PLEASE REVIEW: HAA Illness Policy

It's that time of year again: flu season. Please review the HAA Illness Policy below in an attempt to work together to prevent the spread of illness as much as possible this school year. Thank you!

Illness Policy for Holland Adventist Academy

Children should not come to school if they are sick and unable to participate in all indoor and outdoor school activities, or have an illness that may be contagious to other children.

Keep your child home from school if they exhibit the following symptoms:

·         Fever of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit or greater (children must be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school)

·         Nausea and vomiting

·         Diarrhea (child should remain home until stools are solid)

·         Persistent cough that interferes with schoolwork (coughing spreads germs when children forget to cover their mouths)

·         Ear pain with drainage leaking from the ear

·         Severe sore throat or difficulty swallowing (if diagnosed with strep throat, your child should not return to school until 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment)

·         Redness of the eye, obvious discharge, matted eyelashes, swelling, burning, itching of the eye (this may indicate conjunctivitis/pink eye which is highly contagious. Do not send your child back to school until 24 hours of antibiotic drops have been administered)

·         Rashes can be a sign of contagious illnesses like chickenpox, bacterial meningitis, impetigo, ringworm, and bacterial infections (keep your child home until they are diagnosed and treated for their symptoms)

·         Parasites such as pediculosis/head or body lice (children will not be permitted to return to school until they have been treated and are free of live lice and nits found within ¼” of the scalp. Parents are responsible for performing frequent head lice checks for the prevention and management of infestations)

These guidelines may not cover every individual case. Parent and teacher discretion is advised.

Regular handwashing is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. Teaching your child to wash hands before eating, after using the toilet, and after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing is a simple way to keep the classroom healthy. Proper handwashing technique involves 5 effective steps:

·         Wet hands with clean, running water

·         Lather hands, between fingers, and under nails by rubbing them together with soap

·         Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds (Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice)

·         Rinse hands well under clean, running water

·         Dry hands using a clean paper towel and shut off faucet using that towel before discarding

Holland Adventist Academy must report the number of absences due to communicable disease (an infectious disease transmissible from person to person) to the Health Department so it is essential that you notify the school if your child is absent due to a communicable disease.