Whenever possible, medication should be scheduled to be given at home. However, there are times when a student’s health condition requires medication be given during the school day. When sending any medication to school, parents must provide the following:

• Parent permission for the medication to be administered at school.
• A written order by a physician or licensed medication prescriber indicating the necessity of the medication. This order must include dose and frequency. The physician may fax the order to the school.
• The medication in the original prescription or over-the-counter labeled container. For prescription medication, ask the pharmacist for a duplicate labeled container so one can be kept at home and one can be kept at school.

All medication administered in school must be kept in the Health Office. Exceptions are students who may carry an asthma inhaler or emergency epinephrine, if they have a written physician’s order, written parent permission and have demonstrated to the school nurse that they are competent in administration. Middle and high school students may carry acetaminophen or ibuprofen if there is an annual written parent permission form on file in the Health Office.

Please refer to district policy #516 Student Medication or contact the licensed school nurse in your building.

Required forms:

•  
• Medication Form - Early Childhood
• Medication Form - Elementary (K-5)
• Medication Form - Secondary (6-12 plus SAIL)
• Medication Form - Over the Counter (preK-12 plus SAIL)
• Self-Administer of Inhaler – Physician and Parent
• Self-Administer of Inhaler – Student Agreement
• Self-Administer of Emergency Epinephrine – Physician and Parent
• Self-Administer of Emergency Epinephrine – Student Agreement

It is important that when a student has a chronic or potentially life threatening condition (such as asthma, severe allergies, diabetes or seizures), that the parents, student and the school nurse collaborate to create a plan to meet the student’s specific health needs. This health information will be shared with appropriate school personnel, as needed, with due respect to confidentiality. Emergency Care Plan forms need to be completed and signed by your physician. We have provided some suggested forms below if your physician or clinic does not have a standard formatted care plan. Contact the licensed school nurse in your student’s building to discuss other conditions not listed.

• Asthma Emergency Care Plan
• Severe Allergy Anaphylaxis Action Plan
• Diabetes Emergency Care Plan
• Seizure Action Plan

Parents and students frequently have questions about when it is appropriate to stay home from school because of illness. Please follow these guidelines:

• If your child has had a temperature of 100.0 degrees or higher in the past 24 hours.
• If your child has vomited or had diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
• If a student is placed on antibiotics, he or she should stay at home until 12 hours after taking the first dose.
• If having your child at school would significantly put others at risk for contracting your child’s illness.
• If you child feels ill enough that he/she would not be able to benefit from being at school.

If your student will not be attending school due to illness, please contact the attendance or health office in your child's school as soon as you make the decision to keep them home. If your child has any communicable concern, please notify your school health office.

If your child becomes ill while at school, you will be notified to pick up your child as quickly as possible. We appreciate your cooperation with these matters, as everyone's health is very important and your child will appreciate your loving presence and care.

The emergency contact(s) will be contacted if we feel your child needs to go home and we are unable to reach a parent/guardian.

Your child will NOT be allowed to leave school without consent from the parent/guardian or emergency contact person given directly to Health Office staff. Your child will not be released to any adult other than those on file as a parent, guardian or emergency contact, without parental consent.

Please update your school office if there are any changes to your emergency contact information.

Symptoms

Slight fever, general feeling of illness, skin rash that begins on chest, back, underarm, neck and face. Starts out as red bumps that turn into small blisters. Scabs appear in a few days.

Incubation Period: 10 to 21 days, usually 14 to 16 days

School Actions on Communicability:

Stay home until all blisters have dried into scabs. This is usually by day 6 after the rash began. If your child has chickenpox they need to stay home, even if they previously had the chickenpox vaccine.

Source of Infection and Mode of Transmission

Spread from person to person by direct contact with touching the blister fluid or secretions from the nose or mouth of a person with chicken pox. Children on immunosuppressive drugs are at high risk. Do not go to a healthcare facility without calling first as the sick person will be separated from others to prevent spread of illness.  

Symptoms

Acute upper respiratory signs, including watery eyes, sneezing, running nose, general feeling of illness.

Incubation Period: Up to 10 days

School Action and Communicability

No restriction unless ill. Communicable shortly before symptoms begin and for the duration of the acute symptoms.

Mode of Transmission

Spread person to person by direct contact with secretions from the nose and mouth. Also from hands, tissues or other items that may have secretions on them.

