News from the Nurse

Dear Parents,

We are delighted to have your child with us at Glow Early Learning Center! It is our pleasure to be a part of their lives and contribute to their education and growth.

Throughout the year, your child may become sick with a cold (runny nose, cough, fever), gastrointestinal illness (upset stomach, vomiting, diarrheas), or minor injury (small cuts, bumps, scrapes). Because the school encourages group participation, singing, social activities, and active play, it may happen that your child will be unwell or injured at some point during their time at Glow ELC.

We highly value safety and wellness so I would like to let you know of a few things we are doing to reduce illness and injury to your child:

Handwashing: Teachers and administrators are educated on the best practices for handwashing. They are also teaching the students when and how to wash their hands, especially before and after eating and after toileting.

Spread of illness: Sometimes, a student is carrying a virus but has very few symptoms. In this way, they are able to spread the virus to another student that they are in close contact with. It is quite common for children between the ages of 2 and 6 to frequently become sick. However, if your child has a fever, excessive cough or runny nose, or the teachers deem them too unwell to continue the school day, we will contact you to pick them up and take them home. They should then remain home and not return to school for 24 hours so they can rest. The school also regularly disinfects toys and equipment to limit the viruses your child comes in contact with.

Safety: While children need to play, we put safety protocols in place to limit injuries. Equipment is thoroughly tested for safety and students are taught how to play safely and smartly while still enjoying exercise, sunshine, and time with their friends. Teachers are able to respond to minor injuries with the necessary first aid.

Because germs are everywhere and your child is happy, playful, and social, it is unavoidable that they will become unwell at some point. However, we will continue to do our utmost best to assure that illness does not spread through the school. As per our illness policy, please keep your child home for 24 hours following a fever above 37.5C (100F), vomiting, diarrheas, unusual rashes, or reddened eyes with discharge. This will allow us to stop the virus from spreading to other students and teachers.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child. Stay safe and well!

Valerie Shelly, RN, BSN, MPH