I will be walking this weekend in “Steps for Students” to benefit Catholic Schools.  Please sponsor me for 5K walk/run – all money that I raise will benefit the students of SMMCS.

Action Steps for Parents to Protect Children and Family from the Flu this School Year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 4 main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:

1.      Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

2.      Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.

3.      Stay home if you or your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Keeping sick students at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.

4.      Get your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 Novel H1N1 flu when vaccines are available.

If flu conditions become MORE severe, parents should consider the following steps:

·         Extend the time sick children stay home for at least 7 days, even if they feel better sooner. People who are still sick after 7 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have completely gone away.

·         If a household member is sick, keep any school-aged brothers or sisters home for 5 days from the time the household member became sick. Parents should monitor their health and the health of other school-aged children for fever and other symptoms of the flu.

Follow these steps to prepare for the flu during the 2009-2010 school year:

·         Plan for child care at home if your child gets sick or their school is dismissed.

·         Plan to monitor the health of the sick child and any other children in the household by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu.

·         Identify if you have children who are at higher risk of serious disease from the flu and talk to your healthcare provider about a plan to protect them during the flu season.  Children at high risk of serious disease from the flu include: children under 5 years of age and those children with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.

·         Identify a separate room in the house for the care of sick family members.

·         Update emergency contact lists.

·         Collect games, books, DVDs and other items to keep your family entertained if schools are dismissed or your child is sick and must stay home.

Visit these websites for more information on the flu:

·         www.texasflu.org

·         www.flu.gov

·        www.cdc.gov

Immunizations

Each child entering school must have received the basic series of immunizations.  (See the required list on page 6 of this handbook.)  For the health and safety of the entire school, those students who are lacking the required documentation of immunizations will be excluded from school. Immunization documentation must be presented to the school nurse before starting school. There can be no exceptions to this regulation.  All health cards and emergency cards must be turned in by the 1^st week of school.

Each child will have on file, a health card completed by parent and physician.  It is important that information on the emergency card be kept current. Such changes would include diagnosis of allergies, asthma, etc.  

Clinic Facility

Our school nurse operates the clinic, with help from volunteer parents.  St. Mary Magdalene is fortunate to have a nurse coordinate the activities and direct in-services for the staff.  The clinic staff will be available to administer minor first aid.  

Illness

The student’s health is primarily and ultimately the responsibility of the parents.

If your child is sent to the clinic because of illness or accident and needs to go home, you and/or the person you name on your emergency card will be notified. Students must be picked-up within thirty minutes of notification.  For the protection of all students, the following rules have been set up and will be followed at all times. A child having one or more of the following symptoms will be sent home: 

Fever 100 or higher, vomiting, diarrhea, eye infection, head lice, skin eruptions, suspected contagious disease such as pink eye, chicken pox, flu, etc. or general malaise – feeling too bad to remain at school

Parents are encouraged to observe their children for signs and symptoms of contagious disease and to notify the school of any changes in the child’s medical conditions.  If your child has any of the above symptoms in the morning before coming to school, please keep him/her home.  A student may not return until free of temperature, vomiting and/or diarrhea for 24 hours.

If in doubt of a communicable disease (pink-eye, chicken pox, mumps, mono, etc.) the parents should consult their family physician before sending the child to school.  Do not send your child to the clinic to see the nurse as this may expose other students to a communicable disease. Parents are required to notify the office if the student has a communicable disease. When a student returns to school after having a contagious disease, he/she must present himself/herself to the clinic with a written note from a doctor before re-admittance to class. Absence notes must be turned in by parents for all absences, no exceptions.

Medication

The daily routine of the clinic includes the management of medications.  St. Mary Magdalene School adheres to Texas Education Code 12.914 on the administering of medication by school employees.

