A child’s ability to learn is influenced by his or her health. The school nurse provides both health assessment and health information to enhance the quality of education and the quality of life for the student.
Accident Prevention & Safety
These rules are to ensure the safety of students and employees of the district while on district property. All students and members of the school community must:
- Immediately report any conditions involving equipment or buildings that may be dangerous to student or employee health or welfare;
- Immediately report any unsafe practices by anyone in the building or on the grounds; and
- Observe the 15 mile per hour speed limit on school grounds.
First Aid
First aid is given to students throughout the school day by the school nurse or authorized personnel for injuries that occur during the school day. Medical treatment of a previous injury or condition can occur only with orders from the student’s physician along with parent permission. Students should not be sent to school for diagnosis and/or treatment of an injury sustained during non-school hours.
In all cases where an illness or an injury appears serious, the parent will be contacted if possible and instructions followed as per the most recent emergency information available. In extreme emergencies, transport of a student via EMS to an emergency medical facility may occur even if the parent or guardian has not yet been reached.
Illness
If you suspect your child may be ill, please do not send him or her to school. We are not equipped to manage a sick child at school for any extended period of time. Some considerations:
A child’s temperature should be normal without medication (Tylenol or Advil) for 24 hours before he or she returns to school.
Children who have a strep throat infection should take the antibiotics for a full 24 hours before returning to school. It takes 24 hours of an antibiotic regimen before the child is no longer contagious.
Your child’s physician is the best source of information and advice in regard to your child’s health or illness. You are also welcome to call the Health Office with any questions.
Medication
Medications can be administered by the school nurse under the following guidelines:
- Written permission from BOTH the parent or guardian and physician is required for the school to administer medication as per New York State Education Law. The Permission for Medication form can be obtained in the school health office.
- All medications including over the counter preparations, such as Tylenol, cough drops, and topical ointments, require permission from both the physician and parent/guardian.
- The doctor’s order needs to include the name of the student, the name of the medication, doses, route, and time to be administered during the school day.
An adult must bring the medication to school in the original container. The container must be properly labeled with correct name of student, name of medicine, dose, time to be administered, etc. A child cannot transport medication back and forth to school due to the danger of loss or accidental misuse of the medication. - If your child is taking a medication at home that may impact his or her school performance or wellness, please notify the Health Office.
Physical Education Excuses
Physical education and physical activity are important parts of a student’s school experience and total health. If you feel your child is unable to participate in Physical Education due to accident or illness, you must request that your child be excused from the day’s PE class in writing. A doctor’s note is required for a child who must be out of gym class for an extended period (more than one week.) For a child who has been excused from PE for an extended period of time, a physician’s note is also required in order for the student to return to physical education classes. Children who cannot participate in physical education classes cannot go out of doors for recess. For children with limitations to their physical activities, parents should contact the Health Office for a Modified Physical Education form to be completed by the child’s physician.
Emergency Information Forms
It is most important that the school have accurate and up to date information in the event of an emergency illness or injury that may occur at school. Please complete the Emergency Information Form and send it back to school as soon as possible. Update any information related to your child’s health, limitations, allergies, etc. If changes occur in the information, please call the Health Office as soon as possible.
Control of Communicable Diseases & Conditions
The school nurse is constantly alerted to communicable diseases and strives to prevent their spread. This takes cooperation from parents and students. From time to time, the nurse may send notices home alerting parents to specific classroom or grade level illnesses, such as head lice, scabies, MRSA, strep infections, and chicken pox. Please take the time to read these notices and follow any directions pertinent to your child.
Head Lice (Pediculosis)
Our school has a comprehensive set of procedures to prevent the spread of head lice. Much more information on this topic can be found in the Health & Wellness section of the district website.
Here are key parent responsibilities to prevent the spread of head lice:
- Teach your children not to share personal items such as hair brushes, combs, hair clips, hats and smocks.
- When a letter or email from the school comes home saying that a case of head lice has been confirmed in your child’s grade level, please follow the instructions in the letter carefully. These will tell you how to check your child for lice and nits, how to remove these if found, and how to prevent their transmission to others.
Student Physicals & Immunizations
State Education Law requires that students have a physical exam (preferably given by their primary health care provider) when they enter the school district and when they enter grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Physical forms are available from the school nurse or the Health & Wellness section of the district website for the family physician to fill out. If a completed form is not returned to the school nurse, the school nurse will notify the parent/guardian that the school physician may perform their child’s physical after a 15 day grace period from notification.
In accordance with law, the nurse will conduct vision, hearing, and scoliosis screening. Blood pressure, heights and weights are also assessed as indicated by state guidelines.
Students must receive proper immunizations for diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and Varicella prior to entering or being admitted to school. Parents will need to submit proof of required immunizations which consists of documentation of immunization dates signed by a physician. For more information, contact the school nurse.
School Safety Plans & Practices
The BH-BL School District has adopted a district-wide school safety plan plus building-level emergency response plans for each school. These plans are intended to define how the district and each school building will respond to acts of violence and other disasters.
The best thing for parents to do in an emergency is to check the district website (www.bhbl.org) for updates or listen to the TV or radio. If a situation should arise in which students need to be evacuated to another building, parents will be notified.
Safety Drills
The principal is responsible for conducting fire drills in order to instruct students and staff in exiting the school building in an emergency in the shortest time possible and without confusion and panic. State law requires that schools hold 12 safety drills each year, including fire drills and lock-out and lock-down drills. In a lock-out, all exterior school doors are secured so that no one may enter or leave the building temporarily while classes and activities go about as usual inside. In a lock-down, hallways are emptied. Everyone (both staff and students) goes into the nearest classroom, locks the door, and listens for further instructions on the public address system. This is designed to move everyone out of harm’s way while a suspected threat—for instance, from an intruder—is evaluated. All students are expected to cooperate with staff members during fire drills, and to leave the buildings in a quiet and orderly manner. The exit route is posted in each room. Students must stay with their teacher. Distracting behavior will be subject to either teacher or administrative discipline, and may merit a consequence.
Students also have an annual “go home early” drill where they practice exiting their bus through the vehicle’s rear emergency door.
Automated External Defibrillators
The BH-BL school district maintains at least one functional automated external defibrillator (AED) for use during emergencies in each school. At Charlton Heights, the AED is located in the hallway next to the Library Media Center.