We have to say it.  

We have too many sick children coming to Kindergarten this year.

We’ve been teaching long enough to know when sick children are coming to school.  It’s more than just having an “off day.”  We know because the first thing some of the children say to us when they walk in the classroom is, “I feel sick.”  If we’re quick enough to find out that your child had a fever the night before, or threw up, we’re going to ask you to come back to the classroom to take your little one home.  

We’re here to gently remind you that we have to take sickness very seriously at school.  We have to because there are so many students, their siblings, parents and grandparents who can be affected.  Not to mention the teaching staff and all of their families.  We simply are unable to look after sick children here at school.  We all have our teaching or office responsibilities so we really do not have extra adults to sit with a sick child.  Besides, your children would really prefer to be at home, in their own bed, with you to look after them.  

We know it’s inconvenient taking a day or more off from work to be at home, but the health of our children has to come first.  A number of years ago when we were still job-sharing, Christy and I both developed a bad stomach flu which spread immediately to our families.  Between the two of us, we were away for about three weeks caring for sick children and sick husbands at home with a variety of substitute teachers covering for us.   But not one student in our class got sick from us because we were determined to stay home until we were healthy and strong enough to be back in the classroom.

It goes without saying that a classroom is a hotbed for germs; nobody wants to talk about it but it’s true.  In Kindergarten, we share all of our school supplies.  Germs move around from pencils to crayons to felt pens to gluesticks to scissors– just like that.  We all share math manipulatives, building blocks, dollhouse figures and puzzle pieces.  That’s why we have such a huge emphasis on self-care, particularly handwashing before students eat and after using the bathroom; and noseblowing with a kleenex, not picking noses or wiping noses on sleeves which is NOT an acceptable alternative.  We are still reminding the children daily not to put their fingers into their noses or mouths.  Children are sneezing without covering their noses and coughing directly on their peers and teachers.  Good hygiene and social habits start at a very young age and must be reinforced by you, their parents.  

If your children have had a fever the night before, and seem a little better in the morning, please keep them at home.  They probably did not have a good sleep and should take it easy.  There is no such thing as a “little fever.”  Even a “little fever” is still cause for being cautious.  

If your children have vomited, or been vomiting, they should stay at home.  Ideally, your child would have cleared at least 24 hours of no vomiting before they come back to school.  No child wants to vomit at school, it is horribly embarrassing for your child and very difficult to deal with for the rest of the class.  We all need to leave the classroom; the custodian must be summoned to sprinkle absorbent powder on the vomit and then we have to wait for that process.  

If your children have a runny nose that they cannot independently manage (the teachers do not help children with runny noses) or a persistent cough, then a day or two at home to get better is for their benefit.  We’re far too busy in our school day for children to recuperate at school.  

We know your child wants to come back to school and may appear ready.  But the expectations of following classroom rules; the pro-social demands of self-regulation and cooperating and sharing with peers; and the academic requirements are more than they can handle when they are not feeling healthy.  Allow your child the time get back to feeling they are ready to face a busy day of school with patience, resilience, stamina and energy for learning, getting along with friends and playing outdoors.  Not one of us is able enjoy being at school or work when we are not feeling at our best.  You wouldn’t go to work sick, so why would you insist that your child go to school sick?  You know when your child is not well and it is our responsibility as parents to intervene and insist they take the extra day to rest.

Christy and I always get our flu shots for prevention but we will be away if we get sick.  As of today, Christy is away with a very dreadful cold that she has been fighting; we wish her a speedy recovery.  For the sake of our classroom community and everybody’s good health, please keep your children at home if they are sick.  

Your Kindergarten Child’s Good Health, continues to be one of the most read posts ever at theselfregulatedteacher.com.  You can read our original post here.

“A sore throat germ!”

We’ve entered flu season here at Ridgeview. We have had teachers, office staff, Educational Assistants and students all away. Some of these folks have been away for five days, an entire week of school, and are still not feeling 100% when they return; that’s how bad this flu has been. We’ve had many sets of siblings from a single family sick at home as well.

