Health & Fitness

The peak of the cold and flu season is upon us. To prevent widespread flu season is upon us. To prevent widespread flu in the school, your child should stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether or not to send tour child to school, please consider the following guidelines.

To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your child good hygiene habits:

Wash hands frequently.
Do not touch eyes, nose and mouth.
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
Very Stuffing or runny nose and/or c cough.
Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep).
Headache
Mild stomachache

Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
Fever (greater than 100 degrees by mouth, your child should return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours)
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Chills
General malaise or feeling of fatigue, discomfort, weakness, or muscle aches.
Frequent congested or croupy cough
Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose.

Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until "fever free" for a minimum of 24 hours. A child who has started antibiotics needs to be on the medication for 48 hours before considered non-contagious and able to return to school. Often when a child awakens with vague complaints, it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring to school.

Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on return to school. Keeping a sick child at home will help minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.