Illness and Communicable Diseases

The following information is from the Pine Glen Elementary School Handbook.  The information relates to students health and wellness. 

Illness and Communicable Diseases

Children who have indications of a communicable disease should be seen by their health care provider.  In order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases and to insure rapid recovery with a minimum of after-effects, it is advisable to keep a child home from school when he/she shows such symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, fever over 100°, chills, congestive cough, runny nose, sore throat, or skin eruptions, etc. Your child should be free of any of these symptoms for at least 24 hours before returning to school. If any of these symptoms are found in a child at school, the parents will be notified and the child will be sent home.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WITH THESE SYMPTOMS WHILE AWAITING A CALL FROM THE DOCTOR. YOU WILL ONLY INFECT OTHER CHILDREN AND FURTHER SPREAD THE DISEASE.

All communicable diseases, when diagnosed, are to be reported to the school nurse. Please call the school nurse at 781-270-1713. Please inform the school nurse of any conditions/illnesses and/or medications that you child may have. When reporting, please include the following information:

NAME OF CHILD
ROOM NUMBER
IS THE CHILD UNDER THE CARE OF A DOCTOR?
DOCTOR’S NAME
NAME OF THE DISEASE

The nurse will then be able to check on the classroom for further spread of the disease and report the illness to the Board of Health, if necessary.

The most common diseases and their periods of isolation are as follows:

CHICKEN POX - All lesions must be completely crusted over and dried before the child can return to school.

STREP INFECTION - STREP THROAT - SCARLET FEVER - Without medication, the child must remain at home for 1 week. The child may return to school 24 hours after medication is begun. It is necessary that all medication be taken as ordered.

IMPETIGO - Affected students may return to school after using medicine for 24 hours. The sores should be kept lightly covered until they have dried up completely.

CONJUNCTIVITIS - The child may return to school after using medicine for 24 hours.

HEAD LICE - If your child has been found to have head lice, he/she must be treated immediately. Your child may not return to school until treated and nit-free. Your child must be cleared through the school nursing office before going back to class.