Dear Parents/Guardian,
Hoover has had several cases of illness across all grades over the past few days. We have seen children with the stomach flu, strep throat, and respiratory symptoms. In general, school age children are more prone to experience colds and other viral illnesses. In order to minimize the spread of infection at school, we ask your cooperation in following these procedures. These simple rules have been made not only for the benefit of the ill child, but also to help protect the other children and staff at school.
• Keep your child home from school when he/she has a fever of 100 (F) or greater and for 24 hours after the fever has resolved without the use of fever reducing medication.
• Your child must stay home from school when he/she has diarrhea and/or vomiting and for 24 hours after these symptoms have resolved, again without the use of medication.
• When your child returns to school after an illness he/she should be able to participate in the total school program including outdoor recess and physical education. Your child will be excused from outside recess and physical education after an illness only by a written recommendation from your primary health care provider.
• Be sure the school has a telephone number where you can be reached AT ALL TIMES in case your child becomes ill or in the event of an emergency at school. Call the school if your child will not be attending school because of illness.
• Make sure your child is adequately dressed for fluctuating Iowa weather. It is also important to label your children's clothing to help recover lost articles.
Students will not be going out for recess if the temperature is below zero, with or without the wind-chill factor. With proper clothing, outdoor play will not be uncomfortable, but pleasant and healthy. Please call us if you have questions concerning these policies.
Due to the amount of strep throat that we are seeing, if your child has any of the following, you should consult with your child's health care provider.
Throat pain
Difficulty swallowing
Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
Tiny red spots on the soft or hard palate — the area at the back of the roof of the mouth
Swollen, tender lymph glands (nodes) in your neck
Fever
Headache
Rash
Stomachache and sometimes vomiting, especially in younger children
Strep throat is treated with an antibiotic. People with strep throat should avoid contact with others until they have been on the antibiotic for at least 24 hours so that the infection isn’t spread to others. If strep throat goes untreated, it can sometimes cause complications such as kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can lead to painful and inflamed joints, a rash and even damage to heart valves.
Sincerely,
Jen BarbouRoske, RN, BSNHoover School Nurse
