Hyde Park Elementary School

Illness and Injury

If your child is sick, we ask that you please keep them home from school in order to prevent spreading illness to other students and staff. We expect children to stay home if they have:

· Fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater. Children may not return to school until they have been fever free for 24 hours WITHOUT the use of fever reducing medications.

· Two or more episodes of vomiting and/or diarrhea. Children should be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.

· Any illness known to be infectious.

If your child is found to have a fever, or is feeling unwell and unable to participate in class, parents/guardians will be contacted and the child will be sent home from school.

Basic first aid will be used to treat minor injuries. Parents will be notified of more serious injuries. In the event of an emergency, parents will be notified as soon as possible, and the nurse (or any adult present, if the nurse is unavailable) will respond. If the injury appears to be serious, 911 will be called and the student will be transported to the nearest emergency room for treatment. We will continually call parents on home, work, and mobile numbers until we reach you.

Annual Well Child Checks and Dental Visits

It is important that your child visit the doctor every year for a check-up, also known as a "well child check". This yearly visit allows your child's physician to screen for potential health concerns, update vaccinations, check your child's vision, and make sure your child is healthy, happy, and thriving. It also helps to create a trusting relationship between your child and his/her doctor, creates an opportunity for teaching about healthy habits, and helps to establish early on that regular healthcare visits are important.

It is also important that you child receive regular dental care. It is recommended that children visit a dentist for a routine cleaning twice a year. Dental health relates directly to overall health; many health problems are associated with poor dental hygiene. Good oral health can prevent pain, decay, and extra dental visits and procedures.

If you are struggling to find a doctor or dentist, need help with insurance, or need help overcoming other hurdles that keep your family from visiting the doctor or dentist, please reach out to your primary care provider, school nurse, or other assistance program who can point you in the right direction.

Medications

If your child needs prescription medication during the school day, we require a physician’s order and a parent or guardian signed permission slip. The medication must be brought to school by a parent/guardian in its original bottle with pharmacy label. The pharmacy can provide a second labeled bottle for school purposes.

With parental/guardian consent, we can offer your child over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol or Advil when needed. These medicines will be given according to package instructions. Other over-the-counter medications can be given if provided by parents in their original packaging, with signed permission.

All medication will be stored in the nurse’s office, with the exception of some emergency medications and inhalers. By law, students may carry an inhaler for self-use only with signed parent and physician permission. Contact the school nurse to obtain the appropriate form.

Screening

The school is required by law to perform vision and hearing screenings for all students in grades pre-K, K, 1, 3, and 5. These screenings typically occur in the fall. If a child fails a hearing or vision screening, it will be repeated at a later date to be sure the student understood the test, and that illness or other circumstances did not interfere with the results. If the student fails again, parents will be notified. Screenings may be performed at other times or on students in other grades, if requested.

We do not routinely screen height, weight, or blood pressure.

Immunizations

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Vermont State Law requires that all students receive specific immunizations in order to attend school. Those who are missing required immunizations are admitted to school temporarily until the vaccines can be completed. Parents/guardians seeking medical or religious exemption for their child must complete paperwork yearly.

Schools are required to keep up to date immunization records for each student, so please let the school nurse know if your child receives immunizations throughout the school year.

Allergies

The school takes steps to keep children with serious allergies healthy, safe, and included in all school activities. If your student has a serious allergy, please communicate this to the school nurse, and feel free to contact the nurse with questions about our allergy protocols.

Head Lice

It is recommended that you check your child’s head for head lice often. Talk with your child about avoiding head-to-head contact, sharing brushes/combs, and sharing hats. Please alert the school nurse if live lice are found. Contact the school nurse or your child’s physician if you have questions about how to check for head lice or how to respond when they are found.