IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION – PLEASE READ
Dear Parent/Guardian,
One of the most important ways parents can help children be successful in school is to make sure the children are healthy and ready to learn. As your school nurse, I am ready to help you in any way I can to achieve this goal. I have some information for you that will help us help you. Please read this entire letter and call me if you need any further information.
We must have working home, cell and/or work phone numbers for a legal guardian at all times. We also must have the name of three contact people who have a car and are authorized to pick your child up if your child gets get sick. It is your responsibility to keep the numbers up to date if the numbers change or are no longer in service. We must have a way to contact a responsible person and that person must have transportation.
When to keep your child home –
You should keep your child home if: 1) they have a fever over 100 degrees taken with a thermometer, 2) they have vomited or had diarrhea. The student must be kept home for 24 hours after the fever has gone or after the last occurrence of vomiting or diarrhea.
If your child is sent home with a contagious disease or condition, it is your responsibility to contact the doctor or do the treatment before the student can return to class. In these cases, the student should be brought to the clinic by the parent, to make sure the child is cleared to return to class. Do not send the child on the bus if you have been notified that they must be cleared by the clinic.
Important Information on Medicines –
Do not send any over the counter or prescription medicines with any child to school. Children may not have any medicines on the bus or in their backpack. If your child requires any medicine during the day, the parent/legal guardian must bring the medicine to the clinic and sign it in. This includes cough drops.**Only parents or legal guardians are able to bring medicines for children.
If your child takes medication in the morning on a regular basis, it is a good idea to leave a few pills in the clinic just in case the morning dose is forgotten at home. This could save you a trip to school.
If your child has asthma and has an inhaler or nebulizer treatment at home, please let me know. I will need an extra inhaler and spacer for school and/or the nebulizer medicine, tubing and mask. We do have a nebulizer machine at school.
If your child has any condition that occasionally requires medication, for example headaches or stomachaches, please bring the medication to the clinic and sign it in so your child will be able to stay in class.
Other Important Information –
If your child might need a change of clothing during the day, please make sure one is in the backpack in case it is needed. This applies to all students.
If your child wears glasses, it is very important that they wear them everyday. Studies have shown that glasses make a significant positive difference in those children who need them. It is the parents responsibility to make sure the child who needs glasses wears them every day in class. I will be screening all students this fall for vision and hearing. If you need financial assistance to get the glasses, please let me know.
If your child needs to be kept out of PE and/or recess for more than five days, we will need a note from the doctor stating the reason why and duration of the excuse.
It is important that all children have medical insurance. Several programs are available. If your child has a Social Security number, Medicaid and CHIPS may be an option for insurance. If your child does not have a Social Security number, the Lone Star Family Clinic has a grant that may cover your family. They also have sliding scale fees. If you need help with medical coverage for your child, please call me so I can help.
The most important way to stay healthy is to practice good hand washing technique. It is important to teach all children the proper way to wash their hands. The proper way to wash hands is:
- Turn on the water
- Wet your hands first
- Get soap on your hands
- Rub your hands together to make bubbles for 20 seconds â making the bubbles is what cleans the hands
- Rinse the hands
- Turn off the water
- Dry the hands
- Please make sure your child knows how and when to wash their hands.
Flu shots are recommended for school-aged children. Please try to make a point of getting your child vaccinated for the flu in the fall. October is usually a good time.
If your child has a food allergy, we need to have a note from the doctor if the allergy is life threatening. Substitutions can be made in the cafeteria only if the allergy is life threatening and we have documentation from the doctor.
Please encourage your child to eat a healthful breakfast in the morning. Breakfast is very important to a child’s ability to be successful in class.
If your child will need another immunization, I will let you know. If the child does not receive the immunization by the date needed, state law requires that the child be withdrawn from school and not readmitted until the immunizations are up to date.
Maintaining good health is very important to a child’s academic success. I look forward to working with your family and helping in any way I can.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Gillespie, R.N
Tips for a Happy and Healthy School Yearpdf
