Lake Highlands High is bracing for a rough cold and flu season after sending several students home sick this week. Nurse Sharon Simpson emailed a note asking parents not to send kids to school sick, even if Tylenol or Ibuprofen has knocked out their fever. They put other students at risk, she says, if they haven’t been fever free for 24 hours or more without anti-fever aids. Over the counter medications are effective tools, she adds, to stop the spread of infection by controlling runny noses, sneezes, and coughs. Folks in the clinic are even willing to adminster these meds at school if parents fill out the permission form and provide the medication in its original packaging, though they prefer to have parents dole out drugs before and after school and at bedtime when possible. Parents should also make sure the clinic has three working phone numbers for each student, in case a sick child (and his germs) need to make a hasty departure from school. Nurse Simpson can be reached at 469-593-1018 or sharon.simpson@risd.org.