Student Illness or Injury at School
For the protection of all students the following health rules have been set up and will be followed at all times. A child CANNOT REMAIN at school with:
1. Fever of 100 degrees or over
2. Undiagnosed rash or weeping sores
3. Vomiting
4. Diarrhea
5. Red, discharging eyes or
6. Any illness making him/her feel too badly to participate.

A student having ANY of the above symptoms in the morning before school should stay at home for observation and care. There are limited facilities for giving students bed rest, BUT ONLY until arrangements can be made for him/her to go home.

All students who have been absent should bring a note stating the reason for the absence. If the student was absent because of a communicable disease, please state the disease.

The periods of exclusion for the most common communicable diseases are:
Readmission criteria

1. Fever: Be free of fever for 24 hours without Tylenol/Advil
2. a. Strep Throat & Scarlet Fever: Be on antibiotic for 24 hours and be free of fever for 24 hours without Tylenol/Advil
....b. MRSA: May return 24 hours after antibiotic has begun
3. Pink Eye: May return 24 hours after medication begun or Dr.'s note
4. Chickenpox: Until all sores are scabbed over, but not more than 7 days from outbreak
5. Head Lice: Have been treated with a lice shampoo
6. Impetigo: When treatment has begun and sore must be covered
7. Scabies: When treatment has begun
8. Influenza (flu): When fever subsides without Tylenol/Advil

We will promptly attempt to notify you or a person you have authorized us to notify if we have knowledge that your child has been injured at school or has become ill at school. We have a school nurse available on each campus and a secluded area where your child can stay if she or he is injured or becomes ill.

One of the forms we ask you to complete at the beginning of each school year is a form authorizing designated school employees to consent to medical treatment in case your child is injured at school or a school-related activity and requires emergency treatment. We, of course, will call you in such a situation and will also call for emergency medical assistance. It is important, however, you understand the school district is not responsible for any cost of medical treatment or services provided after an injury at school or a school-related activity. We cannot and will not use public funds to pay individual student medical expenses.

At the beginning of each school year, we offer you the opportunity to purchase lowcost student accident insurance that covers the student while at school. You may also purchase a policy that covers the student 24 hours a day. The school district is not the policyholder for this insurance; if you decide that additional protection would be a benefit and protection to your and your family, the contract is between you and the insurance company.

Medication
Medications should be given at home by the parent/guardian. Legal factors limit school employees in the administration of medication, including aspirin. If it is essential that the nurse administer medication during school hours, written instruction, signed by the parent or legal guardian, must accompany the medication. Prescription medication must have a pharmacy label specific for that student (not sibling). Some pharmacies will provide a labeled container for the school. Prescription and non-prescription medication must be in the original container.

Children with asthma will be allowed to carry and self-administer their prescription asthma medicine if you provide us a written authorization for self-administration and a written statement from child's doctor that the student has asthma and is capable of self-administration and that includes the name and purpose of the medicine, the prescribed dosage, the times and circumstances for administration, and the period for which the medicine is prescribed.

Parents of a student with a communicable or contagious disease are asked to telephone the school nurse so other students who have been exposed to the disease can be alerted. A student who has a communicable or contagious disease is not allowed to come to school while the disease is contagious.

 Immunizations
In order to enroll in school, a student must be fully immunized against certain diseases or must present a certificate or statement that, for medical or religious reasons, the student should not be immunized. The immunizations required are:
- Diphtheria, tetanus, polio (DTaP) - 4 to 5 doses, the last dose given after the 4th birthday
- Oral polio vaccine (OPV)-4 doses, the last dose given after the 4th birthday Hemophilus Influenzae (HIB) vaccine
- Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)-2 doses, the first dose given after 1st birthday
- Hepatitis B-3 doses
- Varicella (chicken pox)-1 dose given after 1st birthday, or documentation of date in which the child had chicken pox disease
- Hepatitis A-2 doses recommended for all entering Kindergarten

The school nurse can provide information on age-appropriate doses or on an acceptable physician-validated history of illness required by the Texas Department of Health. Proof of immunization may be personal records from a licensed physician or public health clinic with a signature or rubber stamp validation.

If there is a concern regarding immunizations being given for religious beliefs or reasons of conscience, the parent will need to contact the school nurse regarding an official form that must be requested from theTexas Department of Health, Austin, TX.

If your child has unique medical conditions or any other condition, such as a food allergy, that require virtually immediate administration of medications under specified conditions, please contact the principal who will schedule a meeting of appropriate personnel to ensure that your child's needs are met.

The school nurse screens all students yearly for vision and hearing. This is only a screening and does not substitute for a doctor's examination. In addition the State of Texas has added an Acanthosis Nigricans screening for 3rd, 5th, and7th grade students by the school nurse. Acanthosis Nigricans (AN) is a skin condition that signals high insulin levels in the body. The screening of AN is done by checking the nape of the neck. The majority of the students will not have this identifying skin condition.

Parents will be contacted if the nurse has a concern.

Bacterial Meningitis
What is meningitis? Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious. Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of serious bacterial infection with the potential for serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease, but requires urgent treatment with antibiotics to prevent
permanent damage or death.

What are the symptoms? Someone with meningitis will become very ill. The illness may develop over one or two days, but it can also rapidly progress in a matter of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the same symptoms. Children (over 1 year old) and adults with meningitis may have a severe headache, high temperature, vomiting, sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness or joint pains, and drowsiness or confusion. In both children and adults, there may be a rash of tiny, redpurple spots. These can occur anywhere on the body. The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is based on a combination of symptoms andlaboratory results.

How serious is bacterial meningitis? If it is diagnosed early and treated promptly, the majority of people make a complete recovery. In some cases it can be fatal or a person may be left with a permanent disability.

How is bacterial meningitis spread? Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as diseases like the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been. The germs live naturally in the back of our noses and throats, but they do not live for long outside the body. They are spread when people exchange saliva (such as by kissing, sharing drinking container, utensils, or cigarettes). The germ does not cause meningitis in most people. Instead, most people become carriers of the germ for days, weeks or even months. The bacteria rarely overcome the body's immune system and cause meningitis or another serious illness.

How can bacterial meningitis be prevented? Do not share food, drinks, utensils, toothbrushes, or cigarettes. Limit the number of people you kiss. While there are vaccines for some other strains of bacterial meningitis, they are used only in special circumstances. These include when there is a disease outbreak in a community or for people traveling to a country where there is a high risk of getting the disease. Also, a vaccine is recommended by some groups for college students, particularly freshmen living in dorms or residence halls. The vaccine is safe and effective (85-90%). It can cause mild side effects, such as redness and pain at the injection site lasting up to two days. Immunity develops within 7 to 10 days after the vaccine is given and lasts for up to 5 years.

What should you do if you think you or a friend might have bacterial meningitis?
Seek prompt medical attention.

For more information- Your school nurse, family doctor, and the staff at your localor regional health department office are excellent sources for information on all communicable diseases. You may also call your local health department or Regional Texas Department of Health office to ask about meningococcal vaccine. Additional information may also be found at the web sites for the Centers for Disease control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov and the Texas Department of Health:www.tdh.state.tx.us.