Resources
School Attendance
Regular school attendance is necessary for optimal learning. However, a mere presence at school does not ensure effective learning. A child must be feeling well in order to maximize the learning experience. If your child has any of the following symptoms please keep your child at home:
- Fever-The child should remain at home with a fever greater than 100. 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).
- Productive or persistent cough
- Vomiting or diarrhea- A child with vomiting and/or diarrhea should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.
- Persistent sore throat
- A child who has started antibiotics needs to be on medication for 24 hours before being considered non-contagious and able to return to school.
- A child who has started on antibiotic eye drops for bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) needs to be on the antibiotic drops for 24 hours before returning to school.
You know your child best. If he/she does not feel well and will not be able to fully participate in routine school activities please keep your child home.
Reporting Absence or Lateness
Parents are required to notify the school EACH DAY that their child is absent.
Please call the absence hotline at 654-9610 and press prompt #4 or email Mrs. Conway at [email protected].
Leave your child’s name, homeroom teacher’s name, and reason for absence.
If your child is ill, please describe their symptoms including their temperature if they are running a fever. If a parent/guardian does not call, we must contact the parent/guardian to verify the absence from school.
Following an absence, if there is a note from a doctor, dentist, or medical provider, please send it into school marked (attention Mrs. Conway)
If your child will be coming to school late for any reason, please call the absence hotline.
Asthma Inhalers
In order for your child to use an inhaler in school, the following must be done:
- Your child’s physician must complete and sign an Asthma Action Plan (this is in accordance with P.L. 2001, Chapter 61)
- The parent/guardian must sign the back of the Asthma Action Plan
- Inhalers must be in the prescription labeled box and hand-delivered to school by the parent/guardian
- PLEASE CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE ON ALL MEDICATION
- Asthma Action Plans must be renewed every school year
- Complete an Asthma Questionnaire and return to the school nurse
Epinephrine Pens
Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
In order for your child to use/have an EpiPen at school the following must be done:
- Your child’s physician must complete and sign the Anaphylaxis Individual Emergency Care Plan
- The parent(s)/guardian(s) must sign the back of the Anaphylaxis Individual Emergency Care Plan. (remember to indicate on the bottom of the form if you wish for your child to sit at a peanut/nut-free table at lunch)
EpiPens must be in the prescription labeled box and hand-delivered to school by the parent(s)/guardian(s)
The Anaphylaxis Individual Emergency Care Plan must be renewed every school year.
Crutches/Casts
- If your child requires crutches or a cast for an injury that has occurred, the school nurse must be notified.
- Students will need a doctor’s note in order to use crutches in school.
- Students who have crutches or a cast will not be able to participate in physical education class/recess.
- The school nurse will need a note from the child’s physician indicating they have no restrictions following the removal of the crutches/cast in order to participate in physical education/recess.
- Please contact the school nurse if the injury should create transportation concerns.
School Physicals
Physical examinations will no longer be conducted at your child’s school. Recent revisions to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2 mandate medical examinations be conducted at the medical home (family physician/pediatrician) of the student and a full report sent to the school. This regulation is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Written proof of a physical examination is required of each child upon entering school in the district. Following this initial examination, it is important for children to be examined at least one time during each developmental stage including early childhood (preschool-grade 3), pre-adolescence (grades 4-6), and adolescence (grades 7-12). If your child does not have a physician or you are new to the area, please contact your child’s school nurse.
SCREENINGS:
Annually, each child is measured for height and weight and undergoes a vision, hearing, and blood pressure screening. Any deviation from normal is reported to parents for possible follow-up.
Each year, a Scoliosis screening is conducted for all students ages 10 through 18, as required by New Jersey State Law. (Scoliosis is defined as a condition of the spine in which the spine may curve to the left or right. It is most commonly found during the time of rapid growth and may progress if not treated. The purpose of the screening is to recognize Scoliosis in its earliest stages).
Emergency Information on Genesis
Please complete information for your child on Genesis if your phone number contact information changes during the course of the school year please remember to update in Genesis or contact the main office.
Please try to use local people for any emergency contact, as someone who is more than 20 minutes away may be reluctant to pick up your child.
Immunizations
Medication Administration
The following steps must be taken in order for your child to receive any prescription or any other over the counter medication besides acetaminophen, ibuprofen, antacids, and cough drops while at school:
- Your child's physician must complete and sign the Medication Authorization Form.
- The parent/guardian must sign the bottom of the Medication Authorization Form.
- All medications (prescription or non-prescription) must be in its original container and properly identified and hand-delivered to the school nurse by the parent or guardian.
- Due to safety concerns, students will no longer be permitted to transport their own medication to school. Parents or a designated adult must bring the medication to school and hand it to a staff person. At the end of the school year, any unused medication must be picked up by a parent or a designated adult. Any unused medication not picked up by the last day of school will be discarded.
- Parents should contact the school nurse if their child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness or condition that requires self-medication.
- Our school physician has written orders for acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil), and antacids (Tums) for students. We must have written permission signed by a parent/guardian to administer these medications. The emergency card has been revised to include checkboxes for you to indicate your preference regarding the administration of acetaminophen/ibuprofen/antacids.
Head Lice
Head lice are a common community problem. An estimated 6 to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States, most commonly among children ages 3 to 11 years old. Children attending preschool or elementary school, and those who live with them, are the most commonly affected.1 Head lice are not dangerous.1 They do not transmit disease, but they do spread easily, making it a community issue.1 Additionally, despite what you might have heard, head lice often infest people with good hygiene and grooming habits.2,3 Your family, friends, or community may experience head lice. It’s important to know some basics, including how to recognize symptoms and what to do if faced with an infestation.
Health Links
Kids Health is a fun website for both parents and kids. There is great information about the human body.
The CDC works to protect America from health, safety, and security threats. The CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same. This site is a great site for health updates and information.
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Healthy Children is a website sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a resource for parents.
Below are links that provide information on the Coronavirus (COVID - 19):
Talking to Children about the COVID-19 from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
CDC Website to COVID -19 information
This is the American Academy of Pediatrics Webpage for parents. It has great information on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how to talk to your children about Coronavirus.