The teachers, nurse, secretary and all staff are prohibited by law from administering any kind of medication to a student without written consent of the physician. If a child needs medication, then he/she must bring an official form HF-7.0 (located in this handbook), signed by a physician and also signed by the parents. The medication is to be brought by a parent to school, properly labeled with the type of medication and the time and amount to be taken. It should be brought to the clinic before school in its original container and the amount should be kept to a minimum. The student is responsible for coming to the clinic and asking for his/her medication.  The student will be supervised by the clinic staff and/or administration in taking the medication. The school will not be held responsible for any other medication that is taken by the child.  If there is a medication discrepancy that might be injurious to the student, the school nurse/principal designee has the responsibility to question the discrepancy or refuse to give medication. ALL MEDICATIONS must be administered through the clinic.  Students may not carry or administer any medication to themselves. 

Aspirin, pain relievers (e.g. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.), and cough drops are considered medication.  These medications may not be given to your child unless a permission slip signed by your physician and a note giving your consent is on file.  A parent’s signature alone is not sufficient.  Physicians may fax orders to the school nurse @ 281-446-8527.  Do not send these medications with your child to take as needed, they will be taken up by the teacher. No stock medication will be kept in the clinic for student use.

Disease Control Measures

These conditions require exclusion from school attendance in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Texas Depart. of Health effective 9/1/97 .

Chicken Pox:  Readmit after 7 days from onset of rash, except immune compromised individuals who should not return until all blisters have crusted over (may be longer than 7 days).

Conjunctivitis (bacterial and/or viral):   Readmit after a physician’s certificate of health permit is obtained.

Diphtheria:    Readmit after a physician’s certificate of health permit is obtained. Report suspected cases immediately to local department.  Fever (100.4 degrees or greater):  Readmit when fever subsides.

Gastroenteritis, viral:     Readmit when diarrhea subsides. 24-hour symptom free.

Head Lice (pediculosis):    Readmit when one medicated shampoo or lotion treatment has been given and all nits have been removed. Second shampoo or lotion treatment in 7-10 days is required.

Hepatitis, viral type A:    Readmit after 1 week from onset of illness, immune globulin should be given to household contacts. If more than one case occurs in a school, immune globulin should be considered for all children and parents involved.

Impetigo:   Readmit when treatment has begun.

Influenza:   Readmit when fever subsides. 24-hour symptom free.

Measles (rubella):    Readmit after 4-days from rash onset. In an outbreak, unimmunized children should also be excluded for at least 3-weeks after last rash onset occurs. Report suspect cases immediately to local health department.

Meningitis, bacterial:   Readmit after a physician’s certificate or health permit is obtained. Depending on which bacteria are causing the illness, prophylactic antibiotics may be recommended for family members. Occasionally, close contacts at school are also treated.

Mumps:    Readmit after 9-days from onset of swelling.

Pertussis (whooping cough):   Readmit after 5-days of antibiotic therapy.  Unimmunized contacts should be immunized and receive antibiotic prophylaxis.  Report suspected cases immediately to local health department.

Poliomyelitis:   Readmit after a physician’s certificate or health permit is obtained. Report cases immediately to local health department.

Ringworm of the scalp:   Readmit when treatment has begun.

Rubella (German measles):   Readmit after 7-days from rash onset.  In an outbreak, unimmunized children should be excluded for at least 3-weeks after last rash onset occurs. Report suspected cases immediately to local health department. 24-hour symptom free.

Salmonellosis:   Readmit when diarrhea subsides.

Streptococcal sore throat and scarlet fever:   Readmit after 24-hours from time antibiotic treatment was begun.

Tuberculosis, pulmonary:   Readmit after antibiotic treatment has begun, and a physician’s certificate or health permit is obtained. All classroom contacts should have TB skin tests. Antibiotic prophylaxis indicated for newly positive reactors.

Vision and Hearing Screening

Students are screened for adequate vision and hearing and for scoliosis on a schedule determined by the Texas Department of Health. Parents, students and staff may request screening at any time. Students who fail the screening will receive a referral notice for further evaluation. These evaluation forms must be returned within 2 weeks of receiving them.

Texas Department of Health currently requires vision and hearing screening for all students in grades Pre-K thru 7 as well as all new students entering the school.  Scoliosis screening is provided for students in grades 5 for girls and 6 for boys. 

A parent/guardian can present proof of vision, hearing and scoliosis evaluations from private sources, in lieu of this screening.