Nurse's Office Section from the Student Handbook

The Health Office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:51 p.m., and a Registered Nurse is on duty. Students must have their teacher contact the nurse by phone - prior to reporting to the nurse’s office and should not report between classes.  Any student not following this procedure may face disciplinary action.

In order to ensure the health and well-being of all students at Canaseraga Central School, parents and students must abide by the following health-related policies. The following services are offered:

• Sudden illness or injury – Each injury and any subsequent medical treatment must be reported to the nurse as soon as it occurs. An accident report will be made out for any school-related injury requiring medical attention. If a student becomes ill during school hours, the student should report to the Health Office for proper evaluation and referral. Only the nurse can excuse a student from class in case of illness. A student may be excused to go home with parental permission. If the School Nurse is unable to reach a parent within 15 minutes, she will begin to call emergency contacts in order listed, to reach someone to take affected child home.
• Screenings – The School Nurse conducts vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings per the New York State guidelines, if not performed by your child’s personal health care provider.
• Counseling – Our health office staff is available for counseling on personal health matters.
• School physicals: Education Law and Regulations of the Commissioner of Education require physical examinations of children when they:

• Enter the school district for the first time.
• Are in Pre-K or K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th or 11th grade.
• Annually for those participating in interscholastic sports.
• Need working papers. (School not required to provide a physical for this)
•  Are referred by or to the Committee on Special Education.
•  Are deemed necessary by school authorities to determine a child's education program.

IT IS ENCOURAGED THAT A STUDENT'S OWN HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SUBMIT A HEALTH REPORT TO THE HEALTH OFFICE EVERY YEAR. AT THE START OF PRE-K or KINDERGARTEN, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th or 11th GRADE; IT IS MANDATORY. If a report is not submitted, it must be turned in within 30 days of enrollment. If it is not, a physical will be performed by the school's medical director.

• Sports physical – Each student is required to have a sports physical prior to any participation in interscholastic sports. The sports physical is valid for a full calendar year with the exception of the student who has been absent from school for five or more consecutive days due to illness or who has sustained an injury. This student must be re-qualified by a licensed health care provider before returning to practice or competition, providing the absence or injury is relevant to sports participation. Proper documentation supporting medical release is required.

  Sports physicals are not being offered this year, please call 607-545-6421 ext. 2306 to discuss your options. Physical and sports questionnaires can be picked up in the Main Office, or outside the Nurse’s Office, or on the Health Office tab here on the CCS website. 

   

Pre-K:

• Four doses of Diphtheria (DTaP)
• Three doses of Polio (OPV or IPV)
• One dose of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
• Three doses of the Hepatitis B Vaccine
• One dose of Varicella (chickenpox)
• One to Four doses of Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) - age specific
• One to Four doses of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) - age specific

Kindergarten - 5th grade:

• Three to Five doses of Diphtheria (DTaP) - age specific
• Three or Four doses of Polio (OPV or IPV) age specific
• Two doses of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
• Three doses of the Hepatitis B Vaccine
• Two doses of Varicella (chickenpox)

6th -11th grade:

• Three doses of Diphtheria (DTaP)
• One dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis Booster (Tdap)
• Three or Four doses of Polio (OPV or IPV) - age specific
• Two doses of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
• Three doses of the Hepatitis B Vaccine
• Two doses of Varicella (chickenpox)
• One dose of Menactra (meningococcal conjugate)

12th grade:

• Three doses of Diphtheria (DTaP)
• One dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis Booster (Tdap)
• Three of Polio (OPV or IPV)
• Two doses of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
• Three doses of the Hepatitis B Vaccine
• One dose of Varicella (chickenpox)
• Two doses of Menactra (meningococcal conjugate) *1 dose if given after age 16*

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• Physical education restriction – If a student is not to participate in Physical Education because of a health problem, an excuse from a licensed health care provider is needed and should be given to Nurse Porter. A copy of the restriction will be given to the PE teacher and sports coach if applicable. When the student is to return to P.E. class, proper documentation supporting medical release is required.

