Health Office Policies Addendum January 2020
- Cold Weather and Conditions Policy
- To ensure scholar safety, recess and other outdoor activities will take place inside when outdoor temperatures are 32 degrees or below, or feel 32 degrees or below with the windchill. At any time, administration can decide to have recess indoors based on safety concerns. Weather.gov will be used to determine current local temperatures.
- Cough Drop Policy
- To ensure scholar safety, cough drops will not be permitted in school as they are a top choking hazard among young children. If you have any concerns regarding this policy, please contact your school nurse.
- Live Head Lice Policy
- Early dismissal is not required if live head lice is found by the school nurse. A parent will be notified and the scholar may finish the school day and return after they have been treated with a medicated permethrin hair treatment, or prescription treatment. This is in accordance with CDC guidelines as head lice have not been shown to spread disease.
- Please note, lice treatment without complete removal of nits (eggs) will be ineffective and an infestation will return. Nit removal is not required for return to school, however it is required for effective treatment of head lice.
- Schoolwide lice checks will be discontinued as they have been proven inefficient and the school nurse will perform lice checks only on an as needed basis. Lice notification letters will be discontinued as they have been shown to increase community anxiety and social stigma. The most effective way to prevent lice is to regularly screen your scholar at home.
Medical Exclusion of Ill Scholars
School nurses care for scholars who are ill and may medically dismiss scholars from school for certain illnesses. Please keep your scholar home if they exhibit the following:
- Fever over 99.9 within the last 24 hours
- Scholar may return after 24 hours fever free with no tylenol/motrin, etc.
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Scholar may return 24 hours after symptoms resolve.
- Any contagious illness that requires antibiotics such as, but not limited to, conjunctivitis (pink eye), strep throat, flu or chickenpox.
- Scholar may return after 24 hours on antibiotics or with a doctor’s note permitting return to school.
- Live head lice
- Early dismissal is not required if live head lice is found by the school nurse. A parent will be notified and the scholar may finish the school day and return after they have been treated with a medicated permethrin hair treatment, or prescription treatment. This is in accordance with CDC guidelines as head lice have not been shown to spread disease.
- Please note, lice treatment without complete removal of nits (eggs) will be ineffective and an infestation will return. Nit removal is not required for return to school, however it is required for effective treatment of head lice.
- Schoolwide lice checks will be discontinued as they have been proven inefficient and the school nurse will perform lice checks only on an as needed basis. Lice notification letters will be discontinued as they have been shown to increase community anxiety and social stigma. The most effective way to prevent lice is to regularly screen your scholar at home.
If a scholar is diagnosed with a contagious illness, please contact the school nurse immediately so that she may monitor other scholars for the spread of disease.
Please contact the school nurse should you have any questions about any illnesses that may require the scholar to stay home.
Additionally, if your scholar must stay home due to an illness or injury, the absence can be excused by their doctor. Doctor’s orders and absence excuse forms can be given to the Main Office or Health Office.