Health Room
Health Room News & Information
When do I keep my child home due to illness?
Parents should keep their child home from school because of a serious illness, injury or a condition that can be passed on to other children. Although no comprehensive list is possible, the following conditions may be considered appropriate reasons to keep a student home from school:
Examples of serious illness or injury:
Vomiting
Temperature 100 °F or greater. Children with a fever (> 100 °F) must stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
Abdominal pain
Earache
Head injury
Adverse medication effect
Suspected fracture
Chest pain
Severe pain
Severe shortness of breath or wheezing
Examples of possible communicable conditions:
Vomiting
Loose stools/diarrhoea
Suspected communicable disease
Nuisance condition not currently being treated (e.g., ringworm, scabies, head lice)
Red, draining eyes
Persistent runny nose with yellow/green discharge, accompanied by fever
Productive cough, accompanied by fever
Undiagnosed rash
Does my child have a Cold or Flu? Flu Guide
What if I need more information?
A Parent's Guide to School Health can be found at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. It includes information on topics ranging from when to keep students home from school to packing easy, healthy lunches. Please check out this excellent source of information.
Remember that the Health Room welcomes phone calls and visits from parents regarding any concerns for their students! Please keep your school health team informed of pertinent information regarding your student's health needs. We are here to assist you and your students.
County Resources:
School Nurse:
Email Colleen Wethren
443-572-0085
Health Room Staff:
Classroom Nurse:
Medication at School
Please contact the Health Room to schedule a medication drop off and to update your student's health status.
All medication given at school must be prescribed by a physician on a Parent's Request to Administer Medication at School form.
This includes over the counter medications.
The unopened medication must be brought to school by a parent/guardian and accompanied by the form.
Please do not send medication to school with your student.
COVID
Students testing positive for COVID-19 must isolate for five days and may not attend school during that time. Following the isolation period, the student may return to school on Day 6 (with Day 0 being the date of the positive test for someone who had no symptoms or the date of the onset of symptoms for someone who was symptomatic) under the following conditions:
Without a mask if they have a negative test on Day 5 or later.
With a mask if they have not taken a subsequent test but have completed the five-day isolation period.
Without a mask after 10 days (no test is needed in this case).
In all of the above scenarios, a student returning to school must have improving symptoms and be fever-free without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours.