Dismissal/Exclusion Guidelines
In an effort to minimize the spread of contagious illness, the Haverhill School Health Services has developed the following guidelines for determining whether your child needs to be sent home or stay home from school. Students should not miss school unnecessarily, but other students and staff must also be protected from contagious illness.
Students will be sent home by the school nurse with the following:
- Fever (elevated temperature of 100.5 or higher) upon arrival or during school hours. Must remain home until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil).
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea, with 2 or more episodes within the previous 24 hours or during the school day. Once dismissed, the student may not return to school until there has been no vomiting and/or diarrhea for 24 hour.
- Rash of unknown origin, particularly those accompanied by fever or behavior change suggestive of infectious disease. Must be evaluated by a doctor and note sent for re-entry into school.
- Live head lice. Must be treated at home, and then re-checked by the school nurse, preferably with parent/guardian present, upon return to school.
- Irritability, lethargy, persistent crying, difficulty breathing, or other signs of severe illness.
If a child is sent home from school by the school nurse, he/she is not allowed to return to school the following day, as most symptoms require at least 24 hours to resolve.
Strep throat or other diagnosed infections must be treated with antibiotics for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school.
If you have questions about when your student is ready to return to school, please contact your school nurse.