Cough, cold, and flu!

Now's the season for coughs, colds, and the flu.  If you've stopped by school during the day, surely you have heard the symphony of coughing that fills our classrooms and hallways.  Please be aware of the following things to help keep our school a healthy place.

• Please keep your child at home if they are obviously sick and/or have a fever. 
• Encourage your child to cover coughs and sneezes with their elbows or shoulders - remind them to do it every time until it becomes an automatic response for them.  We need your help to continue this at home in the evenings and on weekends.
• According to our student handbook, children may not return to school until they have been completely fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.  Our goal is to keep everyone healthy!
• Encourage hand washing with soap throughout the day and especially after sneezing, coughing, and touching their nose or mouth.

According to the Centers for Disease Control regarding coughing and illness,
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

See a Healthcare Provider if You or Your Child has:

• Temperature higher than 100.4° F
• Symptoms that last more than 10 days
• Symptoms that are not relieved by over-the-counter medicines

Preventing the Common Cold

• Practice good hand hygiene
• Avoid close contact with people who have colds or other upper respiratory infections

Your healthcare provider can determine if you or your child has a cold and can recommend symptomatic therapy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We have bolded "see a healthcare provider if symptoms last more than 10 days" because this is currently the case for many of our children that are only infecting (or reinfecting) the students and teachers that work with them daily by not having their symptoms/illness treated by a healthcare professional.

THANK YOU!!!