District Health Policy

Dear Parents/Guardian,

The primary goal of SCUCISD Health Services is to maximize each child’s potential for growth and development as well to ensure the safety and physical well being of your child while on campus. Please be observant of the SCUCISD Health Services policies in order to provide the safest environment possible for your child. The school appreciates your understanding and assistance in helping to provide a safer environment for all students at our school.

Students cannot transport medication back and forth to school due to an increased potential for its misuse while in the student’s possession. A responsible adult must bring all medications to the clinic. If this presents difficulties for you, please contact the school nurse with a plan for alternate arrangements in transportation of your child’s medication. If a student brings medication to school, the medication will not be administered and the parent will be contacted to arrange for pick up of the medication.

The school nurse can administer over the counter medication for ten days without a physician’s order. The medication must be in its original container and will only be administered according to label directions. Although any adult may bring the medication to the clinic, only the parent or legal guardian may give written permission for medication to be given to the student. The written permission must accompany the medication and should include the specific name of the medication, the dose, the time, and the reason for the medication to be given and should be signed by the parent/guardian. The school clinic has a form, which can simplify this process. At the end of five days, the remaining medication will be discarded unless other arrangements are made with the school nurse.

Prescription medication to be administered long-term requires a written order from the prescribing physician. This must include his/her signature, name of the medication, dosage, route, time of administration, and length of time to be given. In addition to the physician’s orders, we will also need parental permission for school personnel to administer the medication. The school nurse will have a form available which includes all required information. The medication must be in a current prescription bottle. Please make note of when your child’s supply will need to be replenished. The empty bottle will be sent home with your child indicating that no more medication remains in the clinic.

Students who suffer from asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, or severe allergic reactions who have written authorization from his or her parent and physician, or other licensed health care provider may be permitted, at the student’s discretion, to possess and use prescribed asthma, anti-seizure, diabetic, or Epi-Pen medication at school or school-related events.

The student and parents should see the school nurse or principal if the student has been prescribed any of these medications for use during the school day. Duplicate medications should also be kept in the clinic in the event the student forgets to bring his/her medication to school.

No herbal medications or vitamins will be administered, even if a student has a doctor’s note.

With regards to illness—If your child is sent home from school with a fever (temperature of 100 degrees or higher), diarrhea, vomiting, or other viral/flu-like symptoms, it is requested that the child remain home from school for twenty-four hours after symptoms have resolved (without the use of medication), if possible. This may help to prevent your child’s illness from making another child ill. If your child is sent home for an undiagnosed rash, suspected pink-eye or other related problem, a physician’s note allowing return to school or resolution of symptoms will be necessary for your child to return to the classroom. Again, this is to prevent the spread of illness among students.

Please update home and work numbers as they change. This information can be phoned to the office or sent with your child in note form. It is imperative that emergency contacts not only be willing but also able to pick up your child during school hours if parents are not available. If no home phone number is available, please provide a number to a neighbor or apartment manager who can physically knock at your door, should we need to contact you. It is expected that contact with a parent/guardian or alternate adult be possible at all times and that all sick and injured children be picked up in a timely manner from school.

These policies are designed to ensure the safety and physical well being of your child while on campus. Should you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact the school nurse or school principal.

It is our goal in SCUCISD to provide the safest and most comprehensive health services program possible. Ideas and suggestions, which may help to improve the health services program, are always welcome. Please feel free to communicate openly and frequently with the nurse at your school.

Thank you!