Symptoms

A sore throat or a low-grade fever. A rash may develop causing very red cheeks (a "slapped cheek" look). The rash often begins on the cheeks and moves to the arms, upper body, buttocks, and legs. The rash looks very fine, lacy, and pink. It usually fades in 3 to 7 days. However, the rash may come and go for weeks, when your child is in the sunlight or heat. 

Incubation Period: 4 to 21 days, usually 4 to 14 days

School Actions and Communicability

Children do not need to stay home from school if other rash causing illnesses are ruled out by a healthcare provider. Persons with fifth disease are unlikely to be contagious once the rash appears. 

Mode of Transmission

Most contagious before rash appears. Pregnant women and anyone with an impaired immune system may want to consult their doctor if exposed.

Symptoms

Chills, body ache, headache, fever sore throat, followed by cough, running nose, and possibly stomach ache.

Incubation Period: Up to 1-4 days (usually 2 days) for symptoms to start.

School Actions and Communicability

Exclude from school until 24 hours after fever is gone (without the use of a fever reducing medicine) and your child is healthy enough for routine activities. Do not give aspirin or salicylate-containing medicines to anyone under 18 years of age.

Mode of Transmission

Virus spread directly through coughing, sneezing, and contact with nose or throat discharges of patient. Possibly airborne.

Symptoms

Blisters, pustules rapidly covered with honey-colored crusts. May be confused with cold sores. Usually seen first near mouth or nose. Can spread rapidly.

Incubation Period: 1 to 10 days, occasionally longer.

School Action and Communicability

Exclude from school if impetigo is confirmed by a healthcare provider. Contagious until 24 hours after treatment is started and the sores are drying.

Mode of Transmission

Bacteria spread by direct contact with sores, sometimes with contact from discharges from nose or throat of person can be spread through droplets in coughing or sneezing. Usually caused by Streptococcus or Staphylococcus bacteria.

Symptoms

Your child may have a sore throat, swollen glands, headache, fever, and sometimes a rash. Your child may be very tired. Less common problems include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) and/or enlarged spleen or liver.

Incubation Period: Mono usually lasts from one week to several weeks. The time it takes to recover and regain energy varies from person to person.

School Action and Communicability

Children do not need to stay home if they are healthy enough for routine activities. Sports: Children with an enlarged spleen should avoid contact sports until cleared by their health care provider. 

Mode of Transmission

Spread person to person through saliva.

Symptoms

Itching of the head and neck. Look for: 1) crawling lice in the hair, usually there aren’t very many; 2) eggs (nits) glued to the hair, often found behind the ears and at the back of the neck; and 3) scratch marks on the head or back of the neck at the hairline

Incubation Period: Variable; eggs hatch in 7-10 days.

School Action and Communicability

Children do not need to stay home from school but it is recommended that they be treated for head lice. They should be encouraged to avoid head-to-head contact with other children.

 If you think your child has head lice, tell your childcare provider or call the school. Treat your child for head lice and check child’s head and remove nits daily. It takes at least 2 weeks to get rid of lice. If all nits within ¼ inch of the scalp are not removed, some may hatch and your child will be infested again. Check everyone in the house for head lice. Treat only household members with head lice, and treat them all at once.

Mode of Transmission

Louse transmitted primarily by direct contact with infested persons. Lice can also be transmitted through combs, brushes, bedding, wearing apparel, and upholstered furniture.

Symptoms

Your child may have redness, itching, pain, and drainage from the eyes. Your child may have a fever.

Incubation Period: 1-3 days.

School Action and Communicability

No exclusion required unless there is a fever or they are not healthy enough to participate in routine activities. Antibiotics or a note from a health care provider are not required to return to school.

Mode of Transmission

Most are caused by virus; some bacterial. Redness of eye may also be results of allergic reaction. May be spread through contact with secretions from eyes, nose or mouth.

Symptoms

Fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, vomiting. (If associated with rash, it is called Scarlet Fever.)

Incubation Period: 2 to 5 days

School Action and Communicability

Contagious until 12 hours after antibiotic treatment begins. Exclude for first 12 hours of treatment and until feeling well enough to be in school.

Mode of Transmission

Bacteria spread directly from nose and throat discharges of infected persons.

Symptoms

Blister-like sores inside the mouth and on the gums. May also occur anywhere on skin or in mucous membranes. May be confused with impetigo. The cold sores and fever blisters may occur many times in a person’s life (recurrent infection).

Incubation Period: 2-14 days

School Action and Communicability

Children do not need to stay home from school if they have a recurring infection.

Mode of Transmission: Virus is transmitted by direct contact with infected persons, a majority of whom have unapparent infections