Dear Parents/Guardians,
To prevent the spread of illness in our school, I would like to take some time to review the health policies regarding communicable diseases/illnesses.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends the following guidelines to keep children home from school:
- Fever: Temperature of 100.0 or greater - Your child must stay home for 24 hours until fever free without the use of fever reducing medicine.
- Diarrhea: Your child must stay home until there is no more diarrhea for 24 hours.
- Vomiting: Your child must stay home until vomiting has stopped for at least 24 hours.
- Cold symptoms: Frequent cough, runny nose, sneezing (not necessarily associated with a fever)-Please test for COVID 19. If negative, please use your best judgment when sending your child to school. If positive, please call the health office.
- Remind your child to cough or sneeze into elbow and not into hands. Encourage frequent hand washing.
- Contagious illnesses: (Strep throat, conjunctivitis), Your child needs to have taken at least 24 hours of prescribed medication before coming back to school.
- Rashes: Rashes need to be evaluated by a doctor to determine cause and treatment
- Head Lice: A child found to have live lice at school will be sent home. The child should be properly treated and may return to school on the day after treatment. Before being allowed back in the classroom, a parent or other adult, must accompany the student to school so the school nurse can check the student.
Please provide documentation when your child has been evaluated for an illness. For any treatments/medications that may be needed at school, you must provide a written doctors order and parent permission slip.
Most illnesses need 24 hours rest after the fever has dropped to allow the body to recover from illness and infection. I am asking for your help in trying to reduce the amount of illness in our school.
In winter months, make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather as students still go out for recess (weather permitting) during the winter. It would also be helpful to keep a hat and mittens in their backpack.
Thank you for helping keep our children healthy and ready to learn! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the health office at 508-226-4162 ext. 314
Donations of new of gently used winter jackets, shoes, boys pants size 4/5/6, and girls pants size 6/7 are needed for the Kindness Closet in the health office.
be kind and be well,
Lisa Kilfoyle, BSN, RN, NCSN
School Nurse
Community Resourse & Support Liaison
Thacher Elementary & ELC
lkilfoyle@attleboroschools.com
"You can't educate a child who isn't healthy and you can't keep a child healthy who isn't educated." ~ M. Jocelyn Elders, MD - U.S. Surgeon General
