Hello parents and guardians,

I'm Kathie Lehmann the Central Springs School Nurse. As the 2022-23 school year begins, I wanted to share some guidance around illnesses, including COVID-19, to keep our school community healthy and safe. I am available to answer any questions that you may have.

641-454-3283

klehmann@centralsprings.net

Attendance/Keeping Nurses Informed

Please remember to let the school office know when your child is home ill. 

• Manly Preschool and Elementary: 641-454-3283 
• Manly High School: 641-454-2208
• Nora Springs Preschool, Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle School: 641-749-5301

General Guidelines

• If your child becomes ill while at school, your child must check in with the school nurse or secretary before leaving school.

General Illness Guidance

We follow IDPH guidance: Common Child Illnesses and Exclusion Criteria for Education. This document outlines each type of illness, when to stay home, and when to return.  

Students with symptoms of illness should remain home and consider seeking a medical evaluation for the following conditions:

• Fever (100.0 and above) - must remain out of school until fever free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
• Vomiting and diarrhea - must remain out of school until at least 24 hours after the last episode.
• Skin eruptions or suspicious rash- may return after medical treatment/if able to cover the area with bandages.
• Contagious diseases - may return per doctor's note or after antibiotic use for 24 hours.
• General symptoms' illness - remain out until symptoms resolve.

COVID-19

Everyone should be aware that exposure to the COVID-19 virus could happen at any time and any place, and monitor for symptoms accordingly. Experts believe we will continue to see periodic waves of infection, and reinfections may be common.

Everyone, who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should:

• Isolate at home days 0-5 (day 0 is the first day of symptoms or test date if symptoms never develop). See IDPH Guidance for returning to school. 
• For recommendations regarding exposure to COVID-19, see IDPH Guidance   

Monkeypox 

This is an emerging outbreak. We will monitor it closely throughout the year and provide more information as it becomes available. The general risk is low at present. Children with exposure in their household may be at risk. Additional information can be found on the CDC website.

Peanut/Egg Aware

As a reminder, Central Springs CSD is Peanut, Tree Nut, and Egg Aware. This means when providing school snacks for your child or if you are packing a school lunch, please read food labels and AVOID food items that contain peanut, peanut butter, tree nuts, foods that are made in a facility that processes peanuts or tree nuts, and avoid ‘visible’ egg food items such as hard boiled eggs and scrambled eggs, (food items that have egg baked in such as muffins and cookies are fine). Tree nuts include: almonds, coconuts, sunflowers, filberts, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts.

There is a new program to lower costs for families and close the digital divide. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the President and Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households up to $30/month (or $75/month for households living on Tribal lands) toward their internet bills, as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. 

All households with a child who was approved to receive free or reduced-price school meals under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, within the last 12 months, including children who attend schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, are eligible for ACP benefits. Households are also independently eligible if (1) their income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($55,500 for a family of four); or (2) a member of the household participates in certain other Federal benefit programs—including, among others, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and Federal Public Housing Assistance.

To further lower costs, the Biden-Harris Administration secured commitments from internet service providers across the country to offer high-speed plans that are fully covered by the ACP. As a result, millions of working families can now get high-speed internet without paying a dime.

Families can check their eligibility, sign up, and find fully covered plans at GetInternet.gov (mobile-accessible and available in Spanish) or by calling 877-384-2575.

• About 13 million households have enrolled, but tens of millions more have not yet claimed their ACP benefit.