Division of Pupil & Family Support
- Wauwatosa School District
- District Health Information
Health Services
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Wauwatosa School District Nurses work with students, families, and staff to enhance the student educational process by preventing, removing, or limiting barriers to student learning, while promoting decision-making that leads to an optimal level of health.
If your student has any health needs that will impact them during the school day or during extracurricular activities, please contact the nurse that covers your student’s school.Direct services are provided to students through the combined efforts of nurses, health aides, school secretaries, designated teachers and instructional assistants.
Minor illness or injury will be taken care of by a trained, designated staff member. In case of a serious illness or injury, trained staff will provide basic first aid and use the emergency medical services by calling 911, when necessary.
Student Health Services include medication administration, health care plans, first aid and illness care, emergency care, immunization records, special health care procedures, vision screening and individual health counseling.
Illness Guidelines
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Deciding when to keep a sick child home from school can be a difficult decision. To help identify illnesses in our schools, caregivers are encouraged to report their child’s specific symptoms when calling in sick to the school attendance line. The following guidelines will help you decide whether your child is too ill to attend school. This information does not take the place of consulting a medical provider.
If you are unsure if your child should stay home from school or for how long, please call your school office or the nurse that covers your child’s school.
Send your child to school if...
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Runny nose, minor sore throat or just a little cough, but no other symptoms above students baseline (allergies, asthma, etc.) without fever should not miss school.
Keep your child home if...
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Symptoms are consistent with COVID-19, meaning they have any of the following:
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New or worsening cough, shortness of breath/trouble breathing, new loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fever or chills, sore throat, unusual fatigue, muscle or body aches, runny nose or nasal congestion, or headache.
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If symptoms are consistent with COVID-19, your child may return when:
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If the COVID-19 test is positive, the individual may return to school 5 days after symptoms first started (day 0 is the day symptoms first appeared, count 5 days, day 6 is when the individual can return to school/programming).
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If the COVID-19 test is negative, the individual may return as symptoms allow. See below.
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If not tested for COVID-19, may return as symptoms allow. See below.
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Fevers
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Temperatures above 100.4℉ (38℃) by any method.
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A child should be fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications (Tylenol/acetaminophen, Advil/ibuprofen) for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
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Common Respiratory Illness (including Flu, Pertussis, Common Cold, Croup, RSV)
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If a child has severe cold symptoms (hacking/harsh cough or a very runny nose) that disrupts normal school activity.
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If a child cannot maintain personal hygiene (wash hands and blow nose) they need to be home till able to do so.
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Vomiting, Diarrhea, Stomach Ache (including gastroenteritis, salmonella, rotavirus)
Keep home if child experiences 2 or more episodes of vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours or stomach pain that continues for more than 2 hours or intermittent pain associated with fever or other symptoms.
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Sore Throat
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A child with a very painful sore throat, white spots on the back of the throat, high fever, rash, stomach ache and/or headache should stay home and consider evaluation by a healthcare provider.
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If diagnosed with strep throat the child must be on antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours and be fever free without fever reducing medications before returning to school.
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Must be able to eat and drink to sustain energy for the school day.
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Hand, Foot and Mouth/Fifth Disease
A child with hand, foot and mouth disease is most contagious during the first week of illness. Healthcare providers can help guide when your child may return to school. There are no exclusions necessary if students can maintain hygiene and avoid close contact with others.
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Rash
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New rash or rash that is unusual, consider consultation with a healthcare provider to see if the rash is safe for school.
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If the rash is open/draining and unable to be covered, the student must stay home.
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Ear Infection/Ear Pain
Children should stay home until fever free without use of fever-reducing medications for 24 hours.
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Head Lice, Scabies, Ringworm
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Excluded until after the first treatment (exclusion is not necessary before the end of the school day).
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If treatment is completed the night of notification, students may come back to school the next day.
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COVID-19 Testing
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Consider COVID-19 testing if your student has symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
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New or worsening cough, shortness of breath/trouble breathing, new loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fever or chills, sore throat, unusual fatigue, muscle or body aches, runny nose or nasal congestion, or headache.
Wauwatosa School District accepts PCR, antigen, or at-home antigen tests. To report COVID test results, please call your student's school office.
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Testing Provided Through WSD
COVID-19 tests are available for free at your school office.
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Community Testing Sites
Visit https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/testing.htm to find a community testing site
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Rapid Antigen At Home Tests
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Available to purchase over the counter at many retail locations
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Some insurance providers cover the costs of at-home COVID-19 tests. Call your insurance provider or ask your pharmacist for details.
Visit https://special.usps.com/testkits to request COVID-19 at home tests to be mailed to your home at no cost through federal programming.
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Contact Information
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Fax: 414-244-9036Katelyn Lasse, BSN, RN, NCSNDistrict NurseWest High School, Eisenhower Elementary, Montessori, 18-21 Transition Services, County Programs, and Wauwatosa Virtual Academy
Phone: 414-773-1961Christa Kerns, MSN, RN
East High School, Madison Elementary, and McKinley ElementaryPhone: 414-773-1969Alicia Styka, BSN, RN, NCSNJefferson Elementary, Roosevelt ElementaryPhone: 414-773-1962Chong Yang, BSN, RNWhitman Middle School, Washington Elementary, Underwood/USTEMPhone: 414-773-1968Kirsten Russell, RNLongfellow Middle School, Lincoln Elementary School, Wilson/WSTEM ElementaryPhone: 414-773-1964
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