PHR6 Health Services Policies

We request that you keep your child home from school if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

• Elevated temperature (greater than 100.0 degrees)

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Any symptoms related to contagious disease (ex. Skin rash, red and/or draining eyes, persistent cough, head lice, scabies, etc.)

If a student is sent home from school for any of the above reasons (see list above), the student must be symptom free for 24 hours OR have a note from a physician to return sooner. A student who has a fever is not allowed to return to school until he/she has been without fever for 24 hours (without taking fever-reducing medicine). A student who is prescribed antibiotics needs to be on their medication 24 hours before returning to school. Pleasant Hope School District follows the guidelines of the “Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases” published by the Missouri Department of Health. 

Minor Injury/Illness

In the event of a minor injury or illness, the school nurse or classroom teacher will administer first aid. If a child requires additional medical attention, the parent or guardian will be notified immediately by the nurse or principal. The parent or guardian will be responsible if additional care is needed. If a delay is judged to be potentially detrimental to the child’s welfare and a parent or guardian cannot be reached, an emergency medical service will be contacted to provide treatment and transportation to the hospital if needed. 

Providing transportation and adult supervision for a child needing to be sent home for sickness or injury is the responsibility of the parent or guardian. If they are unavailable, then they must secure transportation and supervision by a responsible adult. No sick or injured child will be transported to his or her home along or with another pupil. In all cases, a responsible adult will accompany the child.

Minor bumps, scrapes, and bruises will be treated, but a phone call will not be made to report the injury unless there is a prior medical condition that makes a call necessary per judgment of the Health Services team and building administration.

Head Injury

If a student receives an injury to the head, the parents will be contacted by the nurse, principal, or counselor via a District approved platform no matter how minor the injury may seem. 

Head Lice

Any student found with live head lice will not be allowed to return to school for 24 hours to allow for treatment. The student will be rechecked by the nurse before being allowed to return to class. Notifications will only be made to the parent or guardian responsible for the care of the child with head lice. To maintain medical confidentiality, class, school, nor district notifications will be made regarding the presence of head lice on a student.

Health Screenings 

Health screenings will be conducted annually in the Fall of each year. These are done with the help of Citizens Memorial Hospital staff. You must contact the building office if you do not wish for your child to participate in the following screenings: 

Kindergarten- 12th grades: Hearing, Vision, Height, Weight, Blood Pressure

Administration of Medication S-135-S

All medication is kept in the health office and no medication will be dispensed without written parental permission, including over-the-counter medication.  Many medications can be given at home before or after school.  When this is not possible, medication should be brought directly to the health office by a parent/guardian with a Parental Consent Form (which may be obtained from the school nurse) signed for both over-the-counter or prescription medications. Medication must be in their original container with the prescription label or manufacturer guidelines intact. The School Nurse reserves the right to request a physician’s note or further physician documentation if samples of a medication are given or the medication is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Over-the-counter medications include, but are not limited to allergy medication, decongestants, cough syrup, ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), cough drops, or others. 

Medications must be accompanied by the following information:

Non-Prescription Medication – A written note from the parent/guardian with the student’s name, reason for the medication, the time the medication is to be given, the dosage prescribed, and the number of days the medication is to be administered at school.  These medications include, but are not limited to, allergy medication, decongestants, cough syrup, ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), cough drops, or others.

Prescription Medication – Prescription medication must be sent to school in the original prescription container.  The prescription label will serve as the written permission from the physician.  If the doctor has given samples of medication, then a written note from the physician is necessary and should include the name of the student, the medication, and the dosage prescribed.  The nurse may need to clarify prescription orders with the provider.   

Medication to be Administered During After-Hours or Field Trips

Students may require medications during after school hour field trips or overnight field trips that they do not take during school hours. In this event, parents will need to fill out an additional parental consent stating if they want their student to possess the medication or District staff to maintain the medication. If a student is deemed appropriate to self-carry the medication, they will need the prescribing physician’s signature prior to leaving on the trip. The medication doses for the duration of the trip must be provided to the school nurse at least one school day prior to the student leaving for the trip. The After-Hours Field Trip Form may be obtained from the school nurse.

When a student has a health condition which needs accommodation or may necessitate emergency care, it is important that the school nurse be informed.  Examples of a health condition that would need to be shared with the school nurse include severe allergies, asthma, diabetes, hearing loss, seizure disorder, etc.  This would include situations when a physician recommends a student assume responsibility for self-medication.  The nurse may request a release of information from the student’s health care provider and the information may be shared with necessary District staff members on a need-to-know basis.  Please contact the school nurse.  

Communicable Diseases F-245-S

Parents/guardians must notify the District if their student has a communicable disease.  Parents/guardians will be required to provide written approval from the student’s treating physician in order for their student to attend school.  The District reserves the right to prevent student attendance until clarification or implementation of precautionary measures are in place.  Parents/guardians are required to notify the District if they are enrolling or have a student attending school who is HIV positive. 

Medical information of students is highly confidential, and the District will take necessary steps to protect the medical information of students and ensure that such information is released only to those with a need-to-know and/or individuals and entities who are required by law to be notified of certain health and medical information.   

Students with a communicable disease who exhibit behaviors that increase the chances of their condition being spread to other individuals, may be subject to discipline in accordance with the discipline code, and state and federal law. 

Immunizations 

It is unlawful for any student to attend school unless the student has been immunized according to Missouri School Immunization Law or unless a signed statement of medical or religious exemption is on file at the school, which is described in all enrollment information.  Parents/guardians should bring immunization records at the time of enrollment and obtain additional immunizations as required by state law.

Student Health Inventory

Please fill this out by clicking the link above in order to help us keep your student healthy and safe the 2025-2026 school year!