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Illness Management: When to stay home from school

Middleborough Public School Nurses follow the current State and Local Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Department of Education and Secondary Education (DESE) regulations and protocols with regards to all communicable diseases and infections. Here is a link to our most recent Mass DPH/ Mass DESE guidance pertaining to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses:

Massachusetts Department of Public Health Guidance: Preventing the Spread of Respiratory Viruses

The Middleborough Public Schools, in partnership with our State and Local Public Health Departments, would like to share the following health reminders:

  • Practice frequent hand hygiene with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or if a tissue is not available, cover sneezes with an elbow
  • Open a window, even a few inches, to help circulate fresh air when this is an option.
  • Clean high-touching surfaces in your home frequently .
  • If your child is ill, please keep them home from school and please avoid social gatherings. This will help with recovery and reduce the chances of spreading illness to others.
  • Please contact your pediatrician or healthcare provider if your child needs medical care.
  • Please notify your School Nurse if your child is diagnosed with any communicable illness. This will help us assess and possibly detect illnesses in others sooner.
  • Please notify your school about any changes in any of your emergency contact phone numbers and/or emails so that we may reach you promptly if your child is ill and needs to be dismissed from school to recover at home.
  • Please notify the school of any absence, and provide a doctor’s note if your child is seen by a  physician for their illness or injury.

When should you keep your child home from school?

Please consider keeping your child home from school if they are experiencing any of the following:

  • CHICKENPOX- Your child should remain at home five days or until all areas are crusted over, completely dry and no new areas are breaking out. Please report any cases of chickenpox to the school nurse. 
  • CONJUNCTIVITIS - If your child has conjunctivitis they may need to be on an antibiotic for 24 hours before returning to school, unless otherwise indicated by their physician. 
  • COUGHS/COLDS- If your child has discomfort from their cold symptoms that interferes with their ability to perform daily tasks, consider keeping them home. A continuous cough and/or continuous or green nasal drainage may need to be evaluated by your child’s physician.
  • FEVER: A temperature of 100 F or higher for school purposes. Students are to be fever free without the use of medication for 24 hours before returning to school.
  • FIFTH’S DISEASE- The hallmark of this viral illness is bright red “slapped cheek” rash which appears after mild cold/flu-like symptoms. The rash may extend to their trunk or limbs. Children are no longer contagious by the time this rash appears and do not need to stay home, in the absence of a fever. Fifth’s disease is of concern to pregnant women and should be reported to the school nurse.
  • IMPETIGO- Your child must remain at home until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics and/or sores must be covered unless otherwise instructed by your child’s physician.
  • MONONUCLEOSIS- Please contact the school nurse if your child is diagnosed with mono. Your child’s physician will most likely place restrictions on their physical activity and temporary accommodations can be arranged at school.
  • PERTUSSIS: Children with confirmed or suspected Pertussis must stay home until a course of antibiotics is completed in accordance with state guidelines. Please notify the school nurse if your child is suspected or confirmed to have Pertussis.
  • RASH - New rashes with no known cause or which appear suspicious to the parent/caregiver or school nurse should be evaluated and cleared by a physician.
  • STREP THROAT- Children cannot return to school until they have been on an antibiotics treatment for 24 hours unless otherwise advised by their physician. Some children feel ill for several days with strep infections, so they should not return unless they have an improvement in symptoms.
  • VOMITING or DIARRHEA: Children should remain at home symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and are able to ingest fluids and food comfortably.
  • Other viral illnesses: Your child may return to school when fever/symptom free for 24 hours as long as they feel well enough to participate. Please keep in mind that your child can be ill and contagious without the presence of a fever. If you have specific diagnostic or care questions, please refer to your child’s pediatrician. 

Note: prescription medications that have multiple doses per day should be given at home as much as possible: for example, antibiotics are often prescribed three times a day,  for five, seven or ten days in a row. Families should plan to administer their children's antibiotic medication at home. A three-times-a-day antibiotic can be given at home: before school, after school and at the students' bedtime. 

Nurse dismissal and return to school after illness/injury

When your child is not feeling well or is injured during the school day, MPS School Nurses are available in the School Health Office to assess them and provide basic care. The School Nurse’s assessment determines when a student in need of a nursing dismissal from school. Their goal is to offer treatment that enables your child to return comfortably to the educational setting. If dismissal from school is indicated, or follow-up with a physician is recommended, the school nurse will contact the parent/guardian(s) listed on the Emergency Contact Form with their recommendations and arrange for your child’s dismissal from school. We ask parents/guardians to please have a plan in place to pick up your child in case they need to be dismissed from school for illness or accidental injury. In an emergency, 911 will be called, your child will be given first aid and transported to the nearest hospital if needed. You, or a designated emergency contact, will be notified immediately.