We’ve been teaching long enough to know when sick children are coming to school. It’s more than just having an “off day.” We know because the first thing some of the children say to us when they walk in the classroom is, “I feel sick.” If we’re quick enough to find out that your child had a fever the night before, or threw up, we’re going to ask you to come back to the classroom to take your little one home.

We’re here to gently remind you that we have to take sickness very seriously at school. We have to because there are so many students, their siblings, parents and grandparents who can be affected. Not to mention the teaching staff and all of their families. We simply are unable to look after sick children here at school. We all have our teaching or office responsibilities so we really do not have extra adults to sit with a sick child. Besides, your children would really prefer to be at home, in their own bed, with you to look after them. We know it’s inconvenient taking a day off from work to be at home, but the health of our children has to come first.

It goes without saying that a classroom is a hotbed for germs; nobody wants to talk about it but it’s true. In Kindergarten, we share all of our school supplies. Germs move around from pencils to crayons to felt pens to gluesticks to scissors– just like that. We all share math manipulatives, building blocks, dollhouse figures and puzzle pieces. That’s why we have such a huge emphasis on self-care, particularly handwashing before students eat and after using the bathroom; and noseblowing with a kleenex, not picking noses or wiping noses on sleeves. We’re reminding the children daily not to put their fingers into their noses or mouths. Good health and social habits start at a very young age.

If your children have had a fever the night before, and seem a little better in the morning, please keep them at home. They probably did not have a good sleep and should take it easy. Even a “little fever” is still cause for being cautious.

If your children have vomited, or been vomiting, they should stay at home. Ideally, your child would have cleared at least 24 hours of no vomiting before they come back to school. No child wants to vomit at school, it is horribly embarrassing for your child and very difficult to deal with for the rest of the class.

We know your child wants to come back to school and may appear ready. But the expectations of following classroom rules; the pro-social demands of self-regulation and cooperating and sharing with peers; and the academic requirements are more than they can handle when they are not feeling healthy. Allow your child the time get back to feeling they are ready to face a busy day of school, with patience, resilience, stamina and energy for learning, getting along with friends and playing outdoors. Not one of us is able enjoy being at school or work when we are not feeling at our best. You know when your child is not well and it is our responsibility as parents to intervene and insist they take the extra day to rest.

Your Kindergarten Child’s Good Health, continues to be one of the most read posts ever at theselfregulatedteacher.com. You can read our original post here.

We didn’t post a blog last week because I (Andrea) was sick with the stomach flu…and what a flu that was!  The entire family, starting with the teenagers, went down within a matter of five days.  That’s how contagious it is.   In fact, our family doctor, when informed that the teenagers were both sick, predicted that Brad and I would also get it.  I thought he was joking.  After all, we’re both dedicated hand washers and we both got the flu shot but he was right:  it was not enough to stop this particular strain.

When flu season begins, it’s always in the back of our minds with the Kindergarten.  Because we share all school supplies and learning resources, from pencils to crayons to puzzles to the individual write boards, we are well aware of how quickly germs can spread in the classroom, and then to students’ families and beyond.  There are lots of toddler and preschooler siblings, plus many grandparents in our school dropping off and picking up so we are well aware of the far-reaching impact the flu can have.

One of the most important things we can do to help prevent the spread of germs is to wash our hands.  We’ve always been diligent about hand washing, trying to find the balance between common sense hygiene and borderline fanaticism.  We don’t wish to appear as germophobes, nor do we want to create a sense of anxiety around it for the students.

So we’ve created routines around hand washing in class, before we eat at snack and lunch, always after using the bathrooms, and after nose blowing.  Thank you to all the parents in our classes who have been teaching their child to independently wipe, or blow, his or her nose.  If the children forget to cough in their elbow and cough into their hands instead, we’re also asking them to wash their hands.  As the adults in our children’s lives, it’s important for us to teach and re-teach, model and follow through on good hand washing etiquette ourselves.

To learn more on protecting yourself and your family to stay healthy, please visit the Vancouver Coastal Health website at vch.ca.

Upon my return to the classroom, we had a little discussion about why, when I was sick, did I stay at home instead of coming to school, even though I really missed the class.  The children knew right away that I wasn’t feeling well so that’s why I stayed at home, but some of them also understood that I did not want any of them, or their family, to get sick.  By staying home and getting better, so I felt healthy and had the energy and stamina to be teaching all day, to be able to calmly and patiently deal with any problems, meant that when I was back in the classroom we would all enjoy ourselves.

