To: Parents and Guardians of North Cumberland Middle School
From: Ms. Kelly, R.N.
Date: February 12, 2008
Re: Illness
I am sure that you are aware by now that the common cold, strep throat, the flu, gastrointestinal viruses, as well as “winter viruses” with headache and fever have invaded our schools. This generally happens in the beginning of February and subsides after February vacation.
To get us through the next week, I would like to ask your cooperation with the following requests:
· Please keep your child home from school in the morning if he or she is complaining of feeling sick. Most often, your child could benefit from a day of rest. If he/she comes to school sick the first thing he will do is tell the teacher, who will send him to me and I will be calling you to pick him up. Keeping him home will keep everyone healthier in school!
· If your child is sick, please do not ask that he/she be allowed to come in for a short period of time to attend a school activity or take a test. This is not fair to classmates or the teacher.
· If your child has a fever over 100.4F it is school department policy that he/she must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning from school.
· If your child has a strep throat, it is school department policy that he/she is on antibiotics a full 24 hours before returning to school.
· Children with conjunctivitis (pink eye) need to be on antibiotic therapy for 24 hours before returning to school.
· Children may not return to school with diarrhea or vomiting.
· Children may return to school when the fever and all other symptoms have subsided. If your child has been very ill, he/she may be more susceptible to picking up new germs. Sending him/her back to school too soon will increase the chance that he or she will get sick all over .again with a new problem.
· We constantly stress good hand washing at school and encourage you to do the same at home. This is the single most effective way to keep germs from spreading. 20 seconds of washing with warm water and soap, then careful rinsing and drying is the procedure to reinforce.
· Please reinforce good sneezing and coughing etiquette. Remind your child to do so into a tissue or into the elbow/sleeve to keep germ spread down. Follow with frequent hand washing.
· If your work, home or cell phone numbers have changed please be sure that the office and nurse are informed of these changes immediately.
As always, I thank you in advance for your help and am here to answer your questions or concerns.