Educational success – Minimizing illness and maximizing attendance
My child is feeling sick, what should I do?*
Try to come to school even with:
1. A cold or a runny nose (even with green, yellow or white
mucus)
2. Wet or dry cough without a fever
3. Eyes with mild redness – but no leakage, pain, fever,
pink/red “whites” of the eyes
4. Mild Fever (less than 101°F [38.3°C] taken by mouth)
with NO other symptoms
5. Vomiting or diarrhea (no more than twice in 24 hours)
without other symptoms (nausea, urgency, fever)
6. A rash without fever or behavior changes
7. Lice or nits after they have been treated
8. Ringworm which is being treated and is covered
9. Non-life threatening Injury - students with trouble
walking should come with their own braces, crutches etc.
Can return to school even with:
1. A rash - once treatment has been started;
2. Strep throat (streptococcal pharyngitis) – 24-hours after
treatment has been started
3. Head lice - after the first treatment
4. Scabies - after treatment
5. Chickenpox (varicella) – once all lesions have dried or
crusted (usually six days after onset of rash);
Should stay home from school with:
1. Have been ordered to do so by a medical professional
2. Too sick to concentrate & need constant adult
attention
Seek immediate medical attention
& not come to school today with:
1. Unexplained sudden changes in behavior – sleepiness
or lack of responsiveness, crankiness, nonstop crying,
difficult breathing, or has a quickly spreading rash
2. Fever over 101°F [38.3°C] taken by mouth.
3. Blood or mucus in the stools.
4. Vomiting more than two times in the last 24-hours
5. Stomach pain for more than two hours with fever,
diarrhea, vomiting or sweating;
6. Rash with fever or behavioral changes
Need medicine at school?
School staff can give your child medicine during the school
day if you turn in a completed Medication Authorization
form which must be signed by 1) your child’s healthcare
provider (doctor or nurse practitioner) and 2) you.
Find the form at school or:
*Based on recommendations of the American Association of Pediatrics
www.healthiersf.org/Forms/documents/MedicationFormEnglish.pdf