Illness & Medication Guidelines

Illness & Medication Guidelines

Illness

It is our goal to reduce the number of student absences throughout the year and prevent the spread of illnesses. It is important to monitor your child’s symptoms BEFORE sending them to school. To help our school community stay healthy, please:

  • keep home any ill children;
  • report any illnesses to the office;
  • follow any isolation guidelines from your child’s health care provider;
  • ensure your child feels well enough to participate in school activities even if they meet the return criteria below.

Our school follows the DHS Childhood Communicable Diseases guidelines when determining if students need to be sent home or remain at home. Below are our guidelines to help you make the best decision for your child as to whether they can go to school or if they need to stay home.

All absences must be reported to the school office by 8:45 am. 

Please email the office at info@adelinemontessori.com or call (262) 201-4492.

RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES (INFLUENZA, COVID, RSV, etc)

  • Symptoms of respiratory virus may include but are not limited to chest discomfort, chills, cough, decrease in appetite, diarrhea, fatigue (tiredness), fever or feeling feverish, headache, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, vomiting, weakness, wheezing
  • A child can go back to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
    • Their symptoms are getting better overall, and
    • They are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication
  • Upon returning to school, we encourage families to consider additional strategies to prevent the spread to other students and staff for the first 5 days of their return (these are not required, but highly encouraged):
    • Talk to your child about good hygiene→covering coughs and sneezes, and washing or sanitizing your hands often.
    • Wear a mask
    • Talk to your child about putting physical distance between themselves and others. The closer you are to someone who has a respiratory virus, the more likely you are to catch it.

FEVER

  • A child needs to stay home with a fever of 100.4 or higher.
  • A child may return to school when they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medications, as long as they are well enough to participate in school activities.

VOMITING AND DIARRHEA

  • A child with vomiting or diarrhea needs to stay home.
  • A child may return to school after 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea, as long as they are well enough to participate in school.

RASH

  • A child with an unusual rash, with or without fever, should stay home until they have been evaluated by their health care provider to help determine what the rash is and if it’s contagious.

COMMUNICABLE/CONTAGIOUS/NUISANCE DISEASES

NOTE: Report any communicable disease to the office without delay. Confidentiality is always respected.

  • A child with strep throat, impetigo, bacterial bronchitis, etc can return to school after 24 hours on antibiotics if feeling well enough to attend school.
  • A child with suspected pink eye may not need to stay home or be sent home, as long as they are not rubbing their eyes, are fever-free and feel well enough to attend school.
  • A child with chicken pox, pertussis or other vaccine preventable illness must stay home and will be allowed to return once no longer contagious and cleared by their health care provider.
  • A child with hand, foot and mouth disease may return when fever-free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing meds, can eat/drink without discomfort, no uncontrolled drooling with mouth sores, blisters are scabbed over and feeling well enough to return to school activities.
  • A child with lice, scabies or ringworm may return after treatment. Head lice are occasionally a problem in any school. If your child has contracted head lice, they may not return to school until they have completed treatment. We recommend a local expert when needed. https://liceclinicsmilwaukee.com 

PAIN

  • A child with mild ear pain, and no fever, may attend school if they feel well enough to participate in school activities.
  • A child with any other pain (from injury, menstrual issues, chronic pain, etc) can return to school when they feel well enough to participate in school activities. If the child has any physical restrictions, please send a note from your child’s provider with the restrictions.

Medications

  • A child needing medication during the school day needs a Medication Authorization Form completed by the parent/guardian for each medication, including over-the-counter products. Paper copies are also available in the office.
  • Children are not permitted to bring medication (prescription or OTC), sunscreens, bug spray, and skin lotions or topicals, without written documentation from a doctor or a parent (DCFS Requirement).
  • School personnel are not allowed to administer any type of OTC or prescription medication without parental consent or a doctor’s order.
  • Medications will be kept in the office, or in the classroom, in some cases.
  • All medications dispensed will be documented by a staff member.

If you have any questions about the illness guidelines above or sending medications to school, contact the main office at  info@adelinemontessori.com.