<p>I am terrified of the flu, and when I get sick, I REALLY get sick. I never have known why but ever since I was little, I always have had more severe colds than other kids. I am usually totally knocked out with a cold for seven days before I return to school, but at boarding school, I'm not sure they would totally approve of that.</p>
<p>My Questions:
What do they do at major schools like Andover and Exeter if I were sick and to far from my family to be sent home?
How sick do I have to be to actual be labeled as sick?
Will they throw me back in class if I'm showing symptoms of the flu?
How long would they keep me in the infirmary?
What if I still feel to sick to work after four days?
How would I keep up with classes while sick?
Where would they put me while I'm sick?</p>
<p>Well, I’ve only worked at “minor” boarding schools, so this may or may not answer your questions, but here’s how it works for us:</p>
<p>There is a health center staffed 24/7 with a doctor and team of nurses (and also counselors). If you are sick, your first stop is there. They will determine how sick you are, and if you need to be transferred to a hospital. Boarding School health centers have beds for kids who need to stay for a day or two. </p>
<p>If you have flu symptoms and are contagious, they will not “throw you back into class.” They only do that if you have no symptoms and are malingering because you have a test or didn’t do an assignment.</p>
<p>But if you have such a strong reaction to colds and are terrified of the flu, boarding school may not be right for you. These schools are set up to deal with kids who occasionally get sick for an average amount of time and bounce back quickly. Germs and colds get passed around schools frequently; that’s one of the tough things about living in close quarters with so many people. For any young person, it’s hard to be away from home when sick.</p>
<p>I recommend talking this over with your family, and asking all these questions of the schools you are interested in. I don’t know the full details of your situation, but boarding school may not be the best idea for you at this point.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. I’d like to learn more about the other schools though if anyone else would be willing to reply.</p>
<p>I can handle most illnesses pretty well, besides anything with runny nose or really severe sore throat, then I have to turn myself in. I could be vomiting my guts out, but I will still try to make class. </p>
<p>I’m not that worried about going to boarding, because I do not become dangerously ill I just stay sick, if I’m sick, a little longer, but I have a strong immunity and strong motivation. Also, I often spend most of my days with large groups of other teenagers, and when I have had to room with my peers from long lengths of time, I never seem to have had a problem. Actually, one time I had to stay somewhere with about five hundred different teenagers. Suddenly, everyone was getting sick. It was like the Black Death. Everyone I was living with caught it, except for me and my friend. </p>
<p>I just want to know if I get sick, will they throw me back into class even if I’m still experiencing symptoms and what they would do with me. I do not think though that it is such a big deal if I have a three more day thing than other kids, because I do not get sick often. Also, what kids isn’t scared of the Flu? I’m not really afraid of it, but I will avoid someone who has it, because I don’t want to catch it. I won’t be rude or anything, but I won’t be trying have the breathe on me either.</p>
<p>The boarding schools I am most familiar with provide wonderful 24 hour health centers which are set up like mini hospitals with rooms that sick students can stay in overnight if needed. College is truly a step down in this department. </p>
<p>The health providers will most definitely not push you back into class if you are not feeling well. Rest and relaxation is important to the student getting well quickly plus they would want to isolate you from other students to prevent the spread of germs. Your teachers will be understanding and will work with you on setting a timetable on catching up on missed work. Boarding school teachers are also very good at providing extra help to assist you in catching up. </p>
<p>At my child’s school, SPS, they highly recommend a flu vaccination and administer it on campus during the fall to those who have received parental permission. </p>
<p>It is highly advised to take care of yourself - get enough sleep, eat healthy food, frequent handwashing - to minimize the chances of getting sick.</p>
<p>At Exeter you have to stay in the health center if you’re sick (so that you don’t spread your sickness aroung the dorm)–or go to class. It’s all pretty much the way Albion described it. The main concern I’d have is making up work–being out of class for a week in an academically demanding ten-week term can take a toll.</p>
<p>The Health Center at Exeter is wonderful. My son spent some time there with a sinus infection and again with a concussion. They take great care of our kiddos! I found the teachers to be understanding when kids have been sick.</p>
<p>I know for my school personally, the health center isn’t the greatest. Right now I have Bronchitis due to an untreated sinus infection. They wouldn’t allow me to go to the doctor until I had a fever, though I know my body and I know I don’t ever really get a fever with a sinus infection. I had to have my parents call numerous times before I was allowed a trip to the doctor, and by then I had bronchitis. This is the second time this has happened. The general rule for my health center is if you have a fever, you stay there (they have beds and stuff) until it’s gone. Most students don’t go to the health center though, because the nurses never really help beyond giving out bandaids. </p>
<p>That’s just my school, and I’d like to hope other schools are more efficient, but if you’re really that concerned about getting sick then boarding school probably isn’t for you. Everything here spreads like crazy! It’s inevitable.</p>
<p>The OP asked specifically about Andover and Exeter. Here are a few excerpts from PA’s Blue Book regarding the Health Center and absences:</p>
<p>"Medical care for students with injuries and illnesses and preventive health services are provided at the Isham Health Center, an 18-bed, well-equipped health-care facility. The Isham Health Center is staffed by a full-time, dual board-certified pediatrician/pediatric endocrinologist, a nurse practitioner, and round-the-clock nursing. It is open 24 hours a day while school is in session. </p>
<p>Students are welcome at all times, but they should try to avoid going to the health center during a class periodexcept in the case of an urgent medical problem. Students with minor ailments should try to visit Isham during a free period between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If ill, a student must go to Isham to be medically excused from classes. Day students who are too ill to attend school should refer to the Attendance and Absences section on page 41 for an explanation of the policy for obtaining an excuse from the Isham Health Center.</p>
<p>If, for medical reasons, a student is required to be absent from campus or classes or is limited in participation in athletic programs, he or she must arrange personally to be excused through Isham Health Center. This procedure allows proper recording of necessary absences and excuses, and it permits the medical director to be aware of health problems, to cooperate with families and other physicians, and to make appropriate arrangements on campus."</p>