Shawn Layman
Wood Elementary School Nurse
573-842-2625 ext. 2640 
Email Shawn Layman

Making the Right Call When Your Child Is Sick:

Should I keep my child home or send him or her to school?

School policy (and/or state law) requires a child to stay home if he or she:

• Has a fever of 100 degrees or higher

• Has been vomiting or has diarrhea 

• Has symptoms that keep your child from participating in school, such as:

  • Cough that he or she cannot control 

  • Sore throat- a little sore is ok for school, but a bad sore throat could be strep throat, even if there is no fever. Other signs of strep throat in children are:

    • Headache 

    • Upset stomach 

    • Skin rash

Call your doctor if your child has these signs. A special test is needed to know if it is strep throat.

24 Hour Rule:

• FEVER: Keep your child home until his or her fever has been gone WITHOUT medication for 24 hours. Colds can be contagious for at least 28 Hours. Returning to school too soon may slow recovery and make others sick. 

• VOMITING OR DIARRHEA: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the LAST time he or she vomited or had diarrhea.

• ANTIBIOTICS: Keep your child home until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics.

We often have many children coming to school sick and each one is passing their sickness to others. Please help others from becoming sick by keeping your child home.

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact me.