vomiting two or more times in 24 hours, unless a physician feels the cause of vomiting is not an infectious disease and the child is in no danger of becoming dehydrated. A child should have one or two meals without vomiting before returning to school. Your child may be sent home from school for vomiting one time.

5. Questionable rash until a physician has determined the rash is not caused by an infectious disease.

6. Recommendation of a physician or school nurse.

7. Any symptoms likely to be Covid19 or recent exposure to a Covid positive person. Symptoms may include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Not all cases have symptoms.

**Known communicable diseases (flu, strep throat, etc.) must be treated for the appropriate amount of time as directed by a physician before return to school.

When Sick – Stay Home! Student Absences: It is important that all absences be reported on the Scott website using the “absence” button on the top right! We ask families to please complete the Scott ES Absence form online before 08:30 when their child will not be at school, this includes doctor's appointments, late arrivals or early dismissal . Please keep us updated if you seek treatment/testing and be sure to send that information to me and Scott Attendance .

Please help us prevent the spread of infections and keep all of our community safe!

*See also COVID19 Policies/Guidelines on district site for up to date information as it changes quickly .


Please refer to the FISD link for our general guidelines as to when to keep your child home from school .

Covid-19 symptoms are being reported as wide ranging symptoms: fever (though not often first), cough, chills, headache, runny nose, congestion (nasal or chest), diarrhea, body aches, fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell. Please don't assume they are regular allergies and over-the-counter medicine will resolve the symptoms for school hours or partial days . Even the smallest change can be a symptom for your child or indication that they may be a close contact. For that reason, we are asking for increased vigilance in watching for symptoms, calling your physician for advice and most importantly, staying home. Simply staying home may seem minimal, but it is effective . The virus could be devastating for other students, their classes, and staff on campus and their families at home.

• Please use the absence reporting tile and please be specific in describing your child’s symptoms or reason for absence. Please use the comment section to state If your child has tested positive, and please provide the date of the result and the symptom onset, if any.

Here is the link for the absence tile https://schools.friscoisd.org/campus/elementary/scott/home

These steps are necessary to set up quarantine dates and e-learning. Emailing or calling directly to a teacher, the data clerk, or the school nurse is not recommended solely when reporting an absence. In order to proceed, the absence tile must be your first step. Your child will be provided the resources needed to maintain school work at home until they are feeling better . Please report each day on the absence tile that your child will be out or any update to their illness .

• Students with a POSITIVE confirmed case of COVID-19 are required to quarantine until at least 10 days have passed since their symptom onset AND their symptoms have improved, or since their positive test date if they had no symptoms.

• For current information regarding FISD policies regarding Covid-19 Response please use this link.

These links are to provide you direct information and answer your other questions quickly. The school nurse is here to lend support but may be attending to students and unable to answer your call or email immediately.