Information for Parents
This webpage includes information for parents regarding health issues at school. Please contact your school nurse if you have further questions.
Immunizations
All students must meet state immunization requirements in order to attend school. You must supply records of the type of vaccine and month, day, and year that each vaccine was given. Please bring in the records as soon as possible. Visit the Nursing Services page to download the list of required vaccines from the left sidebar, or visit the Washington State Department of Health Website to access forms in English and Spanish.
(Reference: WSD 3413, RCW 28A.210, WAC 180-38-045, WAC 246-100-166, SHB 3547, SHB1985)
Student Health History and Life-Threatening Conditions
Please carefully fill out the Student Health Inventory (download it as a .pdf or as a Word Form) and return it to the school as soon as possible. This helps us identify students who may have a life-threatening condition, such as a severe allergy to bee stings or peanuts, severe asthma, seizures, diabetes, etc. If your child has a life-threatening condition (defined as “a health condition that will put a child in danger of death during the school day if a medication or treatment order and a nursing plan are not in place”), Washington state law (SHB 2834) requires that orders from your physician or Licensed Healthcare Provider (LHP) must be provided to the school before your child may attend. Also, an Emergency Care Plan (ECP) must be developed by the District Nurse, in consultation with you, and based on the LHP’s instructions. If your child has a life-threatening condition, you will need to obtain a “Medication at School Authorization” form from the front office. Your LHP can write his/her instructions and any medications required on this form. Both parent and LHP must sign and date this form before the child is allowed by law to attend school. The school nurse will then contact you to develop the “Emergency Care Plan”.
(Reference: RCW 28A.210.320, WAC 180-38, SHB 2834)
Medication at School
When a child requires medication, in most cases this can be given at home, outside the regular school hours. However, if your child must receive medication in order to be in school, you will need to bring to the school a “Medication at School Authorization” form, completed by a licensed healthcare provider (LHP) or physician, and signed and dated by both parent and LHP.
· Only “oral medications” are allowed by law to be given at school: no ointments, nasal sprays, eye or ear drops, suppositories, or inhaled medications (except Asthma inhalers), may be given by the staff at school.
· All medication, including over-the-counter (ie: Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough drops), require a Medication at School Authorization form.
· For both “daily meds” and “over-the-counter meds” (“as needed”), you must bring the medication to the school yourself in the original pharmacy-labeled bottle; do not send with your child. Ask your pharmacist to supply you with a special bottle for school use. Over the counter medications must be brought to school in a new, unopened container.
· Please send only a one month supply of tablets at a time.
· If a student is permitted by you and the Licensed Healthcare Professional to self-carry or self-administer medication, this should be indicated by the Licensed Healthcare Professional on the Authorization form. (Inhalers or Epi-pens as ordered by a Licensed Healthcare Professional to self-carry.)
· “Epi-pens” are the only acceptable means of administering epinephrine at school.
· All medication must be picked-up by a parent/guardian at the end of the school year. Medication not retrieved will be discarded at the end of the year.
(Reference: WSD 3416, RCW 28A.210.260)
Health Room
We have a small health room in the school office to be used for emergencies and urgent situations. Sick children need to stay at home until well. Please see Guidelines for Keeping Students Home from School. If your child becomes ill while at school, we will call you to come pick him/her up. Please always be sure the school has current phone numbers for you and other emergency contact persons.
Guidelines for Keeping Students Home from School
Children are in close contact with one another at school. If parents keep their children home at the first signs of illness, it will help us prevent the spread of that illness to other children in the classroom.
Please don’t send a parent request to have your child kept in from lunch or recess. A child who is too sick to go out to recess (or participate in PE) is too ill to be in school.
These are the guidelines and symptoms we look for at school to determine when to send your student home from school:
- Oral temperature at 100 degrees or more (fever). Temperature should remain normal (generally below 99 degrees) without fever reducing medications for 24 hours before the child returns to school.
- Diarrhea or Vomiting, keep them home from school until 24 hours after symptoms have resolved.
- Earache, ear drainage if discharge has blood, pus, or other discoloration (not earwax)
- Sore throat
- Persistent, deep wet/croupy cough
- Runny nose if the discharge is yellow or green
- Headache or stomach ache in combination with other symptoms (i.e., cough or sore throat)
- Communicable skin rash such as scabies, impetigo, or ringworm. Your child may return to school following proper treatment.
- Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) in one or both eyes. The whites of the eyes will appear pink or red, and feel painful, itchy, swollen and/or water profusely. There may be crusty yellow, green or white matter in or around the eye or lashes. Call the doctor to see if treatment is needed before returning to school.
- An infectious condition, including COVID-19, hand/foot/mouth disease, chickenpox, flu, measles, mumps, rubella, etc.
- Head Lice is considered a nuisance, and not a health hazard. Students with live head lice must be treated (successful treatment should kill crawling lice) and can return to school after the appropriate treatment has begun. Students can attend school with nits following treatment. Nits may persist after initial treatment, therefore, students with nits should be allowed back in school the next day.
If your child’s illness persists or if you have other questions, please contact your healthcare provider.
What you can do as a parent to boost your child’s immune system
· Be sure they get plenty of rest each night.
· Encourage healthy foods: Offer lots of fruits and vegetables; limit junk foods; have regular mealtimes; encourage water for thirst instead of soda pop.
· Be sure your children get daily exercise out in the fresh air whenever possible.
· Avoid exposing your child to second-hand smoking, either in the house or in the car.
· Teach your children to keep their bodies and hair clean, to brush their teeth twice a day, and to wash their hands often.
Please call if you have any further questions. Thanks for helping us keep all of our students safe and healthy – Healthy kids learn better!
