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Children should be kept home from school when they don’t feel well. It is important that they get the rest they need to recover and prevent the spread of germs to other children and staff. If you are unsure of when to keep your child home, please contact the school nurse or your family healthcare provider.
The following symptoms may suggest a communicable disease. Children who have the following symptoms should be kept home from school until a doctor has seen them, they no longer have symptoms indicating a communicable disease, or they have received treatment for at least 24 hours for certain illnesses.
- Fever:
- A temperature of 100.0 or greater indicates a fever. If your child has a temperature of 100.0 or greater at school, he or she will be sent home. Your child must be fever free for 24 hours without medication before he or she can return to school in order to prevent the spread of illness to other students and staff.
- Strep Throat:
- If a fever is accompanied by a sore throat, stomachache or headache it may be strep throat. Strep throat is diagnosed by a throat culture obtained at a medical clinic. If your child is treated with antibiotics for strep, they must stay home for 3 doses and/or 24 hours before returning to school.
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- COVID:
- If your child is diagnosed with COVID they should stay home until their symptoms are improving, and they are fever free for 24 hours.
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- Vomiting and diarrhea:
- If your child has an episode of vomiting or diarrhea at school, they will be sent home. In order to return to school, they must be able to tolerate dinner the night before as well as breakfast the morning of school without additional episodes of vomiting or diarrhea.
- Eyes:
- Pink eye or conjunctivitis appears as pinkish sclera (white of the eye), it is usually itchy and painful. Drainage or crust may form on the eyelids. A visit to the doctor is needed to confirm pink eye and it must be treated for 24 hours with antibiotic eye drops before returning to school as it is highly contagious.
- Skin problems:
- Rashes and infected sores need to be diagnosed by a medical provider. Many skin rashes such as impetigo, scabies, chicken pox, fifth disease, or hand foot and mouth disease are very contagious. Students may return to school once their rash has been diagnosed and treated for 24 hours or cleared by a doctor. Open sores from illness such as impetigo may need to be covered at school with bandages for several days.
- Cough:
- A cough may be sign of many different illnesses. If a cough is accompanied by a fever, sore throat, body aches, or any other symptoms you should keep your child home. Any cough that lasts for more that several days should be discussed with a doctor.
As a friendly reminder, it is always a great time to talk with your children about the importance of hand washing. The best way to stop the spread of illness is through simple hand hygiene.
If you have any questions about when to keep your child home, please feel free to contact me at 608-835-6120 extension 3400.
Anna Helwig
Belleville District Nurse
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