Your child should be kept home if:

• they have a temperature of 100° or greater,
• they have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause, or
• they are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea.

If your child has had a fever of 100° or greater, they should not return to school until 24 hours after the fever has left and you no longer need to use medication to keep the temperature down.

Similarly, if your child has respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause, they should stay home and away from others (including people they live with who are not sick) until their symptoms are improving for 24 hours. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.

The 24-hour guideline applies to vomiting and diarrhea. For example, if your child vomits in the morning at breakfast time, do not send them to school in the afternoon, even if there is no vomiting at lunch. Wait until the following breakfast time, with no vomiting or diarrhea during the day or night. If there has been no further vomiting or diarrhea, you can send your child to school.

Your child may need extra sleep, fluids or medication to get rid of their symptoms. Otherwise, they are more likely to stay sick longer.

Sending an ill child to school exposes other children to your child's illness. Children easily pass germs through their play and close contact with each other. Please send your child back to school when they are fully recovered. Then everyone will have the opportunity to experience the best from the school day.

To check a specific illness or disease, visit the Hennepin County Health Department website.

Please call your child's school when your child is staying home due to illness. If your child is not well enough to attend school but well enough to do school work at home, you may request homework according to your school's homework policy.

Certain illnesses may cause prolonged absences from school. If that happens, we need a doctor’s note stating the reason your child cannot attend school and the anticipated length of time your child will not be in school.

If your child has an injury that affects his/her participation in Physical Education class, a doctor’s note is needed including the date of return to P.E. The note should state the nature of the injury, what activities are to be avoided and which activities your child can safely do. This will facilitate an easier transition to an alternative activity. If an alternative activity cannot be done, extra credit make up will be required once the injury has healed and full participation is allowed.

If your child cannot participate in P.E. class for only a day or two, we need a note from the parent. The student will then be required to sign up for a make-up/extra credit class that will be held after school to receive credit for the classes that are missed. Extra credit classes can be attended by all students in PE and those points banked to improve the overall grade in the class. In all cases, the student should try to dress according to the requirements of the P.E. class. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate any needs he/she may have with the teacher.

Schools need your updated contact information in the event of illness or injury at school. Please call your child's school with this information as soon as possible.

Emergency cards can be completed and updated at any time. Call your child's school to update this information or send the completed form to school with your child. Or you can update all emergency information on Family Access.