Administration

classroom guidance - which is preventive and covers topics including social skills, conflicts resolution, study skills and career awareness.
small group counseling - which is offered to 2nd graders for lessons on friendship, grief and divorce.
individual counseling - which is available to help students with problems they are having at school or at home.

All counseling sessions are confidential.

The other services offered by the counselor are consulting which is available to parents, teachers and other adults who play a significant role in the life of a student; and coordinating of counseling services and other programs as needed by the school. You are invited to call the school at 706-782-3831 if you need to speak with the counselor or have any questions or concerns.

School Nurse

Mrs. Therese Hunter, LPN

706-782-3831 ext. 718

thunter@rabuncountyschools.org

IS YOUR CHILD TOO SICK FOR SCHOOL?

Early in the morning it is often difficult to make decision about whether or not your child is sick enough to stay home from school. With minor symptoms you often cannot tell whether he/she is going to get better or worse during the course of the day.

The main reasons for keeping your child home are if he is too sick to be comfortable at school and 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 100.4°F
Vomiting more than once
Diarrhea
A very frequent cough
Persistent pain (ear, stomach, etc.)
Widespread rash

Most of these problems need to be discussed with your child’s health care provider to determine if an office visit is needed. If your child has frequent complaints of pain that cause school absences, you should consider the possibility that your child is intentionally avoiding school. Bring this to the attention of the child’s healthcare provider before a great deal of school has been missed.

Children who do not have a fever and only have a mild cough, runny nose or other cold symptoms could be sent to school without any harm to themselves or others. The following guidelines may help in your decision process:

A runny nose is the way many children respond to pollen, dust or a cold virus. Minor cold or allergy symptoms should not be a reason to miss school. Many healthy children have as many as six colds per year.

Coughing, especially if it is persistent during the day, can indicate a worsening of cold or allergy symptoms. It may be a sign of a secondary infection (sinusitis, pneumonia), which may require medical treatment. It may also indicate mild asthma. If your child’s cough is worse that you might expect with a common cold you need to consult your child’s health care provider. You should do so immediately if the child is not acting normal, has a fever, or has any difficulty breathing.

Diarrhea and vomiting make a child very uncomfortable. A single episode of vomiting, without any other symptoms, may not be reason enough for the child to miss school, but be sure the school can reach you if symptoms occur again during the day. A single episode of watery diarrhea probably warrants not going to school. It could be very embarrassing and uncomfortable for your child to have another episode while at school. If diarrhea or vomiting is frequent or are accompanied by fever, rash or general weakness, consult your child’s health car provider and keep the child out of school until the illness passes.

Fever (generally considered to be over 100.4ºF) is an important symptom—especially if it occurs along with a sore throat, nausea or a rash. Your child could have a contagious illness, which could be passed to classmates and teachers. While you can treat the fever, and usually make the child feel better temporarily, the cause of the fever (and the risk of passing it to others) is still there. Children with fever should stay home until there is no fever for 24 hours.

Strep throat and scarlet fever are two highly contagious conditions caused by the same bacterial infection. The usually arrive with a sudden complaint of sore throat and fever, and often stomachache and headache. With scarlet fever, a rash usually appears within 12 to 48 hours. A child with these symptoms should see his healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment, and should remain out of school until he is without fever and has been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

Pinkeye, or conjunctivitis, can be caused by a virus, bacteria or allergy. The first two are very contagious. The eye will be reddened, and a cloudy or yellow discharge is usually present. The eye may be sensitive to light. Consult with your child’s healthcare provider to see if antibiotic eye drops are needed. Again the child should stay home until symptoms subside and he has been on antibiotic eye drops at least 24 hours or until the health care provider recommends the child return to school.

Middle ear infections can cause great discomfort and often fever, but are not contagious to others. The child should see his health care provider for diagnosis and treatment and should stay home if he has fever or pain.

Flu is a contagious virus that usually occurs in the winter months. Symptoms include body aches, high fever, chills, congestion, sore throat, and in some children, vomiting. The child should stay home until these symptoms improve usually five to seven days. Consult your child’s health care provider for treatment suggestions to make your child more comfortable.

Impetigo is a staph or strep infection that creates a red, oozing blister-like area that can appear anywhere on the body or face. A honey-colored crust may appear on the area. It can be passed to others by direct contact. Consult your child’s healthcare provider for treatment and length of time the child should remain out of school, especially if the area cannot be covered.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral illness. It causes fever and an itchy rash, which spread quickly all over the body, changing from red bumps to blister-like lesions, then scabs. The child needs to stay home until all bumps are scabbed and no new bumps have appeared for two days. Your child is contagious at least two days before the rash starts, so you need to let the school and playmates know, and consult your child’s healthcare provider for symptomatic treatment. A vaccine is available for children who have not yet had chickenpox and is required for kindergarten. The vaccine will also be required for all new sixth graders who have not yet had chickenpox.

Scabies and lice brought into a school can quickly produce an epidemic of itching and scratching. Scabies are tiny insects that burrow into the skin and cause severe itching. Lice are tiny wingless insects, like ticks, that thrive on the warm scalps of children and also cause itching. Both should be treated immediately with advice from your child’s health care provider. Children need to stay home from school until head lice are dead and until nits or eggs are removed with a special fine toothed comb. Heal checks should continue for 10 to 14 days. Caution your child against sharing combs, brushes, hats or other clothing. In the case of scabies children should stay home for 24 hours after treatment.

All of these illnesses can be spread easily, both in school and in the family. Keep in mind that hand washing is the single most important thing you can do and teach your child to do to help prevent the spread of infection.

Whenever there is doubt in your mind about sending your child to school, consult your child’s healthcare provider before doing so. A phone consultation may be all that is necessary, or your child’s health care provider may need to see the child in the office. You may also consult your school nurse. You may also call the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta 24 hour nurse advice line at 404-250-5437 for advice when your child’s health care provider’s office is not open.

Make sure that your child’s school knows how to reach you during the day and that there is a backup plan and phone number on file if they cannot reach you.

Information found at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Arvid Gordon - Supervisor

Roger English
Angie Hunter
Brianna Ledbetter

Joey Yoder

Faculty & Staff

Fall Break