Sick/illness/COVID policy

If your child is sick keep them home until they are symptom free (when unmedicated) for at least 24 hours.

Symptoms you must keep your child home for:

  • they have had a fever (oral temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater) in the last 24 hours.
  • they are too sick to participate in school activities
  • they have lethargy (very sleepy), difficulty breathing or signs of serious illness
  • they have vomited or had diarrhea in the last 24 hours
  • they have begun treatment for a contagious illness within the last 24 hours 
  • they have a bad cold (runny nose that is yellow or green and productive cough)

If a close contact* or a member of your household has COVID:

  1. Stay home for at least 6 days.
  2. Take a COVID test 6 days after you were exposed 

*A close contact is a person who was less than 6 feet away from you for 15 minutes or more. This includes anyone who lives in your house and classmates.

If your child is diagnosed with any of the following diseases, please tell us so we can let other families know. Please keep them home until they have been symptom free or on antibiotics for 24 hours. 

  • Strep
  • Coxsackie (Hand Foot and Mouth)
  • Staph infection
  • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
  • Norovirus
  • Fifths disease
  • Lice
  • Ringworm
  • COVID-19
  • Any childhood diseases that children are immunized against.

School staff will never tell all school families the name of a child who is sick to protect privacy. We only tell families the sickness that is found in a child a school, so families can watch their own child for signs of sickness.


School staff do not give children medication.

Global Roots requires medical forms filled out for each child by the child’s doctor. In accordance with New York State Public Health Law 2164, Global Roots Play School requires that every child who attends GRPS be fully immunized. Exceptions can be made for children who are medically exempt from being vaccinated. New York State does not allow for philosophical exemptions from vaccinations. 

For further information about New York State Immunization Law or other healthcare questions contact the Public Health Nurse at 607- 274-6604.

If you do not have health insurance the Ithaca Free Clinic (607-330-1253) can help.