Common Illness-General Info

The Methow Valley School District strives to prevent the spread of illness among staff and students through the education and promotion of health prevention strategies such as hand-washing, covering cough, and staying home when ill. However, there are a variety of common illnesses that our community regularly experiences.  Below are the basic guidelines of when to stay home from school.Antibiotics: Keep your child home at least 24 hours after the FIRST dose of antibiotic.

Some guidelines on when to keep your student home:

  • Fever—at or above 100.4 degrees
  • Vomiting or Diarrhea
  • Coughing—or any sort of breathing trouble
  • Severe sore throat
  • Rash—check with your doctor before sending to school
  • Very tired or in pain

When a student or staff can return to school: follow the 24 Hour Rule

  • Fever: Keep your child home until their FEVER has been gone WITHOUT medicine for 24 hours.
  • Vomiting or Diarrhea: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the LAST time they have vomited or had diarrhea and are eating a normal diet.
  • Antibiotics: Keep your child home at least 24 hours after the FIRST dose of antibiotic.
Lice

What Needs to Happen for the School:

Live lice: Lice need to be removed from hair and one treatment with nit shampoo needs to happen (which can be bought at Ulrichs) Students are able to return to school with eggs still visible in hair however not with live lice.  A generic letter will be sent out to the families in your students' class alerting them to possible exposure.  The lice-case identity will remain anonymous

To learn more about lice, diagnosis and treatments visit theCDC website.****

Pink Eye (conjunctivitis)

To learn more about Pink Eye, symptoms and treatment visit theCDC website
What Needs to Happen for The School?

Students will be asked to stay home from school and refer to a licensed health care provider if there is white or yellow drainage from the eye, altered vision, and/or redness of the eyelid or skin surrounding the eye (see graphic). Providers may prescribe antibiotic drops to be administered to infected eye. After 24 hours on antibiotics, students are welcome to return to school.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

To learn more about COVID-19, symptoms and testing, visit the CDC website.

What Needs to Happen for The School?

If your Student has been exposed to someone with COVID 19.  Monitor for symptoms and continue to allow your student to attend school and/or other activities.

If your student is feeling unwell, please keep the student home from school until 24 hours have passed since the last bout of diarrhea, vomiting, or fever.

If your student tests positive for COVID-19.  Please use the Washington Dept of Health Isolation calculator to understand how long your student should stay home recovering.

Notify the school if your student has a confirmed COVID Diagnosis: MVE 996-2186, LBHS 996-2215.  Washington State Public Schools are required to notify all potentially-exposed staff and students to a COVID. A generic letter will be sent out to the families in your students' class alerting them to possible exposure.  The COVID-positive patient's identity will remain anonymous

If your student received a positive COVID test via a home test, please report to the Okanogan County Health Dept.

Flu (Influenza)

To learn more about Strep Throat andtreatment, visit theCDC website.

What Needs to Happen for The School?

If your child receives a positive flu test, see if they are eligible for antiviral medication.  Keep your child home from school until they are significantly improved, are 24 hours fever free without the use of anti-fever medications, 24 hours out from the last bout of diarrhea and/or vomiting.

To learn more about Influenza,symptomsandtreatmentvisit theCDC website.

Strep Throat (Streptococcal Pharyngitis)

What needs to happen for the school.

Strep Throat is treated with antibiotics.  To be diagnosed and prescribed antibiotics, please make an appointment with your student's healthcare provider.  Students are able to return to school when they are feeling significantly better  (free of fever, diarrhea and vomit without the use of medication for at least 24 hours) and have been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

Vomiting/Diarrhea (Norovirus)

To learn more about Norovirus symptoms and treatment,visit the CDC website.

What Needs to Happen for The School?

Staff and students should remain home through their illness and for 24 hours after symptoms resolve.  Remove any contaminated clothing or linens immediately. Clean thoroughly any contaminated surfaces with a detergent to remove organic material (such as feces). Rinse detergent off the surface and then disinfect with an EPA-approved disinfectant for norovirus.  Encourage good personal hygiene and proper hand washing techniques after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after changing diapers.

Questions about Mental Health

Depression and Anxiety

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ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder)

ASD (Autism)

  • What is Autism? Information Sheet from the CDC in English
  • ¿Qué es el autismo? Hoja informativa del CDC en español(ubicado en la página dos)