Illness Guidelines

WHEN DO I KEEP MY CHILD HOME

Below please find a few guidelines for you to follow when your child becomes sick. These guidelines can be helpful when deciding whether or not to keep your child home from school. They have been put in place to ensure the health and well being of all Burlington students and staff.

 • Red Light Symptoms: Children don’t attend school!
Fever (100.0 or higher), diarrhea, vomiting, or sore throat (sore throats could be strep, which is highly contagious). Children need to be free from these symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school. If a child is taking an antibiotic they need to be on it for a full 24 hours before returning to school. Also, red or pink itchy eyes with crusty and/or green/yellow drainage should be evaluated by a physician -- child may return to school with physician clearance and/or 24 hours after the start of antibiotics. If your child has any type of flu symptoms (fever, chills, body aches, low energy) please keep them home from school. The nurse also has the discretion to send a student home with a rash of unknown cause that needs physician evaluation and clearance to return to school. 

• Yellow Light Symptoms:
Children could or could not attend school; you need to use your best judgment. If your child has cold symptoms and you feel they should go to the doctor, please keep them home from school. If your child has a runny nose that is green and thick or a severe/hacking cough, they should stay home. If your child has a bad cold, has no energy or requires any type of medicine to get through the day, they should probably stay home. Remember, children are not available to learn if they aren’t feeling well.

• Green Light Symptoms:
Children can attend school. Your child has allergies and has a clear runny nose or mild cough. Your child has been sick but is feeling better and has been fever-free for 24 hours (not taking fever-reducing medication). If your child has been sick and has been put on an antibiotic, they must be on the antibiotic for a full 24 hours plus fever-free for 24 hours (not taking fever-reducing medication).

We request that you call your child in sick if they are going to miss school. Please include in your message what is wrong with your child. This is helpful for us to track different types of colds, viruses and infections going around. If your child has had a fever or is contagious, i.e. strep, flu, please call your Nurse’s office.

Fox Hill Elementary School
Melissa Roosevelt, BSN, RN 781-270-1792
Katie O’Donnell, BSN, RN
Absentee Line 781-273-7638

Francis Wyman Elementary School
Jennifer Hazen, BSN, RN 781-270-1702
Leanne Graham, BSN, RN
Absentee Line 781-270-1707


Memorial Elementary School
Lynn Sakey, MEd. RN 781-270-1724
Absentee Line 781-273-7647


Pine Glen Elementary School
Alex Laverty, BSN, RN 781-270-1713
Absentee Line 781-273-7644


Burlington Early Childhood Center
Jessica Gearin, MEd., BSN, RN 781-273-7622
Absentee Line 781-270-1808


Marshall Simonds Middle School
Leigh McGillivray, MEd., RN 781-270-1779
Olive Schulze, BSN, RN 781-229-3927
Absentee Line 781-270-1781 x1


Burlington High School
Suzanne Shields, MEd., RN 781-270-2940
Rosemary Pascale, BSN, RN 781-270-1862

Absentee Line-Freshmen and Juniors
781-270-1839
Absentee Line-Sophomores and Seniors
781-270-1838