When to Stay Home

It is that time of the year where there's a lot of us who come down sick due to seasonal colds, flu, allergies, viral infections, and such.  As most of you probably already know, currently there is also a measles outbreak just north of us here in San Diego.  With that, we should pay extra close attention to our children's health and well-being. 

At Lifetime Montessori School, we practice with the children on having proper hygiene.  We show them how to sneeze and cough using their arm rather than their hands, wash hands afterward and use tissues.   This area of the Montessori curriculum is called Grace & Courtesy.  We start practicing it with our toddler class, and continue through with our elementary students!  Please continue to remind your children of the importance of personal hygiene at home as well.  Below are some guidelines to help in considering when to keep your children at home from school when sick:

• Fever greater than or equal to 99.0 degrees F.
• Moderate drainage (green or discolored) from the mouth, nose, eyes, or ears.
• Red discoloration to the whites of the eye(s).
• Skin rashes are difficult to diagnose unless done by a physician.
• Severe abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Here are some additional symptoms that can exclude a child from attending school. These symptoms include:

• A painful, red throat, even if fever is not present
• A deep, hacking cough
• Difficulty breathing or untreated wheezing
• Complaints of stiff neck and headache
• Yellow discharge from the eyes
• Unusual yellow coloring of the skin or eyes
• Cuts or openings on the skin that are pus-filled or oozing
• Lice or nits

If your child has a contagious disease please keep them home. Once a child is excluded from school, parents must then recognize when it is safe for the child to return to school.

As our school policy states: to ensure the safety of children and staff, children who have the above conditions should be excluded from the classroom until either 24 hours beyond the end of symptoms, or there is documentation from that child's medical provider stating that they are no longer contagious. This is to keep all children and staff members safe. Anytime you’re in doubt or if the child appears uncomfortable, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid school. Also, make sure to contact us through phone or by email at school.

Furthermore, write us notes in the morning and let us know if or whenever your child woke up way too early, had a rough night sleeping, hasn’t had a bowel movement yet since the day before, seems more tired than usual, or simply anything you may observe with your child that is not regular.  We love receiving these notes as they help us to better understand the children's unusual behavior in the classroom.  

-Ms. Vicki, Bumblebee Teacher