When do I keep my child home due to illnes?

Parents should keep their child home from school because of a serious illness, injury or a condition that can be passed on to other children. Although no comprehensive list is possible, the following conditions may be considered appropriate reasons to keep a student home from school:

Examples of serious illness or injury:

• Vomiting
• Temperature 100 °F or greater. Children with a fever (> 100 °F) must stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
• Abdominal pain
• Earache
• Head injury
• Adverse medication effect
• Suspected fracture
• Chest pain
• Severe pain
• Severe shortness of breath or wheezing

Examples of possible communicable conditions:

• Vomiting
• Loose stools/diarrhoea
• Suspected communicable disease
• Nuisance condition not currently being treated, e.g., ringworm, scabies, head lice
• Red, draining eyes
• Persistent runny nose with yellow/green discharge, accompanied by fever
• Productive cough, accompanied by fever
• Undiagnosed rash

Any questions or health related concerns? Contact your school nurse Elizabeth Little , RN @ 410-222-1038