When to Keep Your Child Home/Head Lice
When to Keep Your Child Home
Please CALL your child out sick, keeping them home from school if your child has…
- Your child has a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater. Your child must be fever free (without fever-reducing medicine) for 24 hours before he or she may return to school.
- Your child has been having diarrhea and/or vomiting. Your child must be tolerating food for at least 24 hours before he or she may return to school.
- You suspect your child has strep throat or your child has just been diagnosed with strep throat and has not been taking an antibiotic for a full 24 hours. Once your child has taken an antibiotic for 24 hours he or she may return to school as long as they are fever free (less than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
- You suspect your child has chickenpox. Please call your child's doctor or the nurse in your child's school for advice.
- You suspect your child has Head Lice. Please call the nurse in your child's school for advice.
- You suspect your child has Conjunctivitis (pink eye) or your child has just been diagnosed with Conjunctivitis and has not been taking antibiotic eye drops for a full 24 hours. Once your child has taken an antibiotic for 24 hours he or she may return to school.
- You suspect your child has Impetigo or your child has just been diagnosed with Impetigo and has not been taking an antibiotic for a full 24 hours. Once your child has taken an antibiotic for 24 hours he or she may return to school.
- Your child has a rash of unknown cause. Please call your child's doctor or the nurse in your child's school for advice. Your child can only return to school when a diagnosis has been determined and treatment, if necessary, has begun.
Please note, if your child is in school with any of the symptoms listed above, they will be excluded from school. You will be called and asked to pick your child up from school. Your child will be admitted back to school after the duration of medical treatment and care.
Follow up with a note or a phone call regarding your child's reason for absence. If you take your child to the doctor, please send in the doctor's note regarding your child's diagnosis and the course of treatment when your child returns to school.
Head Lice
The job of the school nurse is to help parents identify head lice and to guide parents in treatment options. We want to remind all families that head lice are a temporary annoyance, not a major health concern. In our experience, head lice outbreaks are kept to a minimum when parents take the lead by inspecting their children's scalps routinely. Our role includes maintaining confidentiality and minimizing time lost from the classroom.
Please talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about treatment options, including prescription products that are currently available, and be certain to follow application directions carefully to ensure patient safety.