| Newark City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
8450.01 - MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE - PRESCHOOL
The management of communicable diseases in the preschool setting is essential to the health and welfare of each preschooler.
Preschool staff and/or school health staff will be trained to recognize the common signs of communicable disease or other illness. Training will include the prevention, recognition and management of communicable diseases. Training shall be completed annually and shall include:
| A. | signs and symptoms of illness; | |
| B. | hand washing techniques; and | |
| C. | disinfection procedures. |
Training may be provided by school health personnel or other training medium such as webcasts or web based training modules. Participation in such training will be documented.
When a child is suspected of having a communicable disease, the program staff or health clinic personnel will notify the parent or guardian of the child's condition immediately. A decision regarding whether the child should be discharged immediately or at some other time shall be determined by the principal/head teacher/health aide and the parent or guardian.
A child with any of the following signs or symptoms of illness shall be isolated immediately and sent home with the parent or guardian:
| A. | diarrhea (more than one abnormally loose stool within a twenty-four (24) hour period); | |
| B. | severe coughing, causing the child to become red or blue in the face or to make a whooping sound; | |
| C. | difficult or rapid breathing; | |
| D. | yellowish skin or eyes; | |
| E. | conjunctivitis; temperature of 100°F, taken by auxiliary method, when in combination with other signs of illness; | |
| F. | untreated infected skin patch(es); | |
| G. | unusually dark urine and/or grey/white stool; | |
| H. | stiff neck; or | |
| I. | evidence of lice, scabies or other parasitic infestation. |
While in isolation the child shall be within the sight and hearing by school health or preschool staff in an area not being used by the preschool program. No child shall ever be left alone or unsupervised.
Children with communicable disease will be readmitted when they have been symptom free for at least twenty-four (24) hours or have a signed statement from a physician, a physician's assistant, a clinical nurse specialist or a certified nurse.
The parents of a child experiencing minor common cold symptoms, but not any of the symptoms listed above, or a child not feeling well enough to participate in preschool activities, will be contacted by health/preschool staff to determine if the child should remain in school.
An Ohio Department of Health Child Day Care Communicable Disease Chart regarding appropriate management of suspected illnesses shall be posted in each school building where a preschool classroom is located.
Preschool staff will notify the parents of enrolled children within two (2) working days when children are exposed to a diagnosed disease such as pink eye, ringworm, chicken pox or head lice.
Adopted 9/12/11