• District Nursing Services, Information & Resources

     

    December 2022 Winter Break

     

    2022-2023 School Health News Letters

    COVID -19

    Cold and Flu virus

    Important reminder for parents/guardians of MPS students

    Please update contact information to be accurate at all times in the event of an illness or emergency at school! Phone numbers and email addresses can change, so please contact your child(ren)'s school(s) to update your contact information whenever there is a change.

     

    School Health Services

    School health services is the link between the complex systems of education and health. In partnership with parents and staff, school nurses identify and assist in removing health-related barriers to learning and academic success. The ability of a child to learn is directly related to their health.

    We are here to provide whatever nursing assistance is necessary that would allow a child to adequately access the curriculum. Please feel free to call your child’s school nurse with any concerns, especially if their health status has changed, they have been diagnosed with a serious/contagious illness or injury or will be absent. 

     

    Emergencies

    If a child becomes ill at school, a parent/guardian must pick him/her up. There must be current emergency numbers for parents and contact information for those who can be responsible for a child if a parent cannot be reached or is unable to pick the child up. Please update the school whenever your contact information changes.

     

    Medication Policy

    In conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Board of Registration of Nursing and in collaborating with our school physician, the MPS Medication Policy is highlighted as follows:

    All medications required to be given during school hours, including inhalers and epi-pens and ANY over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough drops etc., require a written order from a physician, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or dentist. This order can be faxed to the nurse’s office. For short-term (10 days) medications like antibiotics, the pharmacy label may be used in lieu of an order.

    Parents must sign a Medication Administration and Permission Form. This form gives the school nurse or school personnel designated permission to give the prescribed medication.  This includes medication required during field trips.

    All medication must be delivered to the school nurse by a parent or an adult designated by a parent. All medication must be in a properly labeled pharmacy container. Students are not permitted to transport medication to and from school.

    The exceptions to the above are those students who must carry critical medications such as insulin, inhalers or epi-pens and who have the written permission of physicians, parents and school nurses to transport medication.

    Strict compliance with this policy will be followed by the school nurse. See the link at left for contact information for all school nurses.

     

    Illness/Contagious Disease Policy

    Students should not come to school if they are ill.  They should be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school. The parent/guardian should notify the school nurse if the student needs to stay home due to illness or contagious disease. 

    • Fever: The child should remain at home with a fever greater than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit. The child can return to school after he/she has been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Motrin). 
    • Diarrhea/Vomiting: A child with diarrhea and /or vomiting should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours unless otherwise specified by the school nurse or licensed health care provider.
    • Streptococcal (Strep Throat) infections: Students may return to school AFTER receiving a full 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. 
    • Impetigo: Students may return to school AFTER receiving a full 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. 
    • Conjunctivitis (pink eye): Students may return to school AFTER receiving a full 24 hours of antibiotic treatment.
    • Ringworm: Students may return to school AFTER receiving a full 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. 
    • Scabies: Students may return to school AFTER receiving a full 24 hours of antibiotic treatment.
    • Pediculosis (head lice): If your child has active head lice he or she must be treated at home and seen by the school nurse PRIOR to returning to school. 
    • Rashes: Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages.  A child with a rash of unknown origin should return to school only after a health care provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child’s return to school (must be seen by a doctor and a note is required stating "noncontagious" or "being treated" prior to returning to school). 
    • Influenza-like illness (Flu): The child can return to school after he/she has been fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications, such as Tylenol, Advil, Ibuprofen or Motrin) and the student should feel well enough to attend school. 
    • Cold Symptoms: Consider keeping your child at home if he/she is experiencing discomfort from cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion and/or frequent, persistent coughing. A continuous green discharge from the nose may be a sign of infection. Consider having the child seen by your healthcare provider.
    • COVID: The child must remain out of school isolated days 0-5 even if they have no symptoms. They may return to school on day 6 if they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, experience improvement of symptoms and are able to wear a well-fitting mask for 5 additional days while around others (days 6-10). 

     

                             

     

    Parents/ guardians will be contacted to take their child home if, in the professional opinion of the school nurse, the child is unable to participate in school activities or puts other students and staff at risk for illness. Please have a plan in place to pick up a child in case he/she needs to be dismissed.

    Pediculosis - Head Lice

    A doctor’s note is needed upon return to school for the following:

    • Surgery
    • Concussion (see: athletic concussion policy, head injury reporting form, post head injury clearance form)
    • Hospitalizations
    • Rash of unknown origin
    • Fracture/Sprain – crutches, casts, sling

    The note should state any limitations and accommodations necessary for class, gym and recess attendance.

     

     

    Required State Mandates

    Please see the link (below) for important information regarding immunization requirements.

     Click here for link to Immunization Schedule