Sick children need to be at home.  

Below is a list of guidelines to assist in the decision process:

• Fever - A fever is a warning that not all is right with the body.  The child may have an illness that can spread to others.  A child with a fever GREATER than 100 degrees should NOT be sent to school.  They should not return to school until fever free for 24 hours without a fever reducer (acetaminophen or ibuprofen).

• Colds/Sore Throats/Cough - A child with a cold, with a lot of congestion or hacking cough belongs at home, even without a fever.  Children with strep throat need to be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.

• Rashes - A rash might be the first sign of a childhood illness such as chickenpox.  All rashes are considered contagious unless a doctor states otherwise.  DO NOT send your child to school with a rash.

• Diarrhea - Diarrhea is a bowel movement that is watery or looser than normal for a child.  If your child has more than one loose stool in a day, they should be kept at home.

• Vomiting - Keep your child home until they can keep regular meals down for at least 8 hours or 24 hours since the last time they vomited.

• Pink Eye - Pink eye causes redness of the white part of the eye, itching, and/or swelling.  There may also be clear, yellow, or green drainage.  Pink eye can spread by direct or indirect contact with the eye discharge.  A child with pink eye should stay at home until seen by a doctor. 

• Head Lice - Head lice are flat insects that live in human hair.  Lice hatch from small eggs called nits.  Nits attach to the hairs shaft, most often behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.  The adult insects bite the scalp causing itching.  Anyone can get head lice.  Lice are easily spread by close contact with an infested person or by sharing hats and combs.  A child with head lice needs to be treated with an FDA approved pediculicide/ovide.

When calling your student into school sick, please list their symptoms and if they have been tested or are positive for an illness.  This assists in the monitoring of illnesses in our building.  

If you can answer yes to any of these statements, your child should stay home from school. Please contact your child’s physician, diagnostic testing may be recommended. 

• My child has experienced the following symptoms in the last 24 hours

• Cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of smell or taste, Fever of 100.0 or higher, Diarrhea,or vomiting

• or at least 2 of the following symptoms that are unusual or above student’s baseline:

  • Muscle pain/body aches

  • Headache

  • Sore Throat

  • Fatigue

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Nausea

• You must remain at home until: 

  • your child is fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication,  AND

  • 24 hours of symptom improvement

• Your child should also remain home from school for the following reasons:

  • The first 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment for conditions such as strep throat, pink eye, etc.

  • Undiagnosed, new and/or untreated rash or skin condition (hives, wounds with drainage)

  • Doctor’s note requiring a student to stay home

Medications 

Sometimes your child may be put on medications to treat their illness.  Riverview School has a medication policy.  Please contact the school health office for information regarding medications that need to be administered at school.