Sleeping and Eating
Parents, you would be amazed to know how many kids visit the school nurse with vague “not feeling good” symptoms, particularly stomach aches and headaches. After a quick assessment for illness, a few simple questions make it clear the student has simply not had enough sleep, and/or has not eaten breakfast. No wonder they feel “so sick”! As we enter the autumn weeks of focused learning at Rockwood South, please keep this in mind. Middle school kids need at least nine hours of sleep and a quick breakfast. Tired, hungry kids just can’t learn well!

Sore Throats and Colds
But what if they are really feeling ill?  If your child is experiencing minor symptoms such as a stuffy nose or sore throat, please talk to them about your expectations before sending them to school.  Many kids assume that they will be “sent home” if they feel bad enough to go to the school nurse—not so!  Obviously, a child who has a fever needs to go home.  Other than that, it’s a judgment call—yours and mine.  If I think your child is sick enough to go home, I’ll certainly tell you so.  But you, the parent, are ultimately responsible for your child’s attendance at school, and you know your child best.  I always offer students the option to call a parent from the nurses’ office.  If the initial call comes from your child, not the nurse, it’s generally a pretty good clue they can probably make it through the day.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions:

In keeping with the Rockwood School District Medication Policy, no medication may be sent home with a student. You will need to make arrangements for an adult to pick up any remaining medication. This may be you, a relative, friend, or neighbor. There are no exceptions and medications may not be sent by mail.  Medication that is not picked up by the end of the last school day will be disposed of according to DEA regulations.

Pharm Parties ... Parents, please read.
Teenagers are having "pharm parties", yes as in "pharmaceutical" parties. Evidently, kids just round up whatever they can find leftover in the medicine cabinet and then start popping pills and mixing them with alcoholic beverages and sometimes marijuana. Recent stories in the media regarding this, have been brought to our attention, and Dr. Larson and the Board of Education would like us to get the word out to parents. Please be aware of how unsafe it is to keep unused prescribed medication around the house.

When should you keep your child home from school?
A little sniffle. A slight cough. "I don't feel good," says your child. But how do you really know if they should stay home or go to school?

If there is no fever, it's generally OK to send the child to school. If your child feels pretty good otherwise, then it's fine to send the child to school. But when in doubt, you should always call your pediatrician for advice. Also, if your child frequently claims to be "sick" but is fine on weekends, that's a sign of other issues. There may be some other problem at school.

Symptom by symptom, here are some guidelines to help you decide whether to keep your child home or not.

Fever
If your child's temperature is 100 degrees or higher, keep your child at home. Your child should be fever-free for 24 hours (without medicine) before returning to school.

Mild Cough/Runny Nose
If there's no fever, and the child feels fairly good, school is fine.

Bad Cough/Cold Symptoms
Children with bad coughs need to stay home, and possibly see a doctor. It could be a severe cold or possibly bronchitis, flu, or pneumonia. But when the cough improves, and the child is feeling better, then it's back to school. Don't wait for the cough to disappear entirely, that could take a week or longer!

Diarrhea or Vomiting
Keep your child home until the illness is over, and for 24 hours after the last episode (without medicine).

Sore Throat
A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a severe sore throat could be strep throat even if there is no fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and upset stomach. Keep you child home from school, and contact your doctor. Your child needs a throat culture to determine if it is strep throat. The child can return to school 24 hours after the antibiotic treatment begins.

Ear ache
The child needs to see a doctor.

Pink Eye (conjunctivitis)
Keep the child home from school until a doctor has given the OK to return to school. A doctors note will be required to return to school. Pink eye is highly contagious.

Rash
Children with a skin rash should see a doctor, as this could be one of several infectious diseases. Some rashes are viral and spread by coughs and sneezes. Some are bacterial and spread by contact and require antibiotics. A doctor has to determine if the child is contagious and able to return to school. A doctors note will be required to return to school.

Sources: Steven Parker, M.D., Boston Medical Center, and Gerald Lowther, M.D., Consulting Physician, Rockwood School District.

Rockwood School District Parent Information,
School Health Services

The role of the school nurse is to provide the health services which will appraise, protect, and promote the health of pupils. They will work with pupils, teachers, and parents for the purpose of improving the pupils’ health.

There are several guidelines that parents/guardians should follow to assist in maintaining a healthy school environment.

-A child with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher should not be sent to school until the temperature has been under 100 degrees for 24 hours.

-A child diagnosed with strep infection must be treated with antibiotics for a full 24 hours before returning to school.

-It is highly recommended that a child with a rash of unknown origin should be checked by a doctor before attending school to assure that the rash is not contagious.

We would like to ensure that this school year gets off to a good start for all children and are requesting your cooperation in adhering to the following:

-Return a completed yellow Emergency Consent Card to the school during orientation.

-If your child has special health care needs, please notify the nurse.

-Take note of the following Rockwood School District medication procedure.