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Meet Our School Nurse:
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Mrs. Anne Ezenwa, BSN RNa.ezenwasjschoolva.orgSchool Nurse
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Sick Policy
A few health related reminders:
Sick children often expose other students and school staff members to illnesses and germs. These illnesses are disruptive to the educational process and to other children and their families. When you have a respiratory virus infection, you can spread it to others. How long someone can spread the virus depends on different factors, including how sick they are (severity) and how long their illness lasts (duration). This is not the same for everyone. When, for at least 24 hours, your symptoms are getting better overall and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication), you are typically less contagious, but it still takes more time for your body to fully get rid of the virus. During this time, you may still be able to spread the virus to others. Taking precautions for the next 5 days can help reduce this risk. After this 5-day period, you are typically much less likely to be contagious. However, some people, especially people with weakened immune systems, can continue to spread the virus for a longer period of time. For COVID-19, taking an antigen test can help you know how likely you are to spread the virus. A positive test tends to mean it is more likely that you can spread the virus to others (CDC). Students who are not feeling well should stay home to help control the spread of germs.
Please follow the guidelines below to help keep our school safe and healthy:
If your child shows these signs of illness, they must remain home—or will be sent home from school:
Fever: Fever is defined as having a temperature of 100.0 F or higher. A student needs to be fever
free for a minimum of 24 hours without the help of fever reducing medication before returning to
school.- GI symptoms: Diarrhea, and/or Vomiting : Students must remain home for 24 hours after diarrhea, and/or vomiting has stopped without taking any over the counter medicine. The student should be feeling better and food intake has returned to normal before returning to school.
- Difficulty Breathing: Student should stay home until he or she is feeling better and activity level has returned to normal.
- Sore Throat: Student should stay home if he or she has a red throat, swollen glands, or difficulty swallowing.
- Red Eyes and/or Eye Discharge: Student should stay home until recovered or seek evaluation by a healthcare provider prior to returning to school.
- Uncontrolled cold symptoms that interfere with the student’s ability to learn (e.g. persistent coughing and/or persistent/active runny nose): Student should stay home until symptoms start to improve and the child is healthy enough to participate in class.
- Undiagnosed Rash: Student should seek evaluation by a healthcare provider.
- Other Symptoms: Students exhibiting symptoms such as extreme fatigue, body aches and/or headache and are not able to participate in class should stay home until recovered or seek evaluation by a healthcare provider.
** If your child has confirmed COVID-19 infection, influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or a cold please follow up with your child’s healthcare provider and follow their recommendations regarding testing, treatment and actions to prevent the spread of the illness.
Please read the updated guidance below regarding respiratory illnesses including COVID-19 (CDC, March 1, 2024)
If you have respiratory symptoms or have tested positive for a respiratory virus you should take the
following steps:
1. Stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both:a. You have not had a fever without using fever reducing medication, and
b. Your symptoms are getting better overall. This means you feel well enough to
participate in normal activities.2. Consider wearing a well-fitting mask when around others indoors for 5 days after symptoms improve.
a. Those who test positive for a respiratory virus but have no symptoms can also consider wearing a mask for 5 days.
Please report to the school nurse and attendance office if your child has a communicable disease
Examples include, but are not limited to, upper respiratory tract infections including COVID-19, influenza, strep throat, pink eye, vomiting and/or diarrhea, and skin infections. When you email the
school to report that your child is not feeling well, please include your child’s symptoms and or
diagnosis with the treatment plan. Children are expected to remain home during the communicable
period of the disease as ordered by a healthcare provider.Please keep your child home while waiting for a test result to return. If your child sees a healthcare provider for any illness, please provide a note from the healthcare provider upon return that includes your child’s diagnosis, treatment plan and the date when your child is able to return to school.
In the event a child becomes ill during the school day, the parent(s) will be called. If the parent(s) cannot be reached, the emergency contact will be called. Student(s) should be picked up within 30 minutes of notification.
***THIS POLICY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
Sports/P.E. Injury Waiver:
When a student is requesting a waiver from participating in Physical Education classes and/or recess, parents are required to submit a written statement from their child’s physician which states any activity restrictions with regard to participation in Physical Education classes and/or recess. The statement is expected to include a specific time frame for the activity restrictions.
Use of crutches or other orthopedic devices for example, boots, splints- An order from a Licensed Healthcare Provider (LHP) is required to use crutches and other orthopedic devices at school. If a student arrives at school on crutches or orthopedic devices without a licensed health-care provider order, the parent will be called to take the student home.Medication Administration-please refer to page 60 of the handbook for details
REMINDER: All medications including over the counter (OTC) medications must be dropped off at the front office for the clinic by a parent/guardian with the appropriate paperwork. Please be aware that because of the contents of some lip balm, cough drops and hand lotions, they are considered as OTC. Your child may not carry any medication to school in their backpack OR self- carry any medication without the appropriate permission and paperwork completed and on file in the clinic.
