Health Related Information
St. Philip’s Nursery School is a "well-child program.” We do not provide sick childcare. The following illness policies will be strictly enforced, for the health, well-being, and safety of all concerned. If your child is sick, please call the school office. Also, please notify the school immediately if your child develops a contagious disease so that parents of all exposed children may be notified.
Sick Child Policy: Under no circumstances may a parent bring a sick child to school. If the child shows any signs of illness or is unable to participate in the normal routine and regular program, he/she must stay home. Sick children expose other children, as well as their teachers, to the spread of their illness and require additional care and attention that we are unable to provide. Moreover, sick children need care in the comfort of their own homes. Your cooperation on this issue is appreciated and extremely important.
Every effort is taken to reduce the spread of illness by encouraging hand washing and other sanitary practices.
If your child is unable to participate in the normal activities of the school, including being able to play outside, please keep your child at home that day.
If a child arrives at school ill or becomes ill at some point during the day, we will contact the parent and expect that the child will be picked up within one hour (60 minutes). If a parent cannot be reached or has not arrived within an hour, the emergency contact person will be called and asked to pick up the child.
For the benefit of our teachers and other children in our care, a sick child will not be permitted to return to care for 24 hours after their condition has returned to normal. The child may return 24 - 48 hours (depending upon the illness) after they have received the first dose of an antibiotic. If a child receives an antibiotic for an ear infection, s/he may return to school immediately if s/he has been free of other symptoms mentioned for at least 24 hours. If you aren't sure about whether or not to bring your child to school, please call us to discuss your specific situation. Allergy-related symptoms and non-communicable illnesses do not require exclusion.
Symptoms requiring removal of the child from school:
- Fever: Fever is defined as having a temperature of 100°F or higher taken under the arm, 101°F taken orally, or 102°F taken rectally. A child needs to be fever-free for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to school. That means the child is fever-free without the aid of Tylenol® or any other fever-reducing substance.
- Fever AND sore throat, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, earache, irritability, or confusion.
- Diarrhea: runny, watery, bloody stools, or 2 or more loose stools within the last 4 hours.
- Vomiting: 2 or more times in a 24-hour period.
- Breathing trouble, sore throat, swollen glands, loss of voice, hacking or continuous coughing.
- Runny nose (other than clear), draining eyes or ears.
- Frequent scratching of body or scalp, lice, rash, or any other spots that resemble childhood diseases, including ringworm.
- The child is irritable, continuously crying, or requires more attention than we can provide without hurting the health, safety, or well-being of the other children in our care.