• Medication – No student under any circumstances will be allowed to take any type of medication (including over the counter medications), unless the following guidelines are followed:

1. A written authorization form (white sheet with green bar across the top) signed by BOTH the prescriber and the parent/guardian with the following:
1. Child's name
2. Drug name and dosage with directions for administration
3. Duration of time for medication to be used (for example; entire 2023-24 school year or for 1 full calendar year)
4. Health Care Provider's signature and date 
2. The medication in the original bottle is to be labeled with child's name, delivered to the school by the parent or another responsible adult. Students cannot bring medication in to the Nurse’s Office themselves.
3. Students who have conditions that may require emergency medication or treatment should have a new statement (each year) on file at the school with a fresh supply of medication and an update on the condition and its treatment as described in #1.
4. Medication will be kept, locked securely, in the Nurse's Office unless the parent/guardian AND health care provider completes a self-medication form. This form must be kept on file in the Nurse’s Office. The medication MUST be kept in its original labeled container.

• No Nit Policy- Head Lice (Pediculosis) Procedure. It is recognized that head lice is an on-going public health issue in schools. Students will be excluded from school and school buses if they have live lice and/or nits. The school nurse will notify parents of the condition and provide information for lice/nit eradication steps. The school nurse will notify the principal if a student should be excluded from school/bus. The principal will notify the transportation department of any necessary pick-up change. The students must be cleared by the school nurse before he/she is allowed to ride the bus or return to school.

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Reminder:

As cold and flu season arrives, many parents ask, “When is my child sick enough to stay home from school?”

This is not always an easy question to answer! I hope that these guidelines will help.

A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he or she is ill.

Canaseraga Central School policy states that you can not send your child to school if he/she has:

• Fever (temperature over 100 degrees) in the past 24 hours
• Student must be “fever free” without Tylenol or Ibuprofen for 24 hours. 
• Vomiting in the past 24 hours
• Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
• Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school)
• Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night
• Children may not carry cough drops, and we cannot dispense them without a doctor’s order.
• Head lice, we have a no nit policy. Students with head lice need to be brought to school by a parent to be checked by the school nurse before they are cleared to return to the classroom (and ride the bus).
• Any condition that you think may be serious or contagious to others.

In the post COVID-19 reality, schools must also follow mandates set by the New York State Department of Health, New York State Education Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Please be aware, if your child displays any of the following signs or complains of any of the following symptoms, not related to a known condition, you will be notified to immediately come pick them up and have them evaluated by their healthcare provider.

• Fever (temperature above 100 degrees) or chills         ●   Headache
• Cough                                                                      ●   New loss of taste or smell
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath                   ●   Sore throat
• Fatigue                                                                     ●   Congestion and/or runny nose
• Muscle or body aches                                                ●   Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

If at any time a student has emergency warning signs such as trouble breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, new confusion, inability to arouse, bluish lips or face, or symptoms of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19; we will call 911 and they will be taken to the hospital for immediate evaluation.

It is essential that we have a phone number where you can be contacted during the day and also have an emergency contact number in the event you cannot be reached. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness. If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please notify your child’s teacher immediately. If possible, please notify the school if your child is going to be out of school that day for any reason and send in a written excuse when they return. You can leave a message at any time on the nurse’s voicemail, day or night, at (607) 545-6421, ext. 2306 or by email at cporter@ccsdny.org.

Returning to School after Illness

The district must follow guidance from the County Health Dept. and/or the NYS DOH for allowing a student to return to school after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. This return protocol must include at a minimum; documentation of evaluation by a healthcare provider with their signed note clearing the student to return to school, official negative COVID-19 test results, AND symptom resolution.  Or if COVID-19 positive, release from isolation as required by DOH.

If they were diagnosed with another condition, a healthcare provider signed note stating they are clear to return to school, their diagnosis, no fever - without the use of fever reducing medicines for at least 24 hours, and they have felt well for 24 hours.

If you do not take your child to be diagnosed by a healthcare provider to determine their COVID-19 status, they should not be at school and should stay at home until all of the following have occurred: 

• It has been at least five days since the child first had symptoms.
• It has been at least twenty-four hours since the child has had a fever (without using fever-reducing medicine).
• It has been at least twenty-four hours since the child’s symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.