Are cough drops allowed in school?

Please, No Cough Drops in School. Due to concerns about choking, children wanting them like candy, and their lack of any noticeable effect, cough drops are not permitted in school. Cough drops will not be dispensed by the school nurses and they are not to be sent into school from home. The school nurses will provide salt water gargles to students having difficulty with coughing.

 

We suggest instead that parents dispense cough medication (as approved by your doctor) at home in the morning or, if essential, send liquid cough medication to school following the instructions on a yellow medication permission card. If the cough is so severe that it will be disruptive to the class in spite of cough medication, please keep your child at home and follow up with your child's doctor. Thank you for your cooperation.

When Do You Need a Doctor's Excuse?

A doctor's excuse is required, regardless of the number of days of absence, for the following communicable diseases: measles, mumps, whooping cough, respiratory streptococcal infections, scarlet fever, impetigo, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), ringworm of the scalp, scabies, and infectious mononucleosis. A doctor's excuse should also be presented to the school in case of injuries such as a broken arm or surgery such as an appendectomy or myringotomy tubes (ears). This information is helpful to school personnel in case there are any restrictions in activities, complications to watch for, or to update your child's health record.

 

A note from the parent/guardian is sufficient for all other illnesses.

 

Any student who is absent from school for 3 or more consecutive days and does not have a doctor's excuse must report to the nurse/office before being readmitted to class.

 

School regulations require that a pupil with chicken pox or head lice or nits be excluded from school. Students may return to school when they are fever-free and the chicken pox vesicles are dry and have scabs and if they are lice and nit-free. A parent/guardian's note is required upon return and your child must report to the nurse to be cleared before being readmitted to class.

 

Feel free to call the school nurse with any questions.

When Should a Child Stay Home?

Sometimes parents send their children to school to have them evaluated by the school nurse before they take them to the doctor for an illness or injury.  Please do not send your child to school with a known illness or injury and, an undiagnosed skin rash, or an injury that may require x-ray evaluation, and request that the school nurse examine him/her and prescribe treatment.  Only a licensed physician can legally do this function.  Parents
should keep the child home from school and have him/her evaluated by the physician.

In order to prevent the spread of germs, it is advisable to keep your child home from school if he/she shows any of the following symptoms: unusual skin eruptions/undiagnosed rashes, diarrhea or vomiting more than once in a 24 hour periord, fever over 100 degrees, persistent cough or headache, chills, swollen glands, discharge or redness of eyes, or sore throat. Please check your child for signs of illness before sending him/her to school.  A child who is ill will not be able to learn, may infect other children and will not be happy.   Your child should be fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medications) for 24 hours before returning to school.