NURSE

MEDICATION FOR STUDENTS

Medication, both prescribed and over-the-counter, may not be brought to school unless absolutely necessary. If it is crucial for your child to take medication during the school day, please use these guidelines:

  1. Students are not permitted to possess prescription medication or over-the-counter medication at any time during the school day or at school activities/functions unless proper paperwork for the student possessing the medication is filled out and given to the school nurse.

  2. A parent/adult must personally deliver and pick up the medication and he/she must bring the medication to the school nurse. Medications will only be dispensed by a school nurse. In the absence of the school nurse medications will be dispensed by the parent, principal or other trained personnel as assigned by the building principal.

  3. Medication must come to school in the originally prescribed container. This includes inhalers for allergies/asthma and medication for use in nebulizer machines.

  4. Medication must be accompanied by an “Authorization for Medication” release form signed by the parent (and signed by the doctor, for prescription medications).

  5. It is the student’s responsibility to go to the office or health room for the medication

  6. Any medication that is not brought to school by a parent/adult and labeled as described above cannot be administered

ILLNESS

If your child complains of headache, stomach ache, sore throat, etc. before coming to school, please check his/her temperature. If feverish (temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), do not send your child to school. If feverish, in order to return to school, the child must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication to reduce a fever (i.e. Tylenol or Motrin). If your child becomes ill in school, we will decide if he or she should be sent home. If your child is too ill to stay in school or if an injury is serious enough, we will call you to come to the school office to take your child home or for further medical care.

Willow Lane also follows all current COVID-19 protocols and procedures. Please refer to the school district Health and Safety Plan for this; this is located on the main page of the EPSD website.

CELEBRATION POLICIES

There should be no food being shared or distributed in the classroom this school year. Food eaten in the classroom must be bought from the school cafeteria or brought from home.

NUT FREE POLICY

Our classrooms are nut free. We uphold this policy because of the high number of children who have severe food allergies, especially peanut and tree nut allergies. Student safety is of utmost importance to us.

Foods brought into our classrooms may not contain peanuts or tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, etc.). In addition, foods present in classrooms may not be cooked in nut oils or processed in a plant with peanuts/tree nuts. This includes food packed for lunch or snacks, as lunch and snacks will be eaten in the classroom.

Our school uses Snack Safely as a resource list for nut-free foods. Food product manufacturing can change, but this website is updated every 15 days to aid safety. Food items brought into the classroom should be selected from the Snack Safely list or made absolutely certain by checking packaging that nuts is not listed as a food ingredient. The link to that website is: https://snacksafely.com/safe-snack-guide/ (then “click to download your copy” to see the list of allergy friendly foods).

No one knows exactly why there are so many severe food allergies today as opposed to years ago, but we do know that these allergic reactions can be serious, and result after eating, touching, or even smelling peanuts or nut products. You can help us keep Willow Lane safe for all children by following these steps:

  • Check food labels before sending in a classroom snack, and do not send nut products to be eaten in the classroom. Once again, classroom foods cannot be cooked in nut oil or be processed in a plant with peanuts/tree nuts.

  • Refrain from providing edible birthday treats on your child’s birthday.

  • Remind your children that they are not permitted to share their food with anyone at school or on the bus.

  • Encourage hand washing before and after eating.