Last year Christy and I wrote a very popular post, “Your Kindergarten Child’s Good Health,” that we’re reblogging here today.  If your child is sick, please keep your child at home until they are feeling strong enough to cope with the full school day.  Whether teacher or student, coming to school healthy is for the mutual benefit of us all.

Your Kindergarten Child’s Good Health

We have worked hard at reminding your children to wash their hands after blowing their nose, using the bathroom and before eating, but Kindergarten children are five years old and cannot possibly remember every instruction every time. We appreciate your support in reminding your child about these good habits when at home and school.

With our return to school, and the advent of flu season upon us, we thought it would be a good time to talk about when your Kindergarten child is sick.

Every year we are informed by parents at drop-off time that their child has “a little cough,” “a little fever” or “a bit of a runny nose” but is still well enough to come to school.

When a child is sick, as parents we have a responsibility to not only to care for our child but we also have a responsibility to the classroom and school communities.

A sick child should stay at home, for the mutual benefit of the child, the classroom students and teaching staff. It is good parenting to decide that your child should rest and recover quietly in bed. A child who is given one, two or even three days, to stay at home will get better faster, and be stronger and more able to fight the next cold or illness in the classroom.

We realize as working parents ourselves that it is not always convenient to have your sick child stay at home, as it means taking a day off, or more, from work. However, there are many implications of having a sick child at school.

A sick Kindergarten child often feels fragile, prone to tears and wanting his or her parents. Sending your children to school sick and feeling poorly sets them up for failure, not success.

When the children are sick, they do not have the energy to focus on the lessons of the day. It is very difficult for them to self-regulate their emotions in the classroom context. They lack the patience, because they do not feel well, to cope with challenging schoolwork, possible conflicts with their friends and making good choices.

Sometimes a sick child may still wish to come to school. But in the classroom we are very close to each other in proximity. The children are playing at Centre Time quite close together. They sit close together while eating at the tables. They still hold each others’ hands. Because our supplies are shared, including crayons, scissors, gluesticks and pencils, a sick child at school increases the risk of spreading infection to the rest of the children in the class.

Your child will enjoy their school experiences much more when they return to school rested and healthy!

We have worked hard at reminding your children to wash their hands after blowing their nose, using the bathroom and before eating, but Kindergarten children are five years old and cannot possibly remember every instruction every time. We appreciate your support in reminding your child about these good habits when at home and school.

With our return to school, and the advent of flu season upon us, we thought it would be a good time to talk about when your Kindergarten child is sick.

Every year we are informed by parents at drop-off time that their child has “a little cough,” “a little fever” or “a bit of a runny nose” but is still well enough to come to school.

When a child is sick, as parents we have a responsibility to not only to care for our child but we also have a responsibility to the classroom and school communities.

A sick child should stay at home, for the mutual benefit of the child, the classroom students and teaching staff. It is good parenting to decide that your child should rest and recover quietly in bed. A child who is given one, two or even three days, to stay at home will get better faster, and be stronger and more able to fight the next cold or illness in the classroom.

We realize as working parents ourselves that it is not always convenient to have your sick child stay at home, as it means taking a day off, or more, from work. However, there are many implications of having a sick child at school.

A sick Kindergarten child often feels fragile, prone to tears and wanting his or her parents. Sending your children to school sick and feeling poorly sets them up for failure, not success.

When the children are sick, they do not have the energy to focus on the lessons of the day. It is very difficult for them to self-regulate their emotions in the classroom context. They lack the patience, because they do not feel well, to cope with challenging schoolwork, possible conflicts with their friends and making good choices.

Sometimes a sick child may still wish to come to school. But in the classroom we are very close to each other in proximity. The children are playing at Centre Time quite close together. They sit close together while eating at the tables. They still hold each others’ hands. Because our supplies are shared, including crayons, scissors, gluesticks and pencils, a sick child at school increases the risk of spreading infection to the rest of the children in the class.

Your child will enjoy their school experiences much more when they return to school rested and healthy!