With a new school year well under way, here are a few things to keep in mind. If your child needs any type of medication during school hours, please remember that it must be brought to the school by the parent in the original container. A Medication Administration Form must be on file before any medication will be administered.
As we focus on No Child Left Behind we see the importance of attendance and the need to reduce preventable illness. One of the most important things that you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands. By frequently washing your hands you wash away germs that you have picked up from other people, or from contaminated surfaces.
What happens if you do not wash your hands frequently?
You pick up germs from other sources and then you infect yourself when you:
- Touch your eyes
- Or your nose
- Or your mouth
One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with the cold virus.
You can spread germs directly to others or onto surfaces that other people touch. And before you know it, everybody around you is getting sick.
The important thing to remember is that, in addition to colds, some other serious diseases.. like hepatitis A, meningitis, and infectious diarrhea.. can easily be prevented if people make a habit of washing their hands
When should you wash your hands?
You should wash your hands often. Probably more often than you do now because you can’t see germs with the naked eye, so you do not really know where they are hiding.
It is especially important to wash your hands
- Before , during, and after you prepare food
- Before you eat
- After you use the bathroom
- After handling animals
- More frequently when someone in your home is sick.
What is the correct way to wash your hands?
Wet your hands and apply soap.
Rub your hands vigorously together and scrub all surfaces.
Scrub for 10-15 seconds this will dislodge and remove germs.
Rinse well and dry your hands.
It is estimated that one out of three people do not wash their hands after using the restroom. So these tips are important when you are out in public.
Is Your Child too Sick for School?
Early in the morning it is often difficult to make a decision whether or not your child is sick enough to stay home from school.
The main reasons for keeping your child home are:
- If he is too sick to be comfortable at school
- If he might spread a contagious disease to other children
As a rule of thumb, a child should stay home if there is:
- A fever over 100.2, children with fever should stay home until there is no fever for 24 hours.
- Vomiting more than once
- Diarrhea
- A very frequent cough
- Persistent pain
- A wide spread rash
If I can be of any assistance to you , please feel free to call.