Did you know?

If your child suffers from an illness that is infectious, contagious or harmful to others at the school, you should keep your child at home until they are better.

It is in the best interests of your child and the other children in the school whose health could also be affected. Children attending school should not return until at least 48 hours after the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea have stopped.

In these situations, you may be asked you to temporarily remove your child from school.

If there is an outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases such as rubella, measles, mumps or whooping cough in the community and your child has not been vaccinated against it, you will be asked to keep your child home from school until the outbreak is over to ensure they are not put at unnecessary risk of being infected.

You may also seek medical advice as to how to prevent your child from becoming infected.

Where to start

• If your child is too sick to go to school, it is important to tell the school and provide the reason for your child’s absence. You can:
  • send a note or email penguin.district.school@education.tas.gov.au
  • text message, child's name, date and reason to 0427 016 460
  • telephone the school office 6434 2222
  • visit the school office.
• You may be asked for a medical certificate to explain an extended absence for illness.
• You should tell the school if your child has an illness that may be passed on to other students so that the absence can be recorded and the health of other children monitored.

If your child becomes unwell at school

If your child becomes ill or is injured at school, your school will contact you and seek the necessary medical attention.

The best place for students to be if they are unwell is at home.

In the event of an emergency, your child may be moved to a safe place for appropriate care or treatment without prior permission. This may be by ambulance or other forms of transportation.

It is therefore very important for you to keep the school updated about any medical conditions or allergies that your child may have, and that you keep the school informed of correct contact numbers for yourself and your child’s doctor.

Schools keep records of accidents and follow guidelines for dealing with them and for removing any dangers.

• Talk to your child’s teacher or principal.
• Public Health Hotline – Tasmania 1800 671 738
• You can find information about infectious diseases on the Department of Health website