Strep Throat (Streptococcoal A Pharyngitis)is a contagious disorder that requires exclusion from school until the child has been treated with an antibiotic for a full twenty four hours.

Symptoms of strep pharyngitis include fever, throat pain, headache, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, discharge on tonsils, red spots on the palate, inflamed uvula, beefy red throat and swollen neck glands. When there is runny/stuffy nose, cough, hoarseness, noisy breaths and diarrhea, the sore throat is most likely due to a viral infection.

If you suspect your child has a strep infection of the throat, please do not send him or her to school for the nurse to check. Contact your child's pediatrician for evaluation and treatment. Children with strep throat MUST be on antibiotic treatment for a full twenty four hours before returning to school.