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Note from the Nurse:
Dear Parents/Guardians: A FEW REMINDERS
It is currently the middle of flu season and VDH and SJS recommends that K-8 students and family including school staff take the following actions to prevent the further spread of influenza and other respiratory viruses, especially as flu symptoms could be confused with symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection.- Get a flu vaccine
- Practice good hand hygiene and cough etiquette
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
- Take flu antivirals if prescribed by your healthcare provider if you have the flu.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Keep your children home when they are sick, if Temp >100 please keep them home
- Your child may return to school after they are fever free for 24 hours without taking any OTC anti -fever medication
- Stay home when you are sick
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
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Flu Prevention
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Medication Policy Procedures
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Important Medical Forms
- Virginia School Entrance Health form - English
- Virginia School Health Entrance Form - Spanish
- Virginia School Entrance Health Instructions
- Confidential Student Health History Update
- Confidential Student Health History Update - Spanish
- Confidential Student Health History Update- Vietnamese
- Permission for Emergency Care
- Allergy Plan
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
- Asthma Action Plan
- Permission to Carry Inhaler Authorization
- Seizure Action Plan
- Medication Authorization
- Refusal to Provide Medication and Waiver Liability form
- Diabetes Reference Emergency Plan
- Diabetes Medical Management Plan
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Accidents and First Aid
The parents of an injured student will be notified of the accident/injury by the principal/administration or the principal/administration's designee as soon as reasonably possible, taking into consideration such factors as the apparent severity of the accident/injury and the priority of providing assistance to the student. If an incident results in a medical condition or injury which can be reasonably known to the appropriate supervisory faculty/staff member and/or the principal, the school and/or its staff are authorized to render reasonable basic first aid if such direct medical assistance would, in the opinion of the school, serve to minimize the severity of the injured person's condition. In addition, staff may secure professional diagnosis and/or treatment if such action, in the opinion of the school, appears to be reasonably warranted. The school and school officials shall be expressly held harmless from any liability costs or expenses associated with the professional diagnosis and/or any treatment or first aid provided (including but not limited to the cost of transportation), such costs or expenses being the responsibility of the injured party or, if a student, the student's parents. The school nurse or principal’s designee will record the circumstances of all accidents, (e.g., date, time, injured party, immediate cause, involved parties, supervisory facility/staff member, treatment/action taken, etc.) in the individual student health record. A separate Diocesan Accident Report Form (see Appendix F-7) is completed for all significant accidents or injuries that may require treatment outside of school. A copy of the accident report is retained as a separate, internal school record, with the original forwarded to the Diocesan Insurance Risk manager at the Chancery within 72 hours of the accident or as soon as possible in the case of major accidents and/or injuries.
Illness
Our school provides a health office, apart from the student population, where children who become ill or injured can be cared for following Virginia School Health Guidelines. Children with fevers, contagious, or infectious diseases will be sent home promptly and excluded from school while in that condition, per Virginia Department of Health regulations. Once the student is confirmed to be free of communicable illness by a healthcare provider or is fever free/symptom free for 24 hours without taking anti-fever medications, the student may return to school. When a student is requesting a waiver from participating in Physical Education classes and/or recess, parents are required to submit a written statement from their child’s physician which states any activity restrictions with regard to participation in Physical Education classes and/or recess. The statement is expected to include a specific time frame for the activity restrictions.
REMINDER: All medications must be dropped off at the front office for the clinic by a parent/guardian with the appropriate paperwork. Your child may not carry any medication to school in their backpack.Medication Administration Overview:
Medication Administration Overview Detailed Diocesan medication policies and procedures can be accessed on the Office of Catholic Schools website, in the school clinic and in the appendix of this document. All school clinic, administrators and staff are required to administer medication within the framework of the procedures outlined in Diocesan policy and summarized here. All prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications may be administered during the school day under the following conditions: When the need for administration of medicines during school hours has been confirmed by the school nurse/health assistant (or the school administration). After the first dose of any medication has been given at home; When the parent / guardian provides and transports the medication to and from school and the medication is given directly to the school nurse/health assistant, or a senior member of the school administration; When there is a health care provider’s written order signed by the parent / guardian requesting the school to administer medication or to permit the student to self-administer the medication; When the medication is brought to the school in its original container stating the name of the student, the dosage and method of administration prescribed by a physician. It is the parent’s or guardian’s responsibility to notify the school of any changes to the original prescription. The new prescription must also be brought to the school in the original container as stated above; When the appropriate medication authorization form (Appendix) has been completed, signed and accompanies the medication; For any medication, parents must document the number of tablets or dosages to be secured for administration by authorized school personnel. If tablets are to be divided, the parent or guardian is responsible for dividing the tablets that are to be divided in order to achieve their child’s proper dosage. All OTC and prescription medications are to be kept locked in the clinic/school office and be administered by the school nurse, clinic aide, principal or trained designee. No student is to carry/possess medications, without appropriate medical authorization. No medication will be administered unless the school has received a signed copy of the Medication Authorization Form (Appendix). OTC medications do not require a health care provider’s signature unless the medication is required for four (4) or more consecutive days. It shall be the student’s responsibility to come to the clinic/school office at the appropriate time for medication unless a health care provider or parent indicates in writing that the student cannot do this. Students are NOT permitted to self-medicate. The school does not assume responsibility for medications taken independently by the student. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis for students who demonstrate the capability to carry and self-administer emergency life-saving medications (e.g. inhaler, Epipen. 49 Within one week after expiration of the effective date on the order, or on the last day of school, the parent guardian must personally collect any unused portion of the medication. Medications not claimed within that period will be destroyed.
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