School Nurse & Student Health Guidelines

Please keep your child home when they are ill or unable to participate comfortably in the school day. This includes:

🌡️ A temperature of 100°F or higher within the past 24 hours – students must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning

🤮 Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

😷 A disruptive or persistent cough – especially when accompanied by fever or difficulty breathing

👁️ Symptoms of a contagious illness or infection – including significant eye drainage, an unexplained rash, or a sore throat with fever

🦴 Severe pain, a suspected fracture, a significant injury, or symptoms following a head injury that require medical evaluation

🚫 Any condition that prevents your child from safely participating in normal classroom activities

⚠️ Keeping sick children home helps protect your child, classmates, and staff – and allows your child the time they need to recover.

🏥 All medication must be kept in the nurse’s office – unless an approved health plan specifically allows a student to self-carry

📋 A completed parent/guardian consent form is required for both prescription and over-the-counter medications

👨‍👩‍👧 Medication must be delivered to and picked up from school by a parent, guardian, or another authorized adult – students may NOT bring in or self-medicate

💊 Prescription medication must be in the original pharmacy-labelled container with the student’s name, medication name, dosage, and current directions – a separate school bottle may be requested from the pharmacy

📝 Any change in medication instructions requires an updated provider order or a new pharmacy-labelled container reflecting the change

⚠️ Please notify the nurse if your child received any medication before school – including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or cough/cold medication

📅 Medication must be picked up at the end of the school year – medication not collected by the stated deadline will be disposed of according to school procedure

The nurse may provide one dose of an approved over-the-counter medication with written parent/guardian consent. If additional doses are anticipated, the family will need to supply the medication for storage in the nurse’s office.

⚠️ The school is not able to supply medications for frequent or daily use.

📱 Please keep phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contacts current with the front office at all times

🚗 If your child needs to go home, please arrange pick-up as promptly as possible – if you are unable to arrive within approximately 30–45 minutes, please arrange for an authorized emergency contact to pick up your child

🚑 In a serious emergency, emergency medical services will be contacted – families are responsible for any costs related to medical care or emergency transportation

📧 Routine health communication may be sent by email – urgent concerns will be handled by phone

School health screenings are completed according to grade-level requirements and school procedures.

Families will be notified when a screening indicates that follow-up with a healthcare provider or specialist is recommended.

Please submit updated immunization records promptly when requested. Students must meet school immunization requirements or have appropriate exemption documentation on file to avoid exclusion from school.

🎒 Kindergarten students should keep a complete change of clothing in their backpack – students who have frequent accidents may leave a labelled bag of clothing in the nurse’s office

🔄 Please wash and return any loaner clothing as soon as possible – underwear provided by the nurse cannot be returned; please replace it with a new, packaged pair

🎁 Donations of new socks and underwear, as well as gently used school-appropriate tops and bottoms, are always appreciated

We have students with serious and potentially life-threatening food allergies. Please remind your child not to share food at school and follow classroom guidance regarding snacks and party treats.

Contact the nurse before school begins if your child has:

🌬️ Asthma

🩸 Diabetes

⚡ Seizures

🍴 Severe allergies

🏥 Any other condition that may require medication, an emergency action plan, or classroom accommodations

☀️ Apply sunscreen at home each morning – especially during warmer months

💧 Send a labelled water bottle every day and encourage your child to drink water regularly throughout the day

Regular handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes remain two of the best ways to reduce the spread of illness at school.

Help us keep our school community healthy by teaching your child these simple habits:

🙌 Regular handwashing throughout the day

💪 Sneeze and cough into the crook of their arm – not their hands

Together, we can help keep every student healthy and in the classroom where they belong.