Illness & Support
Certain symptoms in children may suggest the presence of a communicable disease. Excluding an ill student may decrease the spread of the disease to others. Students with any of the symptoms listed below should be excluded from school until symptoms improve, or a health care provider has determined that the student can return. Click on each symptom below to view additional information.
Symptoms
Attendance Lines
Please contact your child's school as soon as possible if they will be absent due to an illness. Click here for a full list of school attendance lines. Depending on the symptoms that are reported, a school nurse may call the parent/guardian to offer additional guidance.
When a Child Becomes Ill While At School
If your child becomes ill while at school and needs to go home, we will attempt to contact the parent or guardian first. If a parent/guardian cannot be reached, we will attempt to contact the emergency contact who is listed in the child’s school record. Students are not allowed to leave school without first contacting a parent, guardian or emergency contact.
In some instances, a single isolated episode of vomiting may not require a child to be sent home from school if the child has no other illness symptoms. The nurse will assess the child to determine if illness is suspected and the student may be required to be sent home until further illness can be ruled out.
Contagious Illness at School
Shakopee Public Schools follows the infectious disease guidelines as outlined in the Hennepin County infectious diseases in childcare settings and school manuals.
Fact sheets provide prevention and control information on common infectious diseases seen in a school setting, such as chickenpox, COVID-19, impetigo, pink eye, head lice and strep throat. All standards follow recommendations by the American Public Health Association and American Academy of Pediatrics.
Health & Family Partnership
Family Support
- Notify the school of the studentʼs medical diagnosis. This can be completed during online registration or on paper using the Annual Health Update form and providing medical documentation.
- Provide written medical documentation, instructions and medications as directed by a physician, using the appropriate action plan. Commonly used action plans for severe asthma, allergies, seizures or diabetes are available on the Shakopee Public Schools website. Parents/Guardians may be asked to contact the physician for recommendations for accommodation during the school day.
- Work with the school team to develop a plan for reasonable accommodations for the studentʼs needs during the school day including in the classroom, cafeteria, playground and field trips.
- Create an alert on the food service account. Parents/Guardians are also encouraged to contact food services in their students' building to discuss menu items or review the ingredients of food served at school.
- Coordinate a plan for before and after school activities and for transportation to and from school.
- Introduce yourself and student to the bus driver and alert him/her to the studentʼs medical needs.
- Provide properly labeled emergency medications and replace medications upon expiration.
- Provide safe alternatives for snacks and birthday treats.
- Review the school lunch menu for possible unsafe foods.
- Educate your student in the self-management of their health including:
- Teaching them about their condition by explaining it to them in a language they understand.
- Working with your child to come up with a health summary that they can memorize and give others when they need to speak up for their needs.
- Teaching them how to appropriately share information about their condition with pertinent school staff.
- Sharing when they should communicate with the school nurse if they are not feeling well to avoid potential emergencies.
- Obtain a medical alert bracelet for the student to wear, if applicable.
- Review upcoming projects and field trips and communicate any concerns to the teacher.
Student Support
- Understand their unique health needs at an age-appropriate level.
- Be proactive in the care and management of their health based on developmental level and understanding.
- When age-appropriate, know how to use/administer their emergency medication.
- Wear an appropriate Medic-Alert bracelet, or similar item to communicate with adults or emergency responders.
- Share (or have the teacher or nurse share) information regarding their unique health needs with classmates when it may help them remain safe at school.
- Minimize risk in the lunchroom by sitting at the allergen-free table if it is available.
- Understand what may trigger an allergic reaction, if applicable.
- Notify an adult immediately if they eat something that may contain a food to which they are allergic.
- Do not trade food with others or eat anything with unknown ingredients or known to contain an allergen that may cause a reaction.