The following is information regarding school health procedures for dealing with health problems during school hours with regard to illnesses and absences. 

• Please keep your child home (or do not volunteer at school) or the student will be sent home for any of the following:
• Temperature of 100 or above. Must stay home until fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medication).
• Sore throatif reddened, glands swollen, or tonsils inflamed. If diagnosis of strep throatstudent must remain home on medication for 24 hours.
• Severe earache or any ear drainage.
• Vomiting. Must be 24 hours symptomfree before returning to school.
• Diarrhea. Must be 24 hours symptom-free before returning to school.
• Body rashes will be assessed by the school nurse.
• Inflammation of the eyes or pink eye with discharge. If treated by a physician, students need to be on medication for 24 hours before returning to school. If not treated, to remain at home until condition clears.
• Untreated impetigo or ringworm. After treatment, student may return to school with area covered. If not treated, to remain at home until condition clears.
• Dental emergencies.
• Serious head injuries.
• Suspicious bone or joint injury, fracture or severe sprain.
• Communicable diseases.

Keeping children at home who are ill, instead of sending them to school, allows them to feel more comfortable during their illnesses and will help reduce the amount of sicknesses spread among classrooms.

Only a physician is qualified to make a diagnosis. Therefore, the child’s parent will be notified with a suggestion that a physician examine the child if the nurse or other school personnel feel it is advisable. No student will be allowed to leave school without permission from a parent. 

In most cases, the parent is responsible for the child’s transportation home when ill or injured.

All medication, including cough drops, needing to be taken by students during the school day must be given to the school nurse or the office secretaries to be distributed and recorded by them. The medication must be in the original container for all prescriptions and over the counter medications. The following information must accompany the medication either on the prescription bottle, in the instruction sheet, or in the parental authorization: name of the student; name of the medication; directions for use including dosage, times, and duration; name, phone number and address of the pharmacy (if applicable); date of prescription (if applicable); name of the physician (if applicable); potential side effects; and emergency numbers of the parents.

Jan Brandhorst, School Nurse