Administration Regulations

Please notify the school and school nurse if your child is absent due to a serious illness or communicable disease. A physician’s note may be required for a student who has recovered from a communicable disease and is returning to school. The student must be seen by the school nurse before a final determination is made.

The exclusion times listed below are the minimum days a child should remain out of school for a particular illness. The school will honor the private physician’s recommendation for additional exclusion days.

Please refer below for communicable diseases.

Chicken Pox - Six days after onset of rash and/or until lesions are dry.  Physician’s note required.

Common Cold - Students should not attend school if the child has an elevated temperature greater than or equal to 100 degrees or nasal secretions (not clear in color) which are difficult to contain, must remain home from school until fever free for 24 hours without medication.

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)- Until therapy has been instituted for 24 hours and discharge has ceased. Physician’s note required.

COVID-19 and all respiratory viruses - Students must be fever free for 24 hours and have improving symptoms in order to return to school.

• Improving symptoms means the individual is no longer feeling ill and can participate comfortably in educational and other activities as they did before they were sick.

• If students positive for a respiratory illness but are symptom-free, they should mask and practice good hand hygiene for five days, unless the disease has more specific exclusion criteria.

Draining sores - If a draining wound cannot be covered, student cannot return to school until re-evaluated by a physician.

Gastrointestinal Illness (Diarrhea & Vomiting)

• Diarrhea: characterized by twice the child’s usual frequency with a change to a looser consistency within a 24 hour period, AND /OR 

• Vomiting: An episode within a 24-hour period with related symptom(s) of illness.

Hepatitis Infection - Until the end of febrile period, the onset Jaundice and/or seven days following. Physician’s note required

Herpes Zoster (Shingles) - A student may return to school one all lesions are crusted over. Physician note is required.

Impetigo - Until 24 hrs. After treatment begins. Infected areas must be covered in school. Physician’s note required.

Meningitis, Meningococcal - Until note is received from physician stating child is able to return.

Molluscum Contagiosum - Lesions must be covered while in school.  Until note is received from physician stating diagnosis. 

Pertussis - Until completion of 5 days of an appropriate course of antibiotics. Physician’s note is required.

Ringworm (Tinea Corporis) - Infected area must be covered while attending school.  Physician note required to return to school.

Scabies - Until the day after treatment. Physician’s note required.

Streptococcal Infection: Sore Throat, Scarlet Fever, Scarlatina - Until 24 hrs. After beginning of antibiotic therapy. Physician’s note is required.

Unexplained rash - Physician’s note is required and must state that the child is able to return to school.

The WHS Health Office features two school nurses and one administrative assistant. The Health Office is open throughout the school day, and students are encouraged to visit the nurse for assistance with illness or injury, or to consult about a health problem. The WHS Health Services web page can be accessed for additional information. In addition, district policies detail the specifics of: 

- Health Services 

- Health Examinations 

- Immunizations 

- Administration of Medication 

- Substance Abuse 

- Student Smoking 

Health Office Contact Information

Westfield High School

(908) 789-4519

Fax: (908) 519-2319

Mr. Robert Ripper

Ms. Stephanie Hurley

Magaly Mota, Secretary

Health Policies

• 8453 HIV/AIDS (M)

NJDOE Resources:

The following brochure is courtesy from the  New Jersey Department of Education: Media Violence and Youth: Impact of a Child's Exposure to Media Violence brochure.

Student Medical Examinations

1. Each student is required to have a medical examination:

• Upon initial enrollment into school (pre-K, kindergarten) and all new students;

• For participation in high school sports;

• Pursuant to a comprehensive Child Study Team evaluation;

• When applying for working papers.

2. Each student’s medical examination shall be conducted at the medical home (own health care provider) and a report brought to the school on the District Medical Record Form. Examination documentation should be forwarded to the school nurse from the sending district in or out of state within 30 days of enrollment into school.

If a student does not have a medical home (personal health provider), the district will arrange an appointment upon a parent’s written request.

The New Jersey State Department and health care professionals in the district strongly encourage parents to continue to schedule routine medical examinations at least once during each developmental stage: early childhood (pre-K to 3), preadolescent (4 to 6) and adolescent (7 to 12).

Students on Interscholastic Athletic Teams:  A physical exam is required yearly and must be completed on the approved district form and filed prior to the start of the season.

Height, weight and blood pressure annually for K thru 12th grade. (Only for students who have not had an annual physical exam)

Tuberculosis skin testing —New Jersey state law requires use of the Mantoux Intradermal Tuberculin Test as the test for tuberculin infection. This test will be administered to students from another country based on guidelines established by the New Jersey State Department of Health.

Scoliosis screening of students in grades 5-12 will be conducted every other year. Since scoliosis screening is also a part of the physical examination, those students receiving physicals will not be screened again during the school year. Any parent or guardian wishing to be present during the scoliosis screening should contact the school nurse. A pupil may be exempt from this examination if the parent or guardian makes this request in writing to the school nurse.

Medication, as far as possible, should be administered at home. When absolutely imperative, over the counter and prescription medication will only be administered by the school nurse upon a written request from the parent/ guardian, and written orders of the student’s private physician stating the diagnosis, name of drug, dosage, frequency of administration, and duration. The medication must be provided in the original container labeled with all Identifying information: student name, a recent date, name of drug, directions for administration, and physician's name. The medication container label must match the Physician’s orders.