St. Thomas the Apostle School

Health Office

We have a Child Find Program. If your child is going to be absent or late, please call school between 7:30 and 8:15. If we do not hear from you, we will call home to ascertain that you child is indeed at home.
Please be certain that each person listed on your child’s emergency contact list is someone who is willing and able to pick up your child in case of illness or injury (in the event that you cannot be reached).
Medications – No medication of any type including over-the-counter medications and cough drops can be given to any child without a written order from a doctor and written permission from the parent. Children may not carry medications with them to school or have medication with them at school. Medication must be brought to school by an adult in the original container. Please refer to the medication policy that you received during registration.
Physical examinations are required for all students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th grade. Exams must be dated no earlier than September of last year. They are due before October 1st this year.

WHEN SHOULD MY CHILD STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL?
St. Thomas follows the protocols set by the NYSED, NYSDOH, ACDOH and public health law for the management of communicable diseases in the school setting.

If your child is sick, please visit the “parents” page and select "Report a Student Absent" button to enter your child’s information and reason for absence. Please fill out this form prior to the start of the school day so that our nurses will have the information needed.
Please keep your child/children at home if they are not feeling well. NYSDOH states students with symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea should be sent home or directed to stay home. Testing is recommended as soon as possible for people with symptoms of COVID-19.
Should they become ill at school, we will contact you to bring them home in a timely manner.
You may contact your child’s health care provider to have your child evaluated. Please have them write a note that states when your child may return to school.
If your child is positive for Strep or conjunctivitis, they will remain home for 24 hours on an antibiotic prior to returning to school.
If your child has a fever, they may return to school when fever free for 24 hours (without fever reducing medication).
There must be at least 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea prior to returning to school.
If your child has a rash, keep them home and contact their health care provider.

If indicated, a test for COVID or Influenza may be done at the healthcare provider’s office. We can accept a test for COVID/influenza from the health care provider with a note for school.
Children with symptoms; if you choose not to have them seen by their primary physician, it is recommended you test your child with a rapid antigen home test. Please test them as soon as possible and repeat the test 36-48 hours after the first test. Take a picture of each test (labeled with your child’s name and date the test was taken). Email the picture to our nurses.
If both rapid tests are negative and your child’s symptoms have improved and they are fever free for 24 hours, without fever reducing medication, and feeling better, they may return to school.
Symptomatic individuals, and those waiting for test results, are to remain at home until negative results are received. If you do not provide a note from the health care provider or evidence of negative COVID tests, your child will need to remain at home for the five day period.
If positive, they are required by the Health Department to remain isolated at home from others for 5 days after symptoms begin. Please report the positive case to your local health department.
Here is the link to ACDOH: https://forms.albanycounty.com/Forms/dcu8G.
Please email a picture of the positive result to the school nurses so that we can document the result in your child's health record. If your child is symptomatic, AND has tested positive for COVID in the past 90 days, and the school has that documentation, it will not be necessary to test your child.
After testing positive for COVID, it is also highly recommended that you test your child on day 5 of their isolation. Please email the nurses a picture of the day 5 test. Your child may then return to school and should wear a mask for days 6-10 of their isolation period.
Other household members who are considered under quarantine (per Health Dept) for 10 days after exposure may continue to attend school with recommended mask wearing for the full 10 day period post exposure.
If others in the household develop any symptoms, keep that child at home and test with a rapid antigen test. Report that information to the school and to the Health Department.