True North Homeschool™
Illness Policy of Community Handbook

General Illness Policy

As a community, we will be creating a trusting environment where we trust each parent is making their best decision whether or not to bring their child to class. Colds, flu and other contagious diseases are important issues to mitigate – in a group learning environment – because they can spread rapidly. Thank you for adhering to these policy guidelines below. It is so important that we have diligence in keeping a strong and healthy community. In this way, we are also showing love and respect for one another by keeping our ill children home.

Our community aspires to follow tight policies for illness – with or without COVID – so that we can keep our community functioning well. We have extra measures to minimize overall germ exposure throughout the year, especially during cold and flu season. We are intentional about hand washing before snack and lunch breaks.

The following tips are to help you decide if your child should be kept home. In general, variations from normal behavior are the best indicators of illness. You know your child best; trust your instincts.

Questions to Consider:

• How does your child feel?

• Does my child feel too lethargic or whiny to comfortably participate?

• Will my child’s teacher / facilitator possibly have to neglect the other children to care for my sick child?

• Does my child have any of the following symptoms?

  • Fever. If your child has a fever at night, he/she must not attend True North Homeschool™ activities the next morning. Temperatures are lower in the morning and a fever may occur again in the afternoon. Please wait 24 hours after the fever breaks before bringing your child to True North Homeschool™ activities.

  • Cold. If your child has a cold (including but not limited to: runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, fever, headache, fatigue, etc.), please keep your child at home so he/she may rest and recover.

  • Upset stomach. If your child vomits during the night, please do not bring him/her to True North Homeschool™ activities the next day. Please wait 48 hours after a child vomits before bringing your child to any True North Homeschool™ activities.

  • Diarrhea. Loose and frequent stools have many causes. Please do not bring your child to any True North Homeschool™ activities until bowel movements are normal and 48 hours have passed.

  • Earache. Never ignore an earache. Seek medical support and keep your child at home.

  • Strep Throat. A strep infection requires a doctor’s visit and medication. Strep can lead to a more serious illness if not properly treated. The child needs to be on medication at least 24 hours before returning to any True North Homeschool™ activities.

  • Contagious Condition. Head lice, scabies, impetigo, chicken pox, strep throat, measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough, meningitis, conjunctivitis (pink eye), etc. are contagious and must be properly treated and no longer contagious before your child may attend any True North Homeschool™ activities. Please notify True North Homeschool™ and your instructor / facilitator if your child has a contagious condition so that other parents in the community can be alerted.

If the answer to any of the above questions is YES, please keep your child home and notify your instructor / facilitator.

While having a child, who is ill, is a hardship for most families, it is important that parents follow the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Bringing an ill child to True North Homeschool™ activities can spiral into weeks of rotating illness among our families in the True North community. We aspire to cut this down by keep our policy tight to keep us all healthy!

COVID Specific POLICY

Due to the ever-changing COVID situation, True North Homeschool™ is prepared to adapt in order to be able to meet safely and in-person. In making the decision to stay home or attend True North Homeschool™ activities, we encourage all families to consider the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

When to Stay Home:

• If you, your child or someone in your family has had a positive COVID test in the last 10 days

• If you, your child or someone in your family has had a dry cough or fever of 100.4 or higher in the last 48 hours (without medication, e.g., ibuprofen, tylenol, etc.)

• If you, your child or someone in your family has been exposed to someone with COVID in the last 10 days

• If you or your child don’t feel well (see general illness policy)

ILLNESS POLICY acknowledgeMENT & agreeMENT

To participate in a class / event with True North Homeschool™, all participants (students and parents / caregivers) must acknowledge and agree to these general and COVID specific illness policies.

Participation in any activity involving people outside your own home comes with some risk, and these general and COVID-specific illness policies address that risk in order to protect our True North Homeschool™ community. Participation in in-person activity requires acknowledgement of that risk (though everyone’s intent is to make that risk very, very small).

By acknowledging and agreeing to these illness policies, you are releasing True North Homeschool™ and CSR Enterprises, LLC of any liability.

Updated: January 2022