Send a child to school or keep them home?

No parent wants a child to miss school without good reason, but sending a sick child to class can make a condition worse and put other children at risk. The following guidelines can help make that tough morning decision:

 Do not keep a child home for:

1.    Sniffles, a runny nose and a mild cough without fever.
2.    Vague complaints of aches, pains, or fatigue.
3.    A single episode of diarrhea or vomiting without any other symptoms.

Keep a child home when he/she has:

1.    A fever of 100 or more for at least 24 hours after fever subsides without fever-reducing medication
2.    Persistent vomiting or diarrhea the night before
3.    Strep throat for 24 hours after the first dose of medication
4.    Undiagnosed rash with fever
5.    Head lice - till all live lice and virtually all nits are removed
6.    A persistent productive cough and wheezing with thick constant nasal discharge
7.    Chickenpox - Stay home until blisters are scabbed over.
8.    Pinkeye - Yellow discharge, eyes matted together after sleep, eye pain and redness.

Please keep your child home for 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics is given unless you have a physician's note.
Please call the attendance clerk in the office by 9:00 concerning your child's absence.

Medication Safety Tips: A Guide to Protecting Children