Health Services provides:

• First aid and episodic care for students who become ill or injured during the school day until they are able to return to class or be placed under their parent’s or emergency contact’s care

• Administration of medication and treatments under the direction of the school nurse

• Health screenings recommended by MN Department of Health

• School health record maintenance

• Nursing consultation to educators and administrators within the school district

Health Services is staffed by Licensed School Nurses and Health Support Personnel. Our health support staff is an integral part of our health services, available during student hours in each school, and trained in First Aid and CPR. Licensed School Nurses oversee the health offices and staff and provide direct professional support and service to students, families and educators. They assess the health needs of students; develop appropriate health, emergency, and communicable disease plans; make appropriate referrals with follow-up; and are a liaison between health care professionals, educators, students and their families.

School Health Records

Minnesota State Law requires schools to maintain a permanent health record for every child registered in the district showing immunizations and health conditions. Health information pertinent to the student’s safety and ability to learn in school is requested upon school entrance and will be updated annually. Parents are encouraged to notify the school of health problems, updated vaccines or diagnosis of infectious disease. Information is considered confidential and shared with school personnel only as needed with parent/guardian permission or where required by law. Emergency Contact information is also requested annually.

If your student has a chronic or potentially life-threatening health condition (i.e., asthma, severe allergy, bee sting allergy, diabetes, seizures) please request an Emergency Action Plan form from your school’s health office to ensure that appropriate health/safety measures are developed and implemented for your student.

Administration of Medication/Treatments in School

Students are permitted to take medication, (including over-the-counter), in school only when:

• The frequency of dosage makes it necessary for a dose or treatment to be given during school hours.

• A written medication or treatment order from a licensed prescriber is on file for the student.

• A written parent/guardian authorization. for the school nurse or her delegate to administer the medication or treatment is on file for the student.

• Written licensed prescriber’s orders are required for all changes in medications, or dosages being given in school, including dosages forgotten at home, nicotine patches and gum for tobacco cessation, and must be renewed annually at the beginning of the school year.

• The medication is supplied by the family in a fully labeled original container.

Inhalers, epi-pens, and glucometers may be carried and used by the student after permission forms are completed in the health office and the student has demonstrated the ability to independently administer his/her medication to him/herself and has signed a contract in the health office.

Due to nursing licensure, when the Health Office is asked to give a medication or perform a medical treatment in school, we will require written parent’s permission to access the licensed prescriber regarding the order given. Nurses must work under a licensed prescriber’s guidance.

For safety reasons, we would appreciate all medications being delivered to the health office by a parent or designated adult during school hours. The Health Support Person will count all controlled medications brought into the Health Office at the time of delivery. If you have any questions, please call the Health Support or Licensed School Nurse at your student’s building.

Immunization State Law

Minnesota Statutes chapter121A requires that all children who are enrolled in a Minnesota school be immunized before starting school. These requirements can be waived only for medical reasons or if you are conscientiously opposed to a particular immunization. For more information, contact the MDH website: www.health.state.mn.us/immunize

Prior Lake – Savage Area Schools adheres to a “No Shot (or proof of exemption), No School” Policy. All students must have the required immunizations in order to receive schedules / begin the school year. Secondary schedules will be withheld in the fall and third trimester if student immunizations are not up to date.

Illnesses

Many students and parents are concerned about when students should stay home or attend school. The following information is intended to help with this decision.

• If the student has had a fever of 100 degrees or more, the student should stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal without medication

• If the student has vomited or had diarrhea, he/she should stay home until 24 hours after the last episode

• If the student has any rash that may be disease-related or the cause is unknown, check with your health care provider before sending him/her to school

• If the student has open/draining skin sores, or inflamed/draining eyes or ears the student should stay home until seen by your health care provider

• Information regarding specific communicable diseases can be found by following the Health Services link on the building website to the district website. If you require a hard copy, please call the building health office.

When your child is ill, please call the school daily to report the illness. If we call because your child has become ill, please make arrangements for your child to be picked up within an hour.

Insurance for student injuries

In general, injuries to students must be covered by the parent’s medical insurance. The School District does not have insurance to cover student injuries. However, for those parents who wish to purchase supplemental insurance for student injuries, especially for athletes, information about an optional insurance program is mailed to parents at the beginning of each year. Persons interested in further information should contact the school office.

Reporting an accident

Students who are injured while at school or while involved in a school event should report the injury to the teacher or immediate adult supervisor. If a supervisor is not available, the student should notify the main office.

Student substance abuse is illegal, disrupts normal growth and development and impairs learning. Our responsibility is to encourage and support healthy lifestyles. We strive to create an environment in which students, parents and staff are able to report concerns and obtain the information and support they need regarding chemical health issues. What follows is a summary of the chemical health policy and procedures.

