ESY will continue to follow the same COVID/ Health & Safety guidelines that the district utilizes during the school year.

• To view the 2022-2023 SY SOMSD Return to School Guidebook, please CLICK THIS LINK. 

• To view the Health & Safety protocols for the district, please CLICK THIS LINK. 

SOMSD Student Health Guidelines

Send Your Healthy Children To School

These guidelines do not constitute medical advice.  For medical advice, please contact your family’s Health Care Provider.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), three key reasons for keeping children who are ill home from school are: (1) illness prevents children from participating comfortably in activities; (2) illness results in need for care that is greater than the staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children; and (3) illness poses a risk of spread of harmful disease to others.

According to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), the school nurse will request an evaluation of an ill child by the Health Care Provider (HCP) where indicated; also, the school nurse will request written follow-up and directions or guidance from the HCP where indicated.

Each day, many parents are faced with the decision:  Should we keep our not-so-well children home or send them to school and see what happens?  Often, the way children look and act can inform the best decision.  Please check your child’s temperature AND review the following common conditions BEFORE sending your children to school.

If your child tests positive for COVID-19 here is the ISOLATION GUIDANCE (from 2022-23 SY SOMSD Return to School Guidebook)

Isolation After an Individual Tests Positive by Laboratory or Home Result: School Procedure: When an individual in SOMSD tests positive for COVID-19 via rapid home based test or laboratory rapid or PCR: 

• Parents must:

  1. Notify their child’s principal and school nurse with date of symptoms and date of test (indicate lab or home)

     1. Copy of SchoolNursesEmailTable22-23.docx.pdf

  2. Call the absence line at your child’s school

  3. Follow isolation guidance below

  4. IMPORTANT REMINDER:  Students who are unable to attend school in-person due to testing COVID-positive will no longer receive remote instruction.   Their absences for Covid-19 will be handled like any other absences for illness, and school work will be provided as it would be in the case for any other illness or absence from school.  

• Staff must:

  1. Notify the principal and/or their supervisor

  2. Follow isolation guidance below

  3. Staff will no longer be given the option to teach virtually when absent due to testing positive for COVID-19. COVID 19 absences will be treated as other illnesses that prevent staff from coming to work i.e. flu, cold etc. 

Isolation Guidance: The COVID positive individual isolates.  Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from those who are not sick - to decrease the transmission of the virus.  Isolation time is:

• FIVE full days from DAY ZERO which is the date of symptoms or date of laboratory test (if no symptoms), 

• To return to school on DAY SIX only if fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicines and symptoms have improved for 24 hours.

• We do not require a negative test to return to school.

• When the individual returns, they continue to wear a mask at school (outdoors and indoors) on days 6 to 10 after home isolation.

The DOH recommends that a home test be followed up by a laboratory test.

• Home test positive? The DOH recommends that you contact them with your home test result via this google form via this google form, which is private and monitored by the local DOH:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14socQvPyJPVL5cJx1-VOH7cuafgIx7RJpAHglIhVOwY/edit?ts=627017e0

• Lab test positive (Rapid or PCR).  The local DOH will receive the result from the lab – so no need to report lab tests to the local DOH.

If it is not COVID-19, here are other COMMON CONDITIONS FOR KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN HOME AND RETURN TO SCHOOL GUIDANCE

• Allergy symptoms (seasonal) – red, tearing, itchy eyes, runny and itchy nose, sneezing, clear mucous.

  • Consider calling HCP for advice.

  • Keep home if illness prevents children from participating comfortably in activities.

• Antibiotics – any condition that requires application of antibiotics or taking antibiotics by mouth.

  • Keep home during the period of treatment to reduce the risk of spread to others-usually 24 hours.

• Cold symptoms – runny or stuffy nose, scratchy throat, cough, sneezing, watery eyes, usually no fever

• • Keep home if children feel too ill or uncomfortable to adequately function in the classroom, or have rapid or difficult breathing - including wheezing - or severe cough, or sore throat causing inability to swallow, or excessive drooling.

  • Children may return to school when they are able to swallow, able to participate, on medication for 24 hours (if indicated for bacterial infection) and are fever free (see Fever).

• Conjunctivitis (commonly called “pink eye”) – pink color instead of whites of eyes and/or thick yellow/green discharge.  May be irritated, swollen, or crusted in the morning.

  • Keep home and call your HCP.  Antibiotics may or may not be prescribed.  

  • Children may return to school when eyes are clear and are able to participate comfortably in activities.

  • Please communicate with school nurse via HCP note, parent note, or phone call.

• Diarrhea – loose or watery stools

  • Keep home.

  • Children may return to school 24 hours after their last episode of diarrhea, when they are not having toileting accidents, and are able to participate comfortably in activities.

• Earache

  • Keep home and call HCP if earache comes with fever and/or behavior change.

  • Children may return to school when able to participate comfortably in activities.

• Fever – defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as 100°F [37.8°C].  Often accompanied by flushing, tiredness, irritability, decreased activity, and general change in behavior

• • Keep home.

  • Children may return to school after they have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine such as Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen (i.e., Tylenol and Motrin).

  • We encourage the use of oral electronic thermometers at home to measure body temperature accurately.

• Headache

• • Keep home if accompanied by change in behavior.

  • Seek emergency medical attention if headache is sudden and severe with vomiting or stiff neck, or if headache follows a head injury.  

  • Children may return to school when able to participate comfortably in activities.  

  • Please report all head injuries to the school nurse.  Please communicate with school nurse via HCP note, parent note, or phone call.

• Impetigo – areas of crusting, yellow, oozing sores, often around the mouth and nasal openings

  • Keep home and call HCP for direction.

  • Children may return to school when antibiotics are started, and if the sores are dry and can be covered.

• Rash - an area of irritated or swollen skin that might be red and itchy, bumpy, scaly, crusty, blistered, or oozing

• • Keep home and call HCP.

  • Seek emergency medical attention if child has a suddenly spreading purple or red rash.

  • Children may return to school when they have started antibiotic medication (if indicated by HCP) and are able to participate comfortably in activities, and if the open areas can be covered and kept dry.

• Ringworm – itchy ring-shaped patches on skin or bald patches on scalp

  • Keep home and call HCP to recommend medication or treatment.

  • Children may return to school when patches can be covered, and treatment started.

• Scarlet Fever – a fine red rash that makes skin feel like sandpaper caused by a strep infection of the throat or another area of the body

  • Keep home and call HCP for direction.

  • Children may return to school when they have been on antibiotic medication for 24 hours, are able to participate comfortably in activities, and are fever free (see Fever).

• Strep Throat – bacterial infection of the throat causing sore throat and painful swallowing, often accompanied by fever

  • Keep home and call HCP for direction.

  • Children may return to school when they have been on antibiotic medication for 24 hours, are able to participate comfortably in activities, able to swallow, and are fever free (see Fever).

• Vomiting – throwing up  

  • Keep home and call HCP if child shows signs of dehydration.

  • Call HCP immediately if vomiting accompanies headache followed by a head injury.  

  • Children may return to school 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting and when they are able to participate comfortably in activities.

Last updated 9/2022