Health

Health and Wellness

When is Too Sick for School?

If your child is out of school due to illness, please notify their school.

This guidance can help schools and families support a safe learning environment, while lowering the risk or spread of common respiratory viral illnesses including flu, COVID-19 and RSV.

Health Services at School: Permissions Form Needed

As required by Tennessee state law, all students must have a signed permissions form to receive non-emergency health care at school. The care may include, but is not limited to, cleaning and bandaging minor cuts or abrasions, providing an ice pack, or managing illnesses and/or injuries that can occur during a school day.

The permissions form can be found in the Metro Schools permissions portal or in the PDF version on the Student-Parent Handbook.

Keep Your Child at Home If...

Your child has been told to stay out of school by a medical provider, School Nurse, or the Health Department, etc. and/or they have any of these symptoms:
  • Temperature 100.4 degrees or above
  • Throwing up
  • Chills
  • Diarrhea
  • Rash covering entire body
  • Symptoms of a respiratory virus not better explained by another cause

Symptoms of a Respiratory Virus May Include...

  • Chills
  • Cough
  • Runny nose
  • Fatigue (tiredness)
  • Fever or feeling feverish
  • Headache

When Can Your Child Return to School?

When all symptoms are getting better overall and..
  • They have not had a fever of 100.4 degrees or above for 24 hours without taking fever reducing medicine
  • They have not thrown up for 24 hours
  • They have not had diarrhea for 24 hours
Or
  • They have provided documentation required according to MNPS policy.

Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette

  • Washing hands can prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Please continue to reinforce proper handwashing to lower the risk of spreading viruses.
  • Teach and reinforce covering coughs and sneezes to help keep students from getting and spreading infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
  • Reinforce hygiene and respiratory etiquette behaviors such as before and after eating and after physical activity.
  • Use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

 

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