School Health Services/School Nurses

Please use the following guidelines to help stop the spread of illnesses in our school. Your children’s health is foremost on our minds.

• Please keep your child home from school if they have a fever (often a temperature of 100.0 or higher signals an illness or contagion). Your child must be fever-free for a full 24 hours before returning to school, without the use of fever-reducing medication, such as Tylenol, Motrin or Advil.
• Please keep your child home if they vomited or had diarrhea the night before or the morning of school. Please maintain the 24-hour rule; vomit free and/or diarrhea free; as well as being able to tolerate a regular diet for 24 hours before the child can return to school.
• Please give your child a full 24 hours at home, once placed on antibiotics for contagious diseases such as strep throat, bronchitis, conjunctivitis (pink eye) and impetigo.
•  Please keep your child home if they exhibit flu-like symptoms or Covid symptoms. Contact your child’s provider for: fever accompanied with chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle pain, fatigue, persistent vomiting and diarrhea.

Additionally, please keep your child home if:

• Their cough is not under control. (Please note cough drops, and over-the-counter cough medicine, require a doctor’s note).
• They have a rash accompanied by a fever or behavioral changes. It is recommended the child be seen by their pediatrician.

Thank you for adhering to these guidelines and for helping maintain a healthy school environment for our children.

Resources from the New York State Department of Health

Fight the Flu - Info for Parents

Fight the Flu - Info for Parents - Spanish

Head Lice are tiny wingless parasites that feed on the human scalp. Lice have been in existence since the dawn of time. There is no research-based way to completely eradicate lice. They infest people regardless of age, race, sex, or socioeconomic class and are not an indication of poor hygiene. The most common method of transfer is direct head contact, although transfer may also occur through shared combs, brushes, hats, helmets, or other headwear.  Itching and scratching of the head may be a sign of possible infestation, and should prompt parents to examine their children. Children should be examined weekly to catch an infestation as early as possible. The following are resources for parents/guardians about head lice:

•  BCSD Head Lice Protocol
•  Head Lice Alert Letter to Parents/Guardians

Please contact your pediatrician or School Nurse for additional questions about head lice.