When to Keep Your Child Home
When to Keep Your Child Home
It’s hard sometimes to decide whether to send your child to school when he or she doesn’t feel well. Illness is very seldom convenient for anyone! As busy parents, you have to consider work schedules, childcare arrangements, transportation and other family matters in that decision, and of course, you want what is best for your child’s health. It's also not easy to achieve a balance between reinforcing the importance of being at school and having the best attendance possible, and making a good parental decision that your child will not be attentive at school if they are ill. That is especially hard when you have those high-achievers; who don't want to miss a day of school and lose that perfect attendance record. Balance is such an important part of parenting.
We feel very strongly at Pilot Point ISD that good attendance is extremely important for your child to succeed at school. They must be in class to learn. There are also important health reasons for keeping your child home from school. Here are some helpful guidelines to consider when you hear those words, “I feel sick; or, I don’t want to go to school today.”
These guidelines were developed from Texas laws requiring exclusion from school for contagious diseases that could be spread at school, and must be enforced for the comfort and safety of all our students and staff.
Children who have the following symptoms should stay home and not come to school until these symptoms have been gone for at least 24 hours without the help of medication, or until your doctor sends a note that states the condition is not contagious and it is OK for your child to come back to school.
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Check your child’s temperature with a thermometer, and if a fever over 100 degrees is present, don’t send him or her to school, even for just a little while in the morning so that they can have perfect attendance. Responsible attendance is more important than perfect attendance in the long run. t doesn’t help your child’s health to give medicine for fever and send them on to school…that only reduces the fever for a short time, and doesn’t take care of the illness that is causing the fever. Coming to school sick (and possibly contagious) not only exposes other children to the illness, but also delays your child’s healing time. Once the medicine wears off and the fever returns, your child must be picked up anyway, and valuable healing time has been lost. Children must be fever-free for 24 hours, without the use of medicine, before returning to school.
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If vomiting or diarrhea happens more than once that day, or if associated with fever, you must keep your child home. If these things happen only once before school starts, and your child feels better immediately afterwards, your child may attend school. If the child begins to feel ill again while at school or the symptoms return the child will need to see the school nurse and will be sent home.
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Anytime a rash is associated with fever, the child may not come to school until that fever is gone for 24 hours without medication. Sometimes a rash is a sign of a contagious disease such as chickenpox. Sometimes, rashes are not contagious, but are uncomfortable and itchy from contact with something the child is allergic to. In that case, although school is certainly a good option, please consider comfort measures such as an antihistamine, following the district policy for medication administration at school and discussing possible treatment with your doctor and/or the school nurse.
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This can often mean your child has conjunctivitis, also known as pink-eye. If both eyes are red and the drainage is clear with no crusting it is most likely just allergies. The student should remain at school. If the eye/eyes are red and the drainage is yellow or there is crusting it is most likely pink eye. In this case, the student will need to see a physician and obtain a medical release or be symptom free to return to school.
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These small insects cause skin conditions that are uncomfortable and itchy, and can be spread to others. Check with the school nurse to get information on treatment and when your child may return to school. Typically, your child may return to school once they are free of head lice and nits(lice eggs). With Scabies, they may return after they have been treated.
If your child has other symptoms such as headaches, cramps, sore throat, cough and/or thick nasal mucous that doesn’t require them to be out of school but that will make them uncomfortable during class, please discuss the use of over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications with your doctor. Remember you must follow the district requirements for giving medicine at school. Call the school nurse if you are not sure about those requirements or, see Parent/Physician request for Administration of Medication on this site.
Kids who are truly sick heal better when they have proper rest at home, with healthy nutrition and plenty of fluid for hydration. If you need assistance in determining whether your child should attend school or stay home, please don’t hesitate to contact your school nurse. We will always do our best to help you make a good decision based on our experience and knowledge as registered nurses. The health, safety, and educational success of your child is our main concern.
Remember if your child is ill and unable to attend school, please send a written note including your child's name, the date of the absence and a short explanation of your child's illness. If you take your child to the doctor, please obtain a note from their office and send it to school.