Bloomingdale Elementary

We WILL be having school tomorrow! 

Please make sure to follow the guidelines & administer the health screening protocols before sending your student to school. The When to Keep Your Child Home Protocol is below. We need this data to track the possible transmission of the virus and assure that we are doing all that we can to prevent its spread in our schools. Partnering with families and keeping communication lines open is key, and we greatly appreciate your cooperation. Thank you for doing your part to keep our schools operating and our students and staff safe!

When to Keep Your Child Home from School  

Deciding when a child is too sick to go to school can be difficult. In order for your child to be  available for learning, and to control communicable diseases in school, it is important to keep  your child home for the following reasons:  

 

• COVID-19 Symptoms -  People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as they learn more about COVID-19.

• Fever 100.0 degrees and above - Your child should be fever free without fever reducing  medication for 24 hours before he or she returns to school and Covid-19 protocol has been  followed. Please refer to Covid-19 guidelines for any questions. Students returning to school  before they are well are more susceptible to illness and may expose others. Please do not  give your child medication to treat a fever and then send him or her to school. 

• Sore throat or tonsillitis - A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a new onset or  severe sore throat could be a symptom of a more serious illness. Keep your child home from  school and contact your health care provider. If your child is diagnosed with strep throat, he or  she may return to school 24 hours after antibiotic treatment begins, student is fever free for 24  hours without fever reducing medication and student has written permission from a physician  to return to school.  

• Spots/Rash - Do not send your child to school with a rash until your health care provider  has said that it is safe to do so. Children with ringworm, scabies, or impetigo can return to  school after 24 hours of appropriate treatment. The affected area should be covered if  possible. 

• Bad Cough/Cold Symptoms - Children with bad coughs/colds need to stay home, and  possibly see their health care provider. Please refer to Covid-19 guidelines before returning to  school.  

• Eye Inflammation or Discharge - If your child’s eye is red with a cloudy or yellow/green  drainage; matted eyelids after sleep; eye pain and/or redness, you should keep your child  home, and contact your child’s health care provider. If pink eye is suspected at school, your  child will be sent home. Please refer to Covid-19 guidelines before returning to school.  • 

• Vomiting and/or Diarrhea - Your child should stay home until the illness is over, and for at least 24 hours after the last episode (without medication). Please refer to  Covid-19 guidelines before returning to school.  

• Ear Pain - Consult with your healthcare provider. Untreated ear infections can cause  problems with hearing loss.  

• Head Lice - Students with head lice should be treated at home before returning to school.  The parent/guardian must make a concerted effort to remove the oval, whitish nits (eggs)  and live bugs from the student’s hair.  

• Acute Pain - Students that have pain that requires narcotic medication for relief should not  attend school. 

• Chicken Pox- Children with uncomplicated chicken pox may return on the sixth day after  the onset of the rash or when the spots are all dried and crusted, whichever is longer. 

• Fifth disease- By the time the rash appears, children are no longer contagious and do not  need to stay home. 

• Mumps- Students with mumps should stay home from school for a total of five days after  the symptoms begin. 

• Poison Ivy- Poison ivy is not contagious, so students do not need to stay home. Open  lesions should be covered when students come to school. 

• Ringworm- Students may come to school as long as the area is being treated and remains 

covered when at school. The nurse may require proof of treatment be brought to school. • 

•Strep Throat- Students may return to school 24 hours after treatment has started, student is  fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication, and student has written permission  from a physician stating the student may return to school.  

Remember to call the school every day that your child will be absent. Make sure the school  has your current contact information in case your child was to become ill or injured at school.  Have a plan in place for childcare issues for when your child is ill. If your child has a  communicable disease, please notify the school. In some instances it will be necessary for  your physician to provide the school with a medical release before your child may return to  school. Medications should be given at home if at all possible. If a medication is required  during school hours the procedures for medication administration must be followed. When in  doubt, please err on the side of caution and keep your student home. Please contact your site secretary or  administrator or your child's healthcare provider with any questions or for further instruction.  

How to screen for COVID-19/Protocols

Ask the following questions.

1. Do you have any of these symptoms that are not caused by another condition?

• Fever or chills • Cough • Fatigue • Headache

• Congestion • Nausea or vomiting • Diarrhea • Sore throat

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Muscle or body aches

• Recent loss of taste or smell

2. If you are not fully vaccinated, have you been in close contact with anyone with COVID19 in the past 14 days? Close contact is being within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period with a person; or having direct contact with fluids from a person with COVID-19 with or without wearing a mask (i.e., being coughed or sneezed on).

3. Have you had a positive COVID-19 test for active virus in the past 10 days, or are you

awaiting results of a COVID-19 test?

4. Within the past 14 days, has a public health or medical professional told you to selfmonitor, self-isolate, or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19 infection?

Bloomingdale Elementary School: 269-521-3935

Pullman Elementary School: 269-236-5235

Middle/High School: 269-521-3910

We look forward to seeing your students in class tomorrow!