• Health Office Letter - Fall 2022

     

    Dear Midland School Families, 

    The new school year is upon us and I wanted to take this time to share important information from our Midland School Health Office.  Please take the time to read though this entire letter as it contains a lot of important information for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year.

    Realtime Health Office Emergency Form

    Please be sure to complete the Health Office Emergency Form in Real Time by Friday, September 16, 2022. Please complete the entire form. The information you provide will help provide for any health needs that your child may need during the school year.

    Is my child well enough to go to school?

    Many parents are concerned about when to keep students home from school. To insure a healthy school environment for all our children, please have your child remain at home until fully recovered from all illnesses. Your child should not be sent to school if he/she presents with one of the following:

    • A fever of 100.4 or higher. Students may return to school when the fever has subsided without the use of fever reducing medicine. 
    • Vomiting and/or diarrhea during the night or in the morning
    • Persistent cough
    • A widespread rash
    • Open or draining skin sores
    • Reddened eyes with crusty discharge

    *Children who have been diagnosed with strep, pink eye or any other contagion must remain home for 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotic, and in the case of pink eye students should remain home until there is no further discharge from the eye.

    Do I have to report school absences? How?

    It is your responsibility to notify the school by 8:15 am if your child will be absent or late for school on any given day. The Health Office is equipped with voice mail, making it possible for you to call and leave a recorded message at any time. If you need to report a student’s absence for any reason, you should call the Health Office at 201-843-3120 x518. Simply state the name of your child, his or her teacher’s name or homeroom, as well as the reason for the absence. If your child is late (arrives to school after 8:20 am), please remind your child that he/she must report to the Health Office to get a late pass.

    What do I do if my child has a physical injury and is restricted from activities?

    All physical injuries must be reported to the Health Office.  If your child sustains an injury that requires sutures, a cast, immobilizer, crutches, etc. or has sustained a head injury, please contact the Health Office prior to returning to school so that accommodations can be made if necessary.  If your child cannot participate in physical education class a doctor’s note is required that describes the injury and the length of the restriction, if any.  A doctor’s note is required for students to return to activity.

    Please send doctor’s notes to school with your child and instruct them hand it to the Health Office on the first day of exclusion. Students with a written excuse for restriction from activity may be provided with alternative activities related to the physical education curriculum. Written parent notes requesting exclusion from physical education will be accepted for up to two physical education classes in a week and only once per quarter.  If students require a longer restriction a doctor’s note is required.

    Finally, please note that when students are restricted from PE they are also restricted from recess.  This allows them to rest an injury or help them to recover from an illness.  Students who can self-regulate and refrain from playing during recess are welcome to sit on a bench and enjoy the sunshine and friends. 

    What if my child needs to take medication?

    If your child needs to take medication, prescription or over-the-counter, while at school, a written prescription from your child’s doctor and a written permission from a parent/guardian must be submitted to the Health Office.  These forms are available to download from school’s website under the Nurse’s Office tab. The medication must be brought to the school in its original container, with your child’s name on it. In consultation with the school physician, I can provide cough drops to students in grades 4-8. There is a check off area on the HEALTH OFFICE EMERGENCY FORM where parents can give permission to give these if needed. Do not give your child any medication (even cough drops) to take by him/herself while at school.

    What do I do if my child has a food allergy?

    As food allergies become more and more common, we must take responsible steps to ensure the safety of those that have these allergies. For some of these students even the smallest exposure (touching a surface that has peanut/tree nut residue) can cause a serious allergic reaction resulting in a medical emergency. Strict avoidance of peanut/tree nut products is the only way to prevent a life threatening allergic reaction. We are asking for your cooperation in instituting a few safety precautions. ALL CLASSROOMS AT MIDLAND SCHOOL WILL BE PEANUT/TREE NUT FREE.

    Any foods containing peanuts, tree nuts and their products (i.e. foods even made with peanut oil), cannot be brought into the classroom for snacks, class parties or birthday celebrations. If your child had breakfast, which may have contained peanut/tree nut products, please wash their hands and face before bringing them to school. Please speak with your child about the importance of not sharing food and washing his/her hands with soap and water after he/she has been eating foods containing peanuts and tree nuts.

    Classroom and Birthday Celebrations

    Please note, no food may be distributed during classroom or birthday celebrations. Classroom teachers and friends can continue to recognize children on their special day in other special ways. Please check with your child’s teacher for some non-food alternatives (stickers, pencils, erasers, etc.) and be sure to provide advanced notice to make sure that they can fit the birthday plans into their schedule.

    Attention 6th and 7th grade parents/guardians

    Public schools are required to provide information on meningococcal meningitis to the parents/guardians of students in the 6th grade and information on vaccination against HPV (Human Papillomavirus) to the parents/guardians of students in the 7th grade. Parents in these grades, please check the district website for this required information.

    6th grade students are required to have Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines within 2 weeks after their 11th birthday in order to remain in 6th grade.

    Updated Physical Information

    Lastly, if your child has had a physical or received any new immunizations (including the COVID-19 vaccine) within the past year, please provide updated records to the Health Office. 

    If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the above information, please don’t hesitate to contact the Health Office.