Keeping your Child Home

SSDS Illness and virus protocols include:

• Always monitor for symptoms.
• Stay home when sick. 
• Students and staff can return to SSDS once they are 24 hour fever free and all other symptoms have significantly improved. 
• When a child or staff member is confirmed to have a contagious illness whether confirmed by test, doctor, or otherwise, please let the office know. SSDS will send a courtesy email to the exposed class/es. Communicable diseases to notify SSDS, include but are not limited to:

• • COVID – 19 and other respiratory viruses
  • Influenza
  • RSV
  • Strep throat
  • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
  • Coxsackie virus (hand, foot, and mouth)
  • Fifth disease
  • Chicken pox
  • Head lice (Note change: can return after at least one treatment and must continue treatment until all lice and nits are gone.)

Then, individual families and staff members can make a decision about any additional precautions they want to take based on the exposed illness, their risk factors or other considerations.

In addition to the above named illnesses, children must stay home if they have any of the following symptoms:

• A temperature of 100 degrees or above. Children can return to school following a fever after being fever-free for a full 24 hours without fever reducing medication. A child who leaves school in the middle of the day due to a fever must therefore stay home at least the following day.
• Heavy nasal discharge.
• A constant cough caused by illness (as opposed to asthma).
• Symptoms of a possible communicable disease — for example: sniffles, reddened eyes, any unusual rash or sores, sore throat, headache, abdominal pain, plus a fever.
• Vomiting or diarrhea. Children can return to school after being completely free of these symptoms for a full 24 hours.
• Clearly not feeling well based on demeanor.

Return to school is in large part based on an individual’s progression of symptoms. Individuals can return to SSDS once they are 24 hour fever free and all other symptoms have significantly improved. In some instances a doctor’s note will be required to return. As previously done, SSDS Admin will work individually with families based on their circumstances. We want to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

SSDS will continue to always monitor and evaluate illness patterns at school and work with medical professionals and the department of health as needed.  Should additional prevention measures be recommended at any time by our medical advisors or local health department, SSDS will immediately work with them to implement these necessary measures at our school. And if necessary in particular situations SSDS will ask individuals to take additional preventative measures due to certain circumstances.