The use, possession, and exchange of tobacco, alcohol, and other illegal and harmful chemicals, including paraphernalia related to these substances, is prohibited on school property and at school-related functions. Staff is expected to report all suspicious behaviors and/or incidences potentially relating to chemical use/abuse to chemical health staff, school social worker, school counselor and/or principals. Incidences of chemical health issues, regardless of where the chemical activity allegedly occurred, will be investigated.

If the principal or designee determines that a chemical health violation has occurred, parents/guardians will be notified and the student will be suspended from school. All chemical violations are referred to the Student Assistance Team. Legal citations and/or Minnesota State High School League sanctions may also apply. A conference or conferences with the student and parents or guardians must take place before the student returns to school. Additional intervention services may be recommended depending on the needs of the student and whether the violation was a first, second or subsequent occurrence. An alternative educational plan may be developed if the parents/guardians and/or student are unable or unwilling to meet the re-admission requirements.

If the offense is determined to be a first violation, the student will be suspended from school and all district activities. Longer suspension or expulsion may be considered for students providing chemicals to others. After returning to school the student will be required to participate in and educational self-assessment group called “Insight.”

A second chemical health violation will result in additional suspension days from school and school-related activities, and an outside assessment of the student’s chemical health status will be required. This assessment is the financial responsibility of the family and arrangements must be made prior to readmission to school. If the second violation is tobacco or an over the counter drug, an in-house chemical pre-assessment may be conducted instead.

Subsequent offenses will result in the student being suspended from school and all district activities, with possible recommendation of expulsion.

A complete handbook for parents and students about tobacco, alcohol, and other illegal and harmful chemicals policy and procedures is available online to students and parents. Hard copies are available per request. Please call Ann Collins, Chemical Health Counselor, at (ALC) 952-226-0847 or (HS) 952-226-8786 for additional information.

School Closings

The decision to close school or have a late start due to inclement weather or extreme cold conditions is rarely, if ever, a crystal clear choice for district administrators. District administration will gather the appropriate weather information and road conditions. When conditions are so severe as to make school opening and transportation hazardous, school will be cancelled. Parents are encouraged to use their own judgment in deciding to send their children to school on the school bus or walking in severe weather conditions.

In general, when the schools are closed, all other student activities to be held in the district’s buildings are cancelled. Any exceptions are cleared with the Superintendent’s office.

For information on emergency school closings or delayed starts, please reference any of the following broadcast stations:

WCCO radio (830 am)

WCCO TV (channel 4)

KARE 11 TV (channel 11)

KSTP-TV (channel 5)

KMSP/FOX TV (channel 9)

Emails and phone calls are also used to keep families informed. If you do not have an email listed with the district, please contact your building's secretary. The district website will also be a source of information for any school closure information.

Interaction with Law Enforcement Authorities

School officials will work with law enforcement authorities whenever it is necessary for the well-being of the students and school personnel.

Police Resource Officer

The police resource officer is a licensed Savage Police Officer. The duties for the position are two-fold: First, to be a resource to students, staff and the community and secondly, to investigate crimes that are reported to the officer. The School Liaison Officer can be reached at school at 952-226-8687.

Anonymous Tip Line: 952-226-0005

In an ongoing effort to maintain a safe and drug-free learning environment for students, ISD 719 has a Tip Line (952-226-0005). The purpose of the Tip Line is to provide students and parents with a simple and anonymous way to report unsafe situations. Students may also use the Prior Lake Confidential Reporting System link (below) to report unsafe situations.

The new Tip Line makes it possible for students and parents to report weapons, threats of violence, bullying, gangs, sexual harassment, threat of suicide, drugs and any other activity that could potentially endanger

students, staff or property.

Students can still share any concerns they might have with school staff. The Tip Line is one more option students and parents have to help keep schools safe and it’s completely confidential

Prior Lake Confidential Reporting System

It is the desire of the school board to provide a safe educational environment by ensuring a consistent and thorough Crisis Management Plan. The intent of policy 806 (available in school offices, the District Service Center and the website: priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us) is to provide a guide for general crisis information for school district and building administrators, school employees, students, school board members, and community members. Further, the policy ensures that awareness of the district’s Crisis Management Plan, which is in both paper and CD format in central offices throughout the school district, contains crisis-specific procedures. Please note that, pursuant to this policy, tailored Crisis Management Plans are available for each owned or leased building in the district.

The school district’s Crisis Management Plan has been developed in consultation with local community response agencies and other appropriate individuals and groups likely to be involved in assisting with a school emergency. A number of crisis-specific procedures are defined and will continue to be studied to ensure the district and/or building is able to work through crisis situations in an efficient, expedient manner.