To the parents of school-age children:
Please keep your children at home when they are sick. Failing to do so puts other students and their teachers at risk.
I make my living in the school system and cannot say how many times I have seen children, feverish and coughing, sent to school when they should have remained at home. Yesterday, I had a boy in class who was so feverish the lenses of his eyeglasses had moisture on them. He was coughing and sneezing the entire class period. When I inquired if he would like to be sent home, he said his father had a doctor appointment that he didn't want to cancel and also wanted his son to have perfect attendance this school year.
Parents, perfect attendance is fine, but should not be achieved by placing others at risk of infection from viruses. Also, please weigh the inconvenience you must suffer when your sick child stays home with the potential impact to other families and their employment when they need to now stay home with their children who were exposed to your sick child.
Please keep in mind that the adults who interact with sick children — teachers, aides, administrators — are often made sick and then bring the illness home to their families. Many teachers of my acquaintance suffer multiple illnesses during the school year because so many of their students are sent to school while contagious.
With the potential for COVID-19 to explode across our country, if you suspect your child is sick, please keep them at home.
Elizabeth Atkinson Gibson, Sandy
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