There are lots of pre winter bugs around at present, and as a parent it is sometimes difficult to know if your child is well enough to attend school.

SICK BAY: The sick bay can be a very busy place sometimes and we only have 2 beds. Its hard to juggle the children around. If you are rung about having a sick child and they are needing to be collected we know this can sometimes be hard, but we would ask that you would collect as quickly as possible. We appreciate your support with this

Below is some information from the MOE regarding winter wellness.

Children who are unwell should not attend school, and should only return to school once they have been symptom free for at least 48 hours. This applies to infectious respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, and vaccine preventable diseases.

Guidance on winter illness and children’s attendance at early learning services, kura and schools: 

• Healthy young children can have up to 8 to 12 colds or upper respiratory tract infections each year and these are a normal part of childhood. 

• With a rise in seasonal colds, flu and other respiratory infections already occurring in our communities, use this guidance to assist with decisions about children’s attendance at early learning services and schools when they are, or have been unwell: 

• A child should stay at home if they appear unwell or they develop one or more of these symptoms: new onset of a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, they are off their food and drink or show signs of feeling miserable. 

• If a child becomes increasingly unwell and/or you are concerned about their health, call your GP or Healthline on 0800 611 116 for medical advice. A child who is refusing to drink anything is likely to be very unwell. 

Guidance on wellness indicators within children:

• If a child has been unwell with a respiratory illness, they can return to their early learning service/education facility 24 hours after they have significantly improved and are behaving/eating normally. If they still have a runny nose or dry cough without any other symptoms such as a fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, then they are unlikely to be infectious and can be considered well enough to attend their early learning service/education facility. 

• Following vomiting or diarrhoea, a child must be symptom free for 48 hours before they can return.