Rhinebeck High School

Sick Children...Send to School or Keep Home?

Deciding when a child is too sick to go to school can be a difficult decision for parents to make. When trying to decide, use the guidelines below to help you.

Go to School - If your child has any of the following symptoms, they should probably go to school IF evaluated by your health care provider and has a note to return.

• Sniffles, a runny nose and a mild cough without a fever (this could be an allergic response to dust, pollen or seasonal changes)

Stay at Home - If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep your child at home and contact your health care provider

• APPEARANCE, BEHAVIOR - unusually tired, pale, lack of appetite, difficult to wake, confused or irritable.
• EYES - thick mucus or pus draining from the eye or pink eye. (With pink eye (conjunctivitis) you may see a white or yellow discharge, matted eyelids after sleep, eye pain and/or redness.)
• FEVER or temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Remember that a child must be fever free (without use of medication) for 24 hours before returning to school.
• GREENISH NOSE DISCHARGE AND/OR CHRONIC COUGH - should be seen by a health care provider. These conditions may be contagious and require treatment.
• SORE THROAT - especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck. (With Strep throat, the child may return to school after 24 hours on antibiotics.)
• DIARRHEA
• VOMITING
• RASH - body rash, especially with fever or itching. Heat rashes and allergic reactions are not contagious. Cover rashes while in school.
• EAR INFECTIONS WITHOUT FEVER - do not need to be excluded, but the child needs to get medical treatment and follow-up. Untreated ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss.
• LICE, SCABIES - children may not return to school until they have been treated and are free of lice.
• CHICKEN POX - children must stay at home for five (5) days after the onset of blisters, or until all pox are scabbed over and dry.
• Body aches, or Chills

IF YOUR CHILD SHOWS ANY OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS AT SCHOOL, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO PICK HIM/HER UP FROM SCHOOL.

The best measure of prevention is to practice and teach your children good handwashing

It is also important for children to be well rested upon returning to school to decrease their chances of relapse. Also, encourage plenty of fluids.

Please remind children not to share drinks.

PLEASE ALWAYS COVER ALL OPEN AREAS TO PREVENT THE RISK OF INFECTION