Lynn Nightingale, School Nurse
Student Illness Policy
Students will be sent home if they are suspected to have an infectious or contagious disease process. There may be times that a doctor’s release will be necessary in order for the student to return to school/activities. Students should not come to school and should remain home if any of the following conditions exist:
- Temperature of 100 degrees or greater within the last 24 hours. Please do not give fever reducing medication at home and send your student to school
- Severe cold symptoms
- Nausea / Vomiting
- Sudden appearance of rash, unless it is known to be non-contagious
- Fainting due to an unknown cause or a grand mal seizure
- Head lice: Infested students must receive treatment including an appropriate shampoo and removal of nits to prevent re-infestation.
- Red / discharging eyes
Medication at School
We always prefer that any medication your child needs be given at home. We understand that there may be times when your child needs medication while at school. The school will cooperate in the supervision of medication at school if the proper forms have been completed.
For any prescription medications you will need to complete the Request for Administration of Medication at Schoolform. This form must be completed by your physician and signed by parent or legal guardian.
The school district has approved a list of over-the-counter medications that can be administered at school with parent permission only. Please complete the Permission for Over The Counter Medication form so that your child can receive these medications if needed. Please note that we do limit these medications to 3 doses per month. If your child needs more than 3 doses you will need to complete the Request for Administration of Medication at School form which will need to be completed by a physician.
All other over-the-counter medication will require a doctor's order and parent permission. Please complete the Request for Administration of Medication at School form for those medications.
All medication must be in the original container. If it is a prescription medication the dosage on the bottle must match the dosage on the doctor's order. Additional prescription bottles with labels are available from the pharmacy where you purchased your medication.
Forms
- Permission for Over the Counter Medication Form
- Request for Administration of Medication at School Form
Asthma
Due to the passage of Senate Bill No. 10, medications prescribed by a health care provider for the treatment of anaphylaxis or asthma, may be carried and self-administered by the student. However, the appropriate form must be signed by the parent/guardian and the physician. These forms are available in the school office or they may be printed from the information below (see health forms). It is important to note that this is a privilege that may be revoked at any time if the student is not handling the prescribed medication in an appropriate and safe manner.
If your student plans to self carry and administer inhaler medication, make sure the pharmacist places an appropriate label on the inhaler so that it is easily identified if lost. An additional inhaler may need to be purchased at the parents' discretion and kept in the office should the student not have their inhaler available when needed.
Forms
Head Lice
Parents should assume that head lice are present in almost all schools as well as other community settings at all times. We are not always informed of positive cases and the school does not have the capability to check all heads on a regular basis. For this reason, the home becomes the primary point of control for head lice and parents should inspect their child’s head frequently. When a member of the family is found to be infested, ALL members of the household should be examined and ALL infested members should be treated at the same time with the regimen described below. (KDHE Guidelines 2007)
- DAY 1 - Apply recommended shampoo per directions followed by a thorough fine-tooth wet combing. This should kill most adults and nymphs (newly hatched) and remove viable nits (eggs).
- DAY 2-6 (DAILY) - Apply ordinary shampoo followed by cream rinse/conditioner and a thorough fine-tooth wet combing. This should remove additional adults, nymphs, and some nits. Some nits will have to be removed by hand. The use of cream rinse/conditioner makes it difficult for lice to attach eggs to the hair strands.
- DAY 7 - Apply recommended shampoo per directions followed by a thorough fine-tooth wet combing. This should kill and remove most remaining adults, nymphs, and some nits.
- DAY 8-14 (DAILY) - Apply ordinary shampoo followed by cream rinse and a thorough fine-tooth wet combing. Continue to check for remaining nits and remove by hand if needed.
Environmental efforts can be limited to the laundering of all bed linens and clothing worn by infested individuals. Extensive cleaning, vacuuming, and spraying of the home is of limited effectiveness and is no longer recommended.
A head lice infestation is a mild health condition without serious health consequences. Head lice cannot be completely eliminated from communities or schools. Neither the occurrence of a case nor an outbreak should be considered as evidence of a breakdown in hygienic practices on the part of individuals, families, or schools. Students that are found to have live lice will be sent home for treatment.
Immunization Policy
All students shall provide proof of immunizations or furnish documents to satisfy statutory requirements. Requirements are updated annually by KDHE. Students who fail to provide the documentation required by law may be excluded from school by the superintendent until statutory requirements are satisfied.
Legal alternatives to school vaccination requirements are found at K.S.A. 72-5209.
Links: http://www.kdheks.gov/immunize/schoolInfo.htm
Additional Health Forms
- Health History Form
- Food Allergy Care Plan
- Meal Modification Form
- Health Assessment Form (to be completed by Physician)
- Seizure Action Plan Form
- Dental Screening Form