To Parents/ Guardians:

 

Please help us minimize illnesses in our school setting.  These guidelines should be used to help you decide whether or not your child should come to school. We also ask that you:

 

Illness Guidelines: When to Keep Your Child Home

ü  Children with severe cold symptoms should not attend school. 

Cold symptoms may include:

a constant runny nose, especially with abnormal color or consistency (this is especially important if your child is unable to use a kleenex by him(her)self

o    nasal or lung/chest congestion

o    coughing that is constant or persistent

o    recurrent sneezing that is not allergy related

 

ü  Do not send a child to school with an abnormal temperature- any temperature over 100 degrees F.  Symptoms to watch for might be a flushed face, chills, paleness or skin abnormally warm to the touch.  One or all of these symptoms might be present.  If in doubt at all, please take your child’s temperature.  Please keep an obviously sick child at home.  A child with a temperature needs to stay home for at least 24 hours.  Remember, if you reduce your child’s fever with medication like Tylenol, your child is STILL ill.  Please do not medicate your child and send them to school. Children spread their illness most during the time they have a fever.

 

ü  Do not send a child to school that has been vomiting within the last 12 hours.

ü  Do not send a child to school that has had diarrhea in the last 12 hours.

ü  Flu symptoms: fever over 100 degrees (usually high) and one or more of the following body aches, sore throat, cough, headache. Do not send your child back to school until he has had no symptoms for at least 24 hours.

 

Guidelines on keeping your child healthy

a   Wash hands using soap and warm water for 15-20 seconds (sing the ABC song once)

      Wash before eating, after using the bathroom, after playing outside, after using a tissue.

a   Cover cough /sneeze into your sleeve. If a tissue is used, throw away tissue and wash hands.

a   Sleep 8+ hours per night

a   Healthy eating habits

 

You may obtain more detailed school illness guidelines and information at www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/Epidemiology/manual/School_Guidelines.pdf