To help keep our students as healthy as possible, we have developed policies specifically for the following illnesses:
Our Redeemer Policy on Pink Eye
If your child has pink eye please notify us. Your child may not come back to school until 24 hours after treatment has begun and a release from your physician is provided. Pink eye is a common infection of the eye which is highly contagious. The white of the eye will become pinkish red and it can have a discharge that will make the eye hard to open after sleeping. It feels very irritated and itches. It can be very easily passed from child to child, as well as from one eye to the other on that child. (This is reported to you solely for informational purposes.)
If you think that your child has pink eye, please see your own health care provider for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Our Redeemer Policy on Strep Throat
If your child has symptoms of strep throat (or any contagious infection) please see your doctor for treatment. Please notify us when your child is sick. Your child must be fever free for at least 24 hours and on an antibiotic for two days before returning to school.
What is strep throat? What are the signs of strep throat?
Strep throat is an infection caused by bacteria. It is called “strep” because the bacteria that causes the infection is called streptococcus. Adults with strep throat may have a sore throat, a fever and swollen neck glands. They usually don’t have a cough or a runny nose. Children with strep throat have a sore throat and may have tummy pain or a red rash with small spots. The rash is worse under the arms and in skin creases.
How is strep throat treated?
Your doctor may give you or your child an antibiotic. Antibiotics kill bacteria, which helps strep throat go away a little faster. It can also prevent a few rare but serious conditions that people with strep throat might get. It is important to take all of the medicine your doctor gives you.
Should all sore throats be treated with antibiotics?
No. Not every sore throat is strep throat. Bacteria only cause about 5% to 10% of sore throats. The rest are caused by viruses or other problems, and antibiotics will not help. Your doctor can do a test to make sure it is strep throat.
What tests can tell I have strep throat?
Your doctor may use a test called the rapid strep test. For this test, the doctor uses a long cotton swab to take some material from the back of your throat. The results of this test can be ready in about 15 minutes. Your doctor may also do a culture of the throat material. A sample of the throat material is sent to a laboratory. This test is called a throat culture. It takes more than 24 hours to learn the results of a strep culture. The rapid strep test and the culture can tell your doctor if you have strep throat. If something else is causing your sore throat, these tests do not tell what it is.
Can other people catch my strep throat?
Yes. You can give the infection to other people until you have been treated with an antibiotic for 1 to 3 days. Children with strep throat should not go back to school or day care until their fever has gone away and they have taken an antibiotic for at least 24 hours.
What can make my sore throat feel better?
Here are some things that might help you feel better:
- Taking ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) or acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol). Children should not take aspirin. Aspirin can cause Reyes syndrome -a serious illness- and in some cases, death when it is used in children under 18 who have the flu.
- Gargling with warm salt water (1/4 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup [8 ounces] of warm water).
- For adults and older children, sucking on throat lozenges, hard candy or pieces of ice.
- Eating soft foods, drinking cool drinks or warm liquids or sucking on Popsicles.
Source: Management of Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcal Pharyngitis (American Family Physician April 15, 2001, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010415/1557.html)
Our Redeemer Policy on Ringworm
If your child has ringworm, please notify us. Your child may not come back to school until 24 hours after treatment has begun and a release from your physician is provided. The affected areas must be covered. Ringworm is a common infection of the skin. It takes different form depending on the part of the body infected. It can be very easily passed from child to child.
If you think that your child has ringworm, please see your own health care provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. Ointments and creams are available for treatment of the skin. Oral medications are sometimes given to treat ringworm.