WHEN SHOULD YOU KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL?
Children need to stay home from school whenever they have a temperature of 100 F or more. Keeping ill students at home limits the spread of certain health conditions and provides you with an opportunity to closely monitor your child so that a physician can be consulted if necessary. Your child should be fever free (while off of fever-reducing medicine) for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to school. Additionally, in absence of a fever, if a child has more than one episode of diarrhea or vomiting it is best for them to stay at home.
With contagious conditions (i.e. pink eye, impetigo and strep throat) children should be under the care of a physician. Medication should be taken as prescribed for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to school. Prescriptive medicine should always be taken for the recommended duration. Any suspected reaction to the medicine should be reported to your doctor promptly. As your child’s health status changes, written updates to school are greatly appreciated.
An ounce of prevention ...
Children often need reminders to wash their hands after using the bathroom, wiping their runny nose or touching an open sore. A well placed reminder from an adult at anopportune moment can go a long way in keeping illness and contagion to a minimum.
Comfort items that can be sent to school with your child as needed-
- Spare clothing in backpacks -for accidental spills and other reasons.
- Lip balm in backpacks - for elementary students that are mature enough to follow parental instruction to keep the chap stick in their backpacks (and not to share with classmates). Students should be able to self-apply to their lips and ask the teacher permission whenever using the product... remember to label the lip balm with your child's name.
- Cough Drops (give to the teacher) - Cough drops should be accompanied by a parent note. Students must turn cough drops over to their teacher upon arrival at school. Then ask their teacher permission to use them in class when needed.
- Sunscreen - is considered an otc (over-the-counter) medication. It can only be sent to school with a written medical order. Contact the school nurse (215)529-2559) if your child needs to have this available.