School Health Program
Lee County Schools
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!
Children learn best and are most successful when they are healthy. The Lee County Schools' Health Team monitors children for any health problems that may affect the student's ability to learn. The Health Team is led by the School Nurse. The School Nurse also monitors the school community for concerns that may affect the health and wellbeing of students and staff. A School Nurse serves each school two days or more a week and is available on an “as needed basis” for emergency situations. Please contact your child’s School Nurse if you have any questions or concerns about your student’s health and school.
North Carolina Health Laws and Requirements
● All students are required to have immunizations. Specific immunizations vary with age and grade level but for all students include doses of DTP/DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), Polio, Hib (Hemophilus Influenzae B), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and Hepatitis B. Varicella is required for students in grades kindergarten through 10th and Tdap (Tetanus booster with pertussis) is required for students in grades 7 through 12.
● A Health Assessment is required for those students entering kindergarten and any student new to North Carolina Public Schools. This includes students coming into Lee County Schools from a homeschool, private school, out of state or out of country. The Health Assessment must be completed no earlier than one year prior to school entry by a licensed healthcare provider. All parts of the (blue) Health Assessment form must be completed by the healthcare provider and returned to your child’s school by August 29th.
● The Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act (signed into law June 16, 2011) was implemented to protect the safety of student-athletes in middle and high school in relation to sports-related concussions. The three major areas of focus in the law include education, emergency action and post-concussion protocol for clearance/return to play or practice following a concussion. The Lee County Schools developed a protocol to follow any student (athlete or non-athlete) after a concussion diagnosis to make sure the student is not having any lingering effects of the head trauma, including academic concerns. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has added a Return to Learn component to the requirements for monitoring students who have suffered a concussion. If your student has a concussion that is non-athletic related it is very important to contact the school nurse for further information and follow-up. For more information regarding the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act you can go to www://tbicenter.unc.edu/MAG_Center/gwlaw.html.
● The North Carolina legislature enacted a law regarding the “Care for School Children with Diabetes.” SB911. This law requires schools to provide training to staff about diabetes as well as intensively train designated staff to assist students with both daily and emergency care. Parents must request that a care plan be developed. Forms about this law and the Diabetes Care Plan are available at each school site upon request or can be obtained by calling Mary B. Oates, RN,C, Supervisor of School Nurses at 919-774-6226.
● The North Carolina legislature passed SB744 requiring public schools to have on hand “stock” epinephrine and train designated school staff to use the emergency epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) to deliver emergency medical aid to any person suffering from an anaphylactic reaction during the school day or at a school-sponsored event on school property. This law was intended for use in unforeseen emergencies (such as anayphylactic reaction to an unknown allergen for the first time) and is not required off campus, on field trips, etc. Students with known severe allergic reactions and/or anaphylaxis should provide the school with a signed care plan and written instructions from the healthcare provider as in the past. If you have any questions ask your School Nurse or call Mary B. Oates, RN,C, Supervisor of School Nurses at 919-774-6226.
Lee County Schools Policies and Procedures
● Each year students in kindergarten through ninth grade participate in a health screening called Health-A-Rama. Students are screened in the areas of hearing, vision, height and weight. Students in K-5th grade will receive dental screening by a specially trained Dental Hygienist during Health-A-Rama. Students who have difficulty with any of the screenings will be re-screened by the School Nurse. Parents are notified if students have any problems after the re-screenings. The School Nurse and/or School Social Worker can provide parents with helpful information about local and state resources to provide follow-up care for vision and hearing screen failures or other health concerns. If a parent does not want a child screened (for any or all of the designated screenings) then the parent must write a note to the classroom teacher requesting that their child not be screened and identify which screening(s) to delete.
● At the beginning of the school year each student will bring home a Health and Student Information Card for a parent/guardian to complete and return to school. This card provides school personnel with important and current information. The student health information (including any chronic illness, allergy and medication information) is vital to prepare school staff in case of an emergency, to protect your child.
● If your child has a chronic illness (such as asthma or seizures) or severe allergy (to foods, insects, other allergens) then you need to contact your School Nurse as soon as possible to put necessary emergency care plans into place. Notify the School Nurse if your child takes medication at home (but not at school) so she can help monitor for effectiveness and possible side effects.
● If your child requires any modification to a school breakfast or lunch (such as a food allergy or other dietary needs) see the School Nurse for the Medical Statement for Students with Special Nutritional Needs for School Meals form that the parent and physician must complete and sign. The School Nurse will work with the Child Nutrition staff once the paperwork is received from the doctor, to see what accommodations can be made.
● Minor first aid will be administered if your child becomes ill or injured while at school. You may be called, depending on the extent of the illness or injury. If you cannot be reached, the principal or designee (after consultation with the School Nurse) will decide if your child should be taken to a doctor or emergency room, again depending on the severity of the illness or injury.
● If your child is suspected of having a communicable (contagious or “catching”) illness or condition you will be notified and you may be asked to come to school and pick up the child, to prevent the spread to other children. School staff should be notified any time your child is diagnosed with a communicable disease or you have treated your child for a communicable condition (such as head lice). Communicable diseases or conditions include:
■ Head lice
■ Scabies
■ Impetigo
■ Conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
■ Strep or Staph infections
■ Chickenpox
■ Measles (red or German)
● We need your help to prevent the spread of germs. Please do not send your child to school sick. If your child has a temperature of 100 degrees or greater, vomiting or diarrhea s/he will be sent home from school. Children should be fever free (without fever reducing medication) for 24 hours before returning to school.
● Please encourage your child to wash their hands frequently to reduce the spread of germs. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. Covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing is another important way to prevent the spread of germs. The School Nurses teach students the elbow cover, coughing or sneezing into the elbow area rather than on the palms of the hands, to further prevent the spread of germs.
● If a child needs medication at school on an “as needed” or long-term basis the parent and doctor will need to complete and sign a “Request for Medication to be Given During School Hours” form and return the form to school with the medicine in a properly labeled bottle (from the pharmacy). The district’s medication policy applies to both prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter) medicines. If the medication is short term (such as an antibiotic or pain medicine) then a note from the doctor on a prescription pad or other office stationery and a note from the parent will suffice. Students may not carry medication (prescription or over-the-counter) with them at school without the proper authorization and registering with the School Nurse.
● A wellness policy, #6140, outlines how the Lee County Schools are addressing the concerns of proper nutrition and physical activity of our students, to prevent the serious long-term health problems associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Children need to be more active; the local policy requires 30 minutes of physical activity per day at school. Children should be physically active after school as well. Good nutrition, including a rainbow of fruits and vegetables each day, gives children the energy they need for bodies to grow, brains to develop and to be healthy.
Children learn best and are most successful when they are healthy, physically and mentally. . Each Lee County school is also served by a School Counselor, School Social Worker, and School Psychologist, in addition to the School Nurse, all working together to help each child be healthy, safe and successful in school. Please call your child’s school staff if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s health.