As expected during this time of year, we have seen a few cases of gastroenteritis, colds and strep floating around. I would like to remind parents to keep their children home if they are experiencing any symptoms. Some of these are unavoidable but there are several things you can do at home to keep your child and the school community safe!!

  1. Children that are having loose stool should be excluded until it has resolved. Students who are experiencing vomiting should stay home until they are able to tolerate their regular diet for 24 hours. If your child has repeated episodes of diarrhea and /or vomiting accompanied by fever, a rash, or general weakness, consult a doctor and keep your child out of school until the illness passes.
  2. Unfortunately, even with the best care, a virus can make us sick. Cold symptoms are best relieved with rest and fluids and may last as long as 10 days. If symptoms persist, the child should see a physician. Please keep in mind the guidelines below when deciding if your child should come to school. Any child with the following symptoms should stay home:

-A fever 100 degrees or higher. A child should not come back to schooluntil the temperature is normal for 24 hours without medication.

-vomiting or diarrhea

-a frequent cough

-any rash accompanied by a fever

-ear pain and/or eye drainage

-sore throat with a fever and/or rash

  1. Flu season is alive and well, as reported to us by our local Chatham doctors.Usually flu is spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing. Occasionally, people get the flu from touching a germ-infested surface.
    It is important to know the difference between cold and flu. Common symptoms of the flu include: high fever, severe headache, muscle and body aches, chills, sore throat, exhaustion and dry cough. Children may also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Often cold symptoms come on gradually and they include stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat and hacking cough.
  1. Strep can be a difficult one. There are different “groups” of the bacteria that can sometimes present themselves in a not-so-typical fashion. According to the CDC and NIH, depending on the group that classifies the strep your child may have, it can also cause gastrointestinal upset, UTI’s, and pneumonia, among other things.
  1. Please, WASH, WASH, WASH YOUR HANDS! This is still the best defense against illness. Encourage your children to wash, especially before meals, using soap and warm water. To ensure they are taking enough time to adequately kill germs, have them sing the ABC song while scrubbing.

Please make sure we can reach you or another responsible adult on your child’s emergency contact list, during the day, in case illness recurs.