Illness

The School Nurse is available to students daily during the school year. If a student is not feeling well, he/she should inform the classroom guide/faculty member and ask to be excused to go to the Health Office. Students will be released for medical reasons only with permission from the parent/guardian or from the person designated on the student's emergency card.

The school has a strong obligation to maintain a healthful environment for all children, staff and visitors. The school relies on parents as partners in this effort. Parents should not send their child to school ill. Strict adherence to this illness policy is necessary to ensure a more healthful environment. If a child becomes ill during the course of the day, the School Nurse will notify the parents as soon as possible. If a child is not well enough to continue his/her day at school, the child will be taken to the Health Office, where the parents will be asked to pick him/her up as soon as possible. Upon arrival at school, a parent should sign in at the School Office and report to the Health Office located on the first floor of the Administration Building to pick up the sick child.

If a child is absent or has been sent home because of illness, the School Nurse may request a doctor’s note clearing the child for return to school. Upon returning to school, the parents should bring the child to the Health Office to present the note prior to returning to the classroom.

Parents should not bring a child to school with the following conditions:

• The child has a fever of 100 degrees or more or shows other symptoms of illness. The child must be free of fever without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
• The child has diarrhea. Must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• The child vomits. Must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• The child has cold symptoms including sore throat, headache, runny nose or cough or symptoms of another illness that prevent participation at school.
• The child has an undiagnosed skin rash. The child may return to school with a doctor’s note indicating the condition is not contagious.
• If a child has an unusual or chronic illness or displays symptoms about which the School Nurse has concerns.
• The child has a contagious disease such as chicken pox, fifths disease, measles, etc. or a contagious condition such as impetigo. The child may return to school with a doctor’s note indicating that he/she has undergone treatment and that he/she is no longer contagious.
• The child has conjunctivitis. He/she must be on medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Children may not attend school if there is active discharge from the eye. The child may return to school when the eye is no longer contagious.
• The child has head lice. He/she must complete treatment before returning to school. The School Nurse will inspect the child to ensure that he/she is free of live lice before returning to the classroom.
• The child has strep throat. The child may return to school only after being on antibiotics for at least 24 hours and feels well enough for full school participation.

Students who are absent from School for the following reasons require a physician’s statement confirming the student’s ability to return to School and any necessary limitations or restriction, whether academic, physical, or both: 

• Measles, mumps, chicken pox, ringworm, scarlet fever
• Strep throat, mononucleosis, hepatitis, pink eye
• Any contagious illness
• Absence due to an extended illness or surgery (3 days or longer)
• Students who may not participate in sports or gym classes following an extended illness, injury (including concussions) or surgery.