Please take some time to review our updated Nurse Policies and Procedures.

The Nurse's Hours are 9am-1:30pm, Monday-Friday

The information below includes some basics about health requirements for our school.  The links to the left include helpful forms that you may need at some point in the year. 

Records: A health record is kept in the nurse's office for every student from Pre-K through 8. If your child is transferring to us from another school, you must request that their records be forwarded to us. The same is true if your child is leaving FJVD. There is a release that must be signed in order to comply with privacy regulations in either case.

Physicals, Pb, and other Points: If you are new to our school, you should receive a packet that explains all of the documents needed to ensure that your child meets the medical requirements set out by the state for school entry.

• All students age 6 or younger must provide evidence from their doctor of lead (Pb) testing
• Physical exams: The results of your child's annual exam is due upon entry to Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 7. (However, I welcome this information on a yearly basis as it keeps me up to date). Please see the School Physical Form above.
• Immunizations: Please see the link below that explains the required vaccines issued by the State of RI. If your child has not or will not be receiving the required vaccines, please see me! In the State of RI, there are possible exemptions. I will be happy to discuss the needed forms with you. Please note that exemptions must be updated yearly.

             
Screenings:

• Dental: At the end of each year a card is sent home for every child. You have until the end of the next school year to have your dentist verify that your child receives regular dental care.
• Vision: Per Dept. of Health, students in grade 7 should provide proof of a vision screening along with their physical exam. The state recommends screenings for students in Grades K through 5 as well. Most students are screened at their annual physical, so if you send in that result, they should be all set!
• Scoliosis: The State of RI still requires a scoliosis check to be done for students in Grades 6-8. Again, this is something that is done during your child's physical so if you send in a report of that exam, they should be all set!
• Hearing: Rhode Island School for the Deaf provides screenings for our students in grades PreSchool-3 to meet the state requirement. 

              
Asthma & Allergies- All parents please read this section

• If your child has asthma and you believe it will be necessary for them to use medications at school, please have your doctor complete the Asthma Action Plan form.  Please note that even if your doctor indicates that your child is able to self-carry and self-administer their inhaler, I still need to have an order on file from their doctor.
• If your child has any severe allergies, please be sure to let their teacher and me know. If your child's allergy has the potential to bring about anaphylaxis and they have an Rx for an Epi-Pen or Auvi-Q, please have your doctor complete the Allergy Treatment Plan.
• Also, we ask that all families observe the school policy of not bringing in any homemade or store-bought food treats for celebrations or other class events. Any activities conducted by the school that involve food require permission obtained from student's parents for them to participate. Thank you for understanding!

Medications

• Prescriptions: If your child will require an Rx med to be administered during the school day, please have your doctor complete the Medication Consent Form. Medications must be sent in their original containers with label from the pharmacy that contains the student's name, dosage, doctor's name, and expiration date.
• Over the counter: Per the State of RI, OTC meds such as Tylenol, Motrin, Tums, Benadryl, and even cough drops, etc can't be dispensed unless I have a physician's consent form on file. I do keep the above-listed OTC meds in stock in the office and if you have your doctor complete the Over the Counter Consent form, I would be able to administer one of them should the need arise.
• Important Notes: Unless a student has been granted permission by their doctor to self-carry and administer medication and orders are on file, no student should be carrying any medications at any time. We ask that if you are sending in medication to school, you arrange to have yourself or a guardian drop the medicine off to the nurse in person. At the end of the year, a reminder will be sent home to pick up any medications being kept at school. If any medications are not picked up, I must dispose of them.

Illness/Absenteeism: If your child is going to be absent, whether due to illness or for other reasons, we ask that you notify the school at 821-3756 between 7:30 and 8:45 am with a brief explanation as to why they will be out.  You may also call earlier and leave a voicemail or email the nurse. The reason for this is it helps the nurse to identify any trends in contagious illness and try to be proactive about prevention and protection. The following are some  common conditions for which your child  must stay home:

• Fever: For the sake of consistency, we identify a fever as a temperature of 100.0 F or greater. Please note that students must be fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing meds such as Tylenol or Motrin before returning to school.
• Conjunctivitis: Due to the highly contagious nature of this infection of the eye, students must be on antibiotic treatment for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Strep Throat: Again, due to the contagious nature of this disease as well as the potential for severe sequelae, children must be on antibiotics for 24 hours (3 doses of antibiotics) before they return.
• Gastrointestinal Issues: If your child has diarrhea or vomiting, particularly in the presence of a fever, they should remain home until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours.
• Lice: If your child develops lice, it is requested that they return to school once they have begun treatment and no live lice are present. The state of RI does not require students to be "nit-free". However, as part of their treatment, your child's hair should be combed through each day at home to remove any nits that are present as a part of the process. If we are made aware of a case of lice, the students in the affected classroom will be assessed. I know that there is a great stigma attached to this issue, but please realize that trying to hide this problem will only prolong it. Namely, if your child is affected and you do not inform us, it is likely that other children will be affected and once your child returns to school, they could be re-exposed.
• Generally speaking...You know your child best. Even if one of the above scenarios does not apply, if your child is feeling unwell and you believe that they will not be able to participate normally in their school day, it is recommended that they remain home to recuperate. If your child becomes ill while at school, you will be called to pick them up. Please be sure that the school has up-to-date contact info. and the name of an approved adult(s) who may pick up your child in an emergency.

Injuries: Students who suffer an injury that will require them to alter their normal level of physical activity or participation in PE class or recess should provide a note from their physician explaining what they are able to do safely and when they are able to resume their regular activities. Please note that if a student comes to school without a doctor's note but has an obvious physical affliction that requires them to be in a cast or brace, utilize crutches, a cane, or a wheelchair, the administration will exercise their best judgment as to their allowed participation in physical activities until a note from a doctor is received.