Health Services (Nurse)

Keeping your student healthy

Here is a list of important information for you and your student. For a complete list of forms and information related to health, you may also go to the district Health Services section at pdsd.org/healthservices.

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Accident Insurance

Cell phones and illness reporting

Cell phones are not permitted in the classrooms at Northley Middle School. Students must place their cell phones and electronic devices in lockers prior to entering homeroom. Please reinforce with your child that it is not permitted to use cell phones during the school day to call home if they are not feeling well. This is a policy violation. ALL students must see the nurse in order to be sent home sick. If your child phones you to go home without the nurse’s knowledge, it will be considered an early dismissal and you will need to provide documentation as to why the student is being released early.

Emergency Cards

While we encourage families to update contact information in the Skylert section in our Skyward student information system, we must have written cards for our nurses. Please make sure all telephone numbers, addresses and e-mail accounts are accurate and clearly written. Remember to put the name and telephone number of a person who can be contacted in case you cannot be reached. It is very important that these handwritten records be kept up to date. Please notify the school if your address, email, or telephone number changes at home or at work and update in the Skyward Skylert system as well.

Illness at school

If students become ill in school, they must secure a pass from the teacher and report to the Nurse’s office. If the nurse is not there, students must report to the Office. Permission from the Nurse is required before a student may be sent home sick. Parents or their designee must come into the building in order for a student to be released. No student may walk home or call home without permission.

Immunizations

The State of Pennsylvania has implemented new immunization guidelines. The following bullets outline the updated immunization requirements for school age children.

For attendance in all grades, 4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given)
For attendance in all grades, 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (4th dose on or after 4th birthday)
For attendance in all grades, 2 doses of measles, mumps, rubella (preferably given as MMR)
For attendance in all grades, 3 doses of Hepatitis B 16
For attendance in all grades, 2 doses of Varicella or chicken pox from vaccine or by history of disease
For attendance in 7th grade, 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) on the first day of 7th grade
For attendance in 7th grade, 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day of 7th grade
For attendance in 12th grade, 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day of 12th grade (If one dose was given at 16 years of age or older, that shall count as the 12th grade dose)

We strongly urge you to consult with your child’s physician as soon as possible. If your child has already received these vaccinations, please submit a copy of the record from your doctor to your school nurse IMMEDIATELY. If your child has not received the required immunization, please schedule an appointment and send in a copy of the documentation as soon as it is completed.

Medical Excuses

Medical Excuses from physical education class

A parental note must be brought each time a student needs to be excused from a particular physical education class. For a student to be excused from physical education for medical reasons, the students must submit a written doctor’s note to the school nurse PRIOR to the dates on which they are to be excused. A second note from the doctor will be required to allow the student to resume physical education activities. Students who do not participate in Physical Education classes are not eligible to participate in their after-school athletic activities. Exceptions will require a doctor’s note or administrative approval.

Medication in School

If medication must be given during school hours, whether it is prescribed or over-the-counter, parents must comply with the following procedures:

The medication must be accompanied by a physician’s written request which includes the student’s name, medication, dosage and instructions.
Medication must be in an original labeled pharmacy container with the student’s name, name of medication, dosage and instructions. Pharmacies, upon request, usually provide a labeled “school” container. Medication not in an original labeled pharmacy container will not be administered.
A maximum of one month’s medication should be sent to school.
A parent/guardian must provide the medication to the nurse/aide or to the office.

*Note – Students are not permitted to carry any prescription or over-the-counter medication including, but not limited to, aspirin, antacids, and cough drops.

Physical and dental examinations

Screenings

Yearly screenings to check height, weight, BMI, and vision will be performed on all students in grades 6th through 8th and hearing tests are conducted in 7th grade. 6th and 7th grade students are examined for Scoliosis.

Any defect found in any of the screening tests is not a diagnosis and the parent will be notified to have the defect evaluated by a physician. A form will be sent home with the student to be completed by the physician and returned to the school nurse.

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