Accidents/Illnesses
You will be notified immediately in case of sudden illness or accidents of a serious nature. Please be certain that the office and Home Room Teacher have the correct information for Emergency Contact. Emergency Information sheets are sent home the first week of school. These are to be filled out completely and returned to the homeroom Teacher. Please notify the Office of any changes during the year. It is imperative that the office has emergency numbers to contact parents during the day.
The school is not permitted to send a child to a doctor for emergency treatment without the expressed permission of a parent or guardian. On the days that a nurse is present, the nurse may dispense over the counter medications or prescription medicine ONLY if there is written permission from the parent and a written order signed by the physician.
On days the nurse is not available, the school will call and you have the option of coming to school and administering the medicine to your child. School personnel are NOT permitted to administer medications unless it is for serious, chronic or life-threatening illnesses.
Medication
The administering of medicine to a child outside the doctor’s office or health institution is a parental responsibility and should not be delegated to school personnel except under unusual circumstances. Parents should ask their physicians if it possible to prescribe medication so that it can be administered at home. Only when absolutely necessary is the school willing to accept responsibility for administering medications, and then under the following guidelines:
· The school nurse will not administer/dispense medicines (including over –the –counter drugs) to students without specific authorization by both a licensed physician, PA or CRNP and the parents of the students. An “Authorization for Medication”form must be completed and submitted by the parent. The name of the medication and dosage must be indicated. This form is available on the school website.
· Medications to be dispensed by the school PA or CRNP must be labeled with the child’s name and the exact dosages. All medications will remain in a secure location. (By exception, students who are asthmatic may carry a prescribed inhaler with them during the school day if necessary.) Ordinarily, a written log will be kept of dispensed medication.
Please Note:No child may carry prescription or over-the-counter medications around with them unless it is a medical emergency such as a prescribed inhaler. These cases would be handled on an individual basis. A doctor’s note would be required in such instances.
Immunizations/Vaccinations
The School follows the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding all immunization and health requirements for all students entering St. Bernadette School for the first time.
FOR ATTENDANCE IN ALL GRADES SCHOOL REGULATIONS children need the following:
4 doses of tetanus*
(1 dose on or after the 4th birthday)
4 doses of diphtheria*
(1 dose on or after the 4th birthday)
3 doses of polio
2 doses of measles**
2 doses of mumps**
1 dose of rubella (German measles)**
3 doses of hepatitis B
2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine or history of disease
*Usually given as DTP or DTaP or DT or Td
**Usually given as MMR
1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) (if 5 years has elapsed since last
tetanus immunization)
1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)
These requirements allow for medical reasons and religious beliefs. If your child is exempt from immunizations, he/she may be removed from school during an outbreak. Pennsylvania’s school immunization requirements can be found in 28 PA.CODE CH.23 (School Immunization)
Contact your health care provider or 1-877 PA HEALTH for more information
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
It is the responsibility of the parent to notify the school if your child has contacted a contagious disease such as strep throat, measles, lice, etc. This will enable the school to notify the parents of those classes so that they may take the necessary precautions. All notifications will be held in strictest confidence. (Also see Communicable Diseases section.)
There are times when you are not sure it is necessary to keep your child home from school. Here are some symptoms that may mean your child is sick: excessive coughing, chills, lice, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, enlarged glands, fever, running or inflamed eyes.
A child should remain at home at least 24 hours symptom free after they have had any illness accompanied by fever, diarrhea, or vomiting. Notify the school that your child will be absent. When your child returns to school, he/she is expected to bring written excuse stating the date(s) and reason for absence. A parent or guardian must sign this excuse. For students absent in excess of three (3) days, a physician’s certificate must be provided upon child’s return to school. This is an Archdiocesan regulation.
By following these guidelines, you will protect not only the health of your child, but the health of his/her classmates and school staff as well.
Any student suspected of having any of the following communicable diseases must remain out of school for the indicated time, and must return to school with a physician’s note indicating the type of treatment.