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Schools

Preventing Infectious Diseases in Schools

The daily mix of students and staff in schools provides numerous opportunities for the spread of illness because large groups of people share the same rooms, toys/activities, eating spaces and bathroom facilities. Children are natural explorers of their environments, play closely together and readily share their possessions, food and germs.

Whole School Approaches

A healthy school includes activities that prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases. Consider the following activities as part of your health and well-being action plan:

Personal Protective Measures

The health unit continues to encourage all students, staff, and visitors in schools to use personal protective measures to reduce the spread of illness. These include:

  • monitoring for signs and symptoms of illness and staying home for at least 24 hours when sick.
  • wash hands often or use alcohol-based hand rub, if available, and cover coughs and sneezes.
  • know your vaccination status and stay up to date on immunizations. 
  • be aware of personal and situational risk factors. Consider adding precautions (wearing a mask, getting vaccinated,), as needed. 

Download, print and post these resources to encourage regular hand hygiene throughout the school day:

Infection Prevention and Control

Schools are encouraged to follow infection prevention and control recommendations for child care and school settings, in order to help prevent the spread of illness. 

Reporting Diseases of Public Health Significance 

School principals are legally required to report suspect or confirmed Diseases of Public Health Significance to their local health unit with the exception of influenza and COVID-19. Reports must be made as soon as possible. 

Refer to these requirements and reporting procedures for infectious diseases. 

Not all diseases are reportable. This Common Childhood Illness: A Guide for Caregivers includes information about common childhood illnesses, including symptoms, how each disease is spread, the infectious period, and when it is safe to return to school. 

Teaching and Learning

Educators play a key role in preventing the spread of common childhood diseases by educating children and their caregivers on infection prevention and control practices.

Bug Out! Get the Facts on Germs by Canadian Red Cross for Kindergarten to Grade 8 can help with teaching and learning about this topic. It includes activity booklets and corresponding facilitator guides by grade.

Health Unit Programs and Services 

Infectious Diseases Program

We offer a variety of services to support student health and infectious diseases, including information related to common childhood illnesses,  a list of Diseases of Public Health Significance (formerly reportable diseases) and notification processes, and support with infection prevention and control in schools.

Public Health Inspections (Hairstyling and Aesthetics)

Public Health Inspectors from the health unit’s Infection Prevention and Control program conduct mandated inspections of all Hairstyling and Aesthetics courses being offered within schools. 

School boards and/or schools are asked to notify the health unit when a new hairstyling and aesthetics program is being offered and/or when an existing program is being discontinued.

GlitterBug Handwashing Kit

The GlitterBug Handwashing Kit is an activity based kit for hand hygiene promotion and infection control. This activity-based resource kit is suggested for Kindergarten to Grade 8. The GlitterBug Handwashing Kit includes a UV light, UV potion, ‘Be A Germ Stopper’ teacher resource manual, student activities and ‘Wash Your Hands’ book. Combined with other school-wide and classroom strategies, it can help to promote hand hygiene and infection control. 

The GlitterBug Handwashing Kit supports the Healthy Living Strand of the Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum by addressing expectations under the topic of Human Development and Sexual Health related to hand hygiene and infection prevention & control.
Some School Boards in Simcoe Muskoka have GlitterBug Handwashing Kits available for lending to schools. We also have kits available.

Schools can also request a consultation with their local School Health public health nurse to help integrate the GlitterBug Handwashing Kit as a component of a comprehensive approach to supporting student well-being. 

Student Engagement

Resources to share with students include:

Parent and Family Engagement

Resources to share with parents/families include:

Choose from the sample newsletter inserts below to share with parents/families of elementary school students:

Stay Healthy This School Year!

Respiratory infections (like colds or the flu) can spread easily from one person to another. This happens when:

  • Someone coughs or sneezes on another person
  • Germs land on things like door handles, desks, or keyboards, and someone else touches them

Germs can get into your body through your eyes, nose, or mouth.

The best way to stay healthy is to wash your hands!

Use soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds. Try singing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing. If your hands aren’t dirty, you can also use hand sanitizer for 15 seconds.
Also:

  • Keep up with your vaccines
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes Stay home for at least 1 day if you're sick
  • your kids to do these things too!

For more ways to keep your family healthy this school year, go to: www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.

If your child is sick

If your child is sick, keep them at home for at least 24 hours, especially if they have a fever. Call the school to let them know your child is away because of illness.

Some sicknesses must be reported to the health unit. The health unit checks these reports and gives the school advice if needed, like how to stop germs from spreading.

To help keep everyone healthy:

  • Wash your hands often
  • Cough or sneeze into your sleeve
  • Make sure you and your child’s immunizations (vaccines) are up to date

For more information, contact the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit at 1-877-721-7520 or visit: www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.

Choose from the sample newsletter inserts below to share with parents/families of secondary school students:

Stay Healthy This School Year!

Respiratory infections, like colds and the flu, can spread easily from one person to another. Germs spread quickly when someone coughs or sneezes on another person, or when germs land on things like door handles, desks, or keyboards. If someone touches these surfaces and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth, the germs can enter their body.

The best way to avoid getting sick and to stop germs from spreading is to wash your hands! Use soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds (you can sing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing). If your hands aren’t visibly dirty, you can use hand sanitizer for 15 seconds instead.

Other ways to stay healthy:

  • Stay up to date with your vaccines
  • Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
  • Stay home for at least 24 hours if you’re sick
  • Teach others to do the same

For more tips to keep your family healthy this school year, visit: www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.

If your teen is sick

If your teen is sick, they need to stay home for at least 24 hours, especially if they have a fever. Notify the school that they are absent due to an infectious disease.

The school is required to report some illnesses to the health unit. The health unit reviews reports of infectious diseases and gives schools additional guidance about communication or infection control, when needed.

The best ways to protect yourself and others is to wash your hands, cough or sneezeinto your sleeve, and stay up-to-date with immunizations. For more information contact the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit at 1-877-721-7520 or visit: www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.

Additional Resources

Contact Us

For more information or to access services, contact your local School Health public health nurse. You can also contact the health unit at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 or by completing our secure online Request for Service Form.

Updated: August 26, 2025

 
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