Keeping Children at Home

The following information is designed to offer guidance regarding when to send your children to school and when to keep them home due to illness. They are meant to benefit your child and the health and well being of the Concordia community. These are also conditions for which your child may be sent home from school.

If you are unsure of which action you should take, please contact your doctor or school nurse at 5899 0380, ext. 1030, 1031, 1032 or 1033.

Fever

A fever is a warning that all is not right with the body. The best way to check for fever is with a thermometer, which every home should have. No child with a temperature equal to or above 99.1 F (37.3 C) should be sent to school. A child needs to be fever free for 48 hours before returning to school and all students with a fever must report to the Health Office/Nurse’s Station before returning to their classroom.

Cold, Sore Throat, Cough

  1. A child with a “mild” cold, but otherwise feeling well, may go to school.

  2. A child with a “heavy” cold and a hacking or productive cough belongs at home even if there is no fever.

  3. A child complaining of a mild sore throat with no other symptoms may go to school. If white spots can be seen in the back of the throat, or if fever present, keep the child at home.

Stomach Ache, Vomiting, Diarrhea

Consult your doctor if your child has a stomachache or abdominal pains which are persistent or severe enough to limit the child’s activity.

If vomiting or diarrhea occurs, child needs to be symptom free for 72 hours before returning to school and all students with a vomit or diarrhea must report to the Health Office/Nurse’s Station before returning to their classroom.

Pain

Toothache – contact your dentist

Earache – consult your doctor

Headache – a child whose only complaint is a minor headache usually does not need to be kept home.  Frequent or persistent headaches may indicate a serious health problem which should be investigated by your family physician.

Eye Redness

Consult your doctor if your child has eye redness, itching, and increased drainage or pus.

Rash

Rash or spots may cover the entire body or appear in only one area.

Call you physician or school nurse if you are uncertain about whether to send your child to school with a rash.