safety zone | november 2016
Vicki Rutledge
It’s the time of year when sniffles, coughs, and runny noses abound. Because young children touch everything and often put things in their mouth, they are particularly susceptible to getting and spreading germs. To keep our school healthy, we practice frequent hand washing for children and staff in addition to sanitizing hard surfaces regularly. We also have a health aide, Donna McNichol, on campus who helps us assess things like fever and possible pink eye if a child is showing symptoms of illness at school.
Did you know that we have a health policy that will help you know if your child is well enough to attend school? Please review the policy to know your role in keeping Weekday School a safe and healthy environment for your children.
WDS Health Policy from Parent Handbook
Children who run a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius) or have signs of a fever (chills, feel very warm, appears flushed or are sweating) should remain home for at least 24 hours after symptoms are no longer exhibited. This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
In addition, for the child’s own protection and the protection of others, parents should also keep the child at home with such symptoms as: sore throat, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, diarrhea, undiagnosed rash, discharging ear, inflamed eyes, coughing, earache, conjunctivitis or “pink eye”, enlarged glands, or any contagious diseases. If a child develops any of these symptoms at school, a parent will be notified to pick the child up immediately.
The school will make every effort to protect the health and safety of the children. Cooperation of the parents in helping prevent the spread of communicable diseases is of great importance. Each child is observed daily at school, but parents should watch their child for symptoms of illness. Mumps, chicken pox, or other communicable diseases should be reported to the preschool immediately so that parents of other possibly exposed children can be notified