Guidelines for keeping a child home from school

It is our duty to provide your child with a clean, bright and stimulating environment.

The school is cleaned daily. Each rug is vacuumed, floors are swept and washed, counters and tables are washed with bleach and water. Toys or activities that have been soiled during the day will be disinfected with a solution of bleach and water. Bathrooms are routinely cleaned and monitored during the day and are thoroughly scrubbed at the end of the day.  However, unfortunately, germs and bacteria occasionally manage to thrive. We, the staff, do our utmost to prevent the spread of colds, flu bugs, etc. but we need your help. Please follow the guidelines below.

Please do not send your child to school on a day when any of the following symptoms are present:

A.    A temperature of 99/100 degrees or any fever accompanied by:

• deep cough
• earache or draining ear
• spasms of cough
• sore throat

B.    A rash of any kind until diagnosed, treated or declared harmless by a physician
C.    Early colds (coughing and sneezing), very bad colds with purulent discharge
D.    Diarrhea or vomiting the previous evening or before morning. Child needs to be free from vomiting or diarrhea         for 24 hours before returning to school.
E.     Red, runny or matting eyes – may be pink eye (conjunctivitis) – please call your doctor
F.     Bronchitis – if your child is coughing frequently

If your child has the sniffles (i.e. clear, runny nose) this is a sign of the beginning of a cold. When the cold is in the early stage, it is contagious. Please keep your child at home for a couple of days with plenty of rest, juice and Tylenol. Usually, this action will prevent a more severe cold from setting in and help protect the other children at school.

We are a school for “healthy” children. A child who is not well does not benefit from our program and can adversely affect the health of our other children. If you have any doubts about your child’s health, please keep your child home and contact your family doctor. In the event your child becomes sick while at school, you will be promptly notified. We expect that you will come to the school as quickly as possible to take your child home.  

ILLNESS CHART                               MAY RETURN

Chicken Pox                                      24 hours after lesions have crusted
Conjunctivitis (pink eye)                   24 hours after start of treatment
*if specifically drainage and excessive tearing have stopped
Croup                                                after illness has subsided
Diarrhea-Gastro Enteritis                 24 hours after last loose stool/after 1 normal bowel movement
Rubella                                              at least 8 days after symptoms end
Hepatitis A                                        at least 7 days after onset of jaundice
Impetigo                                            24 hours after treatment has started
Fever                                                 24 hours after temperature is normal
Influenza                                           24 hours after symptoms have subsided
Measles                                            at least 4 days after onset of rash
Lice                                                   24 hours after treatment has begun
Whopping Cough                            at least 7 days after therapy has started
Pin Worms                                        after treatment is completed
Roseola                                            after illness has subsided
Scabies                                            24 hours after start of treatment
Strep throat                                     48 hours after start of treatment
Poison Ivy                                        after lesions have dried up
Pneumonia or Epiglottis                 written note from physician
 *if due to H-Flu, Health Dept. must give order)
Bacterial (Spinal) Meningitis           when Health Dept. gives OK
Mumps                                             14 days after swelling begins

*   Source: US Dept. of Health & Human Services

Health Procedures

Your child’s health form must be filled out by your physician and must be returned before the first day of school. Children enrolled in the Tara Montessori School must have a complete physical examination each year. Required inoculations must be up to date, and a lead-screening test is mandatory as well.

No medication, prescription or non-prescription, may be administered to a child without specific written permission from the parent and the physician. The prescription must be specific for the child in care and in the original bottle with the written order of the physician not more than one year old. The physician’s instructions for dosage must be followed exactly as prescribed on the label of the medication. All unused medications will be returned to the parent or disposed of in a way that is completely safe and out of reach of children at any time. Topical medications such as lotions, petroleum jelly or sun screens require written permission which is valid for one year. 

If your child’s medical information should change during the course of the year (he or she develops an allergy, is put on medication, etc.) you must notify the office in writing.

If your child will not be attending school because he or she is ill, please notify the school before 9 AM.

Children attending Tara Montessori School are expected to be well enough to participate in all activities including outdoor play.