Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a restful break and enjoyed the holiday season. Please see below for some important information. Thanks! -Nurse Jenn
On Monday, 2/6/23, Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services will be coming to BLOCKS to offer a full comprehensive dental program for children who do NOT have a dentist. This is a wonderful opportunity for students who do not have a dentist to get various dental services completed here at school. Consent forms will be sent out at the end of the first week in January. Please read and complete the consent form and return the form to school as soon as possible. This is a voluntary program.
STAYING HOME WHEN SICK:
Sometimes it can be difficult for parents to decide whether to send their child to school when the student is experiencing symptoms of an illness.
Below are guidelines to help families decide when it is necessary to stay home. If an individual is experiencing any of the following symptoms, we ask parents to keep your child home for 24 hours after symptoms resolve:
Guidelines for Keeping Sick Children Home From School
- Fever – Children should remain at home with a fever greater than 100 degrees. They can return to school after they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and Motrin/Advil (Ibuprofen).
Diarrhea/Vomiting – Children with diarrhea and/or vomiting should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.
Conjunctivitis – Following a diagnosis of conjunctivitis, children may return to school in 24 hours.
Rashes – Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages. A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a healthcare provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child’s return to school.
Colds – Consider keeping your child at home if they are experiencing discomfort from cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion and cough. A continuous green discharge from the nose may be a sign of infection. Consider having the child seen by your healthcare provider.
If your child becomes sick at school, it is a parent/caregiver's responsibility to pick up students in a timely manner. They may not remain at school and they cannot take the bus home. Please make sure to keep your cell phone charged and on and/or have your daytime contact information available to your child's school. Please also have a plan for picking up your child from school in cases of illness or an emergency.
A sick child cannot learn effectively and is unable to participate in class in a meaningful way. Keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school community and allows the opportunity to rest and recover.
Monitor your child daily for symptoms of COVID-19 and test them when they are displaying symptoms.
Many of the symptoms of COVID-19 are very similar to symptoms of the common cold or allergy symptoms, please do not assume these symptoms are not COVID-19, and test your child before sending them to school.
Keep your child home when they are not feeling well, and may be displaying symptoms.
Common symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- Nasal congestion or runny nose
Sore throat
Headache
Cough
Fever of 100.0°F (37.7C) or higher or chills
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle aches or body aches
Nausea, or vomiting, or diarrhea
Fatigue
Protocol for students who test positive for COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status):
If your child or children test positive for COVID-19:
- Please notify your school nurse
- Children who test positive must stay home for a minimum of 5 days
Students may return to school, work, extracurricular activities on day 6 or later if they are:
- Fever free for 24hrs without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- Are experiencing improvement in other symptoms (ie, no runny nose, improving cough, no body aches, no sore throat, no nausea or vomiting).
- Are able to wear a well-fitting mask for 5 additional days (masking for days 6-10)
- If unable to wear a mask for an additional 5 days, students will remain home for a full 10 days, or can return after having a negative test on day 5 or later and an improvement in symptoms.
Each school will have masks and rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits available for students and staff should they need it.
Students who are symptomatic may also be provided with a COVID-19 test kit to take and use at home, should they need it.
The City of Framingham has test kits available for those that need them. They are available at the following public locations, while supplies last:
- Main Library: 49 Lexington Street, during hours of operation
- McAuliffe Library: 746 Water Street, during hours of operation
- Callahan Senior Center: 535 Union Ave., during hours of operation
- Public Health Department: 150 Concord Street, Suite 205, during hours of operation
Additionally, every household is now able to order 4 more free COVID-19 test kits from covid.gov.
