Health Services

VIDEO: Back to school and COVID

Required immunizations

Reminder: Parents/Guardians of incoming students in grades Pre-K, Kindergarten, 6, 7, and 12, your child has additional vaccinations required for school attendance this year. Please have these vaccinations completed prior to school starting. If your child is choosing the virtual school route, they are still required to have these vaccinations.

Pre-K

Polio: 3 doses

DTaP: 4 doses

MMR: 1 dose

Varicella: 1 dose

Hep B: 3 doses

Hib: 4 doses

PCV: 4 doses

Kindergarten

Needs boosters of:

Polio

DTaP

MMR

Varicella

Grade 6

Tdap

Grade 7

Meningococcal

Grade 12

Meningococcal second dose or first dose if never had younger

General Guidelines for Parents Regarding Symptoms

If your child complains of or shows the following symptoms at home, please follow these guidelines:

RED EYES: Any child with an itchy eye that is red, puffy and draining colored fluid will be sent home and asked to see their healthcare provider.

RASH: Any child with an unexplained rash or eye inflammation should be kept at home until the condition is diagnosed by a physician.

FEVER: If a fever is present during an illness, a child should be kept at home until the temperature is normal for at least 24 hours, and until all symptoms are gone. Children with temperatures of 100.5 or higher will be sent home. Children with temperatures below 100.5 will be assessed and may be sent home depending on their complaints.

COLD: A child with acute early symptoms of a cold should stay at home to prevent serious developments and to protect classmates from exposure to infection. If this practice is followed, fewer absences due to respiratory illness will occur. Some symptoms are a runny nose, persistent cough, swollen glands, sore throat and headache.

STOMACH PROBLEMS: An upset stomach, diarrhea and stomach pains are also reasons your child should stay home.

HEADACHES: Many times headaches are from not eating or drinking properly. Please encourage your child to eat breakfast either at home for make arrangements for your child to eat breakfast at school.

VOMITING: Any child that has an episode of vomiting will be sent home from school. Please do not send your child to school if they have vomited in the last 24 hours.

Physical Examinations and Health Screening

New York State Education law requires that all new students and students in kindergarten, grades 1, 3, 7 and 10 have physical examinations. Ideally, the child's primary health care provider should perform the physical examination. We anticipate Judy McKee will be available later in the year to perform physicals for those that need or want one. Students are checked annually for height, weight, hearing and vision. Children 8-16 years old are examined yearly for scoliosis. All students are checked for visual color perception, near visual acuity and hyperopia at one point during their elementary years.

Medication During School Hours

When your child's licensed healthcare provider feels that medication is necessary during the school day, you are asked to follow certain procedures. New York State law requires that the school nurse must have on file a written order from a licensed healthcare provider stating the name, dosage and time the prescribed medication or over-the-counter (OTC) medication is to be given. School nursescannotadminister medication to students without a written order from a licensed healthcare provider. Therefore, you are requested to:

Complete the Authorization of Medication form for each medication ordered. This is to be signed by the parent and the licensed healthcare provider.
Obtain a new licensed healthcare provider's order for each new medication or any change in medication, such as dosgage, time of administration, etc.
Send in a new medication order at the beginning of each school year as needed.
The parent must bring the medication to school in the original prescription bottle, or original packaging of an over the counter medicine. Medication will not be accepted from a student.

Students are not allowed to carry medication of any kind on their person or to take medication without written directive from a licensed healthcare provider or parent. The only acception to this is a child with asthma. Students with asthma may carry and use a prescribed inhaler during the day with the written permission from their licensed healthcare provider and parent. Please contact the school nurse for the Self Administration Authorization form.

Illness During School Hours

If a child becomes ill at school, the parent or the person named on your emergency card will be notified. No child will be sent home unless there is someone to receive him or her.

NOTE: Please notify the office of any changes in telephone numbers and/or the name of the person to be notified.

Emergency Medications

In the event of a sudden and life-threatening reaction to an allergen (insect bites, food allergy or severe asthma attack), an epinephrine injection may be given by the nurse. Ambulance and emergency personnel will be contacted any time this medication is given. Ephinephrine is only given when the reation becomes life-threatening. New York State mandates school districts tohave such emergency policies to protect students.

Communicable Diseases/Extended Illness

All communicable diseases are to be reported to the school nurse as soon as the parent knows the diagnosis. For other illnesses or conditions, please notify the nurse if your child will be out more than two days.

Regarding Head Lice

This is a topic that can be very alarming to parents and faculty members. Eight to twelve million students are affected by head lice each year in this country. Here are some facts and tips for you:

Head lice do no hop, jump or fly.
Head lice prefer clean hair.
Head to head contact is one way to contract lice.
Live louse may crawl onto carpet or clothing and can survive long enough to crawl onto hair that comes into contact with it.
An adult louse has a life span of 30 days and can produce 300 eggs known as nits.
Nits hatch in 10 days and need a warm, humid environment. They require human blood to survive. They cannot survive on plastic, smooth or hard surfaces.
Adult lice are the size of a sesame seed. They are brown and move very quickly through hair.
Nits are white and stick very tightly to individual hair strands.
Treatment with an approved head lice product and manual removal of all nits is the only way to break the lice cycle.

If your child does get head lice, try not to panic. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a recommended treatment product. Follow instructions carefully. Call the school nurse or your doctor if the instructions seem confusing. Remember to retreat in 10 days as indicated by the product instructions.

Check all family members, including parents.
Disinfect combs and brushes.
Wash and dry bedding on high heat setting.
Vacuum carpets, furniture, mattresses and vehicles.
Stuffed animals can be put into a plastic garbage bag and sealed for 14 days.
There is no need to spray or bomb your house. These products are toxic and art not proven to help prevent lice.
Children and pregnant women should not use products containing Lindane (Kwell). This product is toxic.

If you need more help or would like to learn more about lice, you can call the National Pediculosis Association at (800) 446-4672.

The school nurse will perform head checks throughout the year. The management of head lice can be effective if we all work together. Children who are found to have head lice during routine checks will NOT be identified in front of their classmates. Parents will be contacted and expected to treat their child as soon as possible. The student will be rechecked as needed.