Dear Parents:

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Children learn best when they are healthy, but they also learn best when they are in school. So, when your school age child complains of not feeling well on a school day, a decision must be made as to whether the child should stay home or go to school.

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It is important to make the right decision because one sick child in a school setting can result in spreading the illness to others. However, if a child is having difficulties in school, he or she may claim to be ill when they are not, making success in school a challenge due to excessive absences.

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If your child is experiencing any of the following illnesses* or symptoms of illness, please keep your child home from school:

• Oral temperature 100 or greater (Must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school without medications to reduce fever)

• Vomiting (Must be vomit free for 24 hours before returning to school)

• Diarrhea (If student has two or more watery stools in 24 hours, please keep home for 24 hours after last watery stool)

• Rash (School needs medical documentation on whether rash is contagious or not in order to be in school)

• Impetigo**

• Pink eye** (Must be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school)

• Strep throat/infection** (Must be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school)

• Pertussis (whooping cough)**

• Chicken Pox

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**These  illnesses require diagnosis by a medical provider. Follow medical recommendations.  Please inform school of these diagnoses. Additional follow up by the health department may be needed.*This is not a complete listing of communicable diseases that would require exclusion from school.

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Please consider sending your child to school if they have these complaints in the absence of fever or vomiting, as many of these resolve on their own during the school day: nausea, headache, exhaustion/complaints of being “tired”.

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Skipping breakfast is the most common cause of these complaints; encouraging your child to eat a healthy breakfast can not only prevent these symptoms, but increase school performance and establish a lifetime healthy eating habits.

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If your child has a long-term illness that requires extended absences from school, please contact the main office as soon as possible so arrangements can be made for make up work. If your child develops a pattern of absences due to illness, a meeting will be arranged with you, the School Nurse, Principal, School Counselor and your child to create a plan to prevent your student from falling behind in their schoolwork.

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If you are unsure if it is appropriate to send your child to school, please contact your physician or local health department at (262) 898-4460.

Thank you, and have a healthy and productive school year:

 

District Nurse