**Important Notice Regarding Student Illness, Absence, & Reporting Disease**

It's that time of year when it seems germs are more prevalent, and "stuff" is getting passed between students in school. To help kids remember to wash their hands, cover their cough, & how to prevent the spread of germs; we have reviewed Hand-washing and disease prevention practices with each classroom. Parents can reinforce these practices at home in the effort to keep everyone healthy this school year.

To assist the school staff in preventing disease outbreaks, please be specific when reporting a child's absence. When calling in, please include a description of the symptoms (fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, eye drainage, etc.). If your child has been diagnosed by a health care provider with an illness, please indicate that also (pink eye, strep throat, ringworm, head lice, influenza, etc.). Our office needs to track communicable diseases to observe trends and to hopefully prevent any outbreaks. We also need to alert other families with children in the same classroom if any child is diagnosed with a communicable disease.

With all the stomachaches and sniffles that come along with childhood, it can be hard to determine when to keep your child home from school. Here are some guidelines to help you make that call:

• Fever over 100° F. Child's temperature should be less than 100° F for a full 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) before they return to school.
• Vomiting or diarrhea. Child should remain at home for a full 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea before they return to school.
• Undiagnosed rash. A rash of unknown origin should be looked at by a health care provider to determine if treatment is needed or if school exclusion is indicated.
• Red eyes, drainage, or crustiness. If pink eye is suspected, see a health care provider to determine if antibiotic drops are needed. If provider makes a pink eye diagnosis and prescribes drops, student should stay home for 24 hours after drops are started. Instruct child to not touch eyes/face and to wash hands frequently.
• Strep throat. If a diagnosis of strep throat is made, child should take the prescribed antibiotics for a full 24 hours before returning to school.
• Head lice. Child will need to be treated with OTC shampoo and hair combed through with a nit comb (or be seen by lice treatment specialist) before returning to school. Please continue lice prevention practices (daily combing for nit removal, wearing long hair up, no sharing personal items, reduce close personal contact, etc.) at home and school.

Remember to call the school office with any of the above conditions/diagnoses ASAP! 

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School Directory 

ISLA Families:

Please take a moment to add your family contact information to the ISLA School Directory. You will only be added if you fill out the quick survey. This is the only resource that families have to contact classmates for playdates, birthday parties and carpooling.

The deadline for submission is Wednesday, October 18th, 2017.

ISLA Family Directory Link