Nurse's Corner

Office phone #623-445-7811

Laura.Craig@dvusd.org or Jennifer.VanGysel@dvusd.org

 

IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTES FROM THE NURSE

 

The attempts to control/contain communicable ("catching") diseases during the school year are both challenging and problematic. The first responsibility must fall upon parents as you know your children best and are usually able to detect the first signs of illness. 

The following guidelines will help control communicable diseases in both our school and the community.

 

1. Do not send your child if he/she shows signs of illness. Sick children cannot focus during class and risk getting other students and teachers sick.

   

2. Do not send a sick child to school for the nurse to decide whether he/she should be in school.  If in doubt, call the family physician and speak to him/her or the medical assistant to determine if an appointment needs to be made or the child should stay home. 

 

3. If your child is showing signs of illness, keep him/her away from other children. Consideration of others' health is a responsibility we all share.
  

4. Some of the signs and symptoms of acute illness are:           

• Restlessness at night
• Diarrhea
• Fever (oral temp 100.0 or more)
• Red-watering eyes
• Running nose
• Flushed face or paleness
• Sneezing and coughing
• Headache
• Rash
• Swelling neck or face
• Nausea or vomiting
• Earache

If your child shows any of the above signs, they should be isolated from others to prevent the spread of illness.  You may want to reach out to your family physician if symptoms appear severe.

5. If your child has a temperature of 100.0 F (oral) or higher, keep the child home until the temperature has returned to normal (around 98.6 F) for 24 hours without the assistance of any medication. Normal temperature is about 98.6 F.  Take temperature at mid‑afternoon each day if you suspect it is above normal.  Continue this process until temperature is normal a whole day, then the child can return to school if no other symptoms of illness are present.

 

6. Any child with an undiagnosed rash should remain out of school until all symptoms are gone or a physician verifies the child is not contagious and is well enough to return to school.

 

7. Any child who appears to have reddened, swollen eyelids and/or is experiencing crust formation or milky drainage from either eye, needs to remain at home and possibly have the eye looked at by a physician to determine possible contagious condition and treatment. 

 

 

Our goal is to assist students to remain healthy, while optimizing their time and learning in the classroom. Parents are a vital contributor to both their own child's health and assisting to minimize the exposure of other children and staff to an illness so everyone can perform at their peak wellness. 

 

Thank you.

Laura, RN and Jenny, RN

Office Number: (623) 445-7811