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AUGUST 2018
THE COURIER | WWW.THE-COURIER.ORG
News from St. Francis Area Schools Health Services SONNI BUERSKIN
SPECIAL SERVICES PROGRAM SUPERVISOR
The St. Francis Area Schools Health Services Department is excited to welcome students and staff to the 2018-19 school year. Health Services staff are looking forward to a healthy school year and will be working hard to promote student health and safety so that health concerns do not become obstacles to learning. Please read the following information that will help answer common questions about school health services.
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Health Services Staff There are several health positions in St. Francis Area Schools. Each school has access to a licensed school nurse (LSN). In addition, each health office is staffed with either a health education assistant (HEA), a health office licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN). Cedar Creek Elementary School: Carol Wilson, LSN; Barb Southworth, LPN East Bethel Elementary School: Carol Wilson, LSN; Jennifer McDonough, HEA Lifelong Learning Center: Carol Wilson, LSN; Katie Duray, HEA St. Francis Elementary School: Colleen Flaten, LSN; Teresa Cadwell, HEA St. Francis Middle School: Colleen Flaten, LSN; Sheryl Achman HEA St. Francis High School: Holly Coy, LSN; Angela Spike, HEA Saints Academy, Saints Online, Transition 15, St. Francis Learning Center: Holly Coy, LSN; Kayla Hansen, LPN Emergency Cards Emergency cards will be sent home at the beginning of the school year. Please fill out the form, sign and return to your child’s school. It is very important that we have current emergency information for each student. We are only able to send students home with persons that are listed on the student’s emergency card. If there is a change of address or phone number during the school year, please contact the health office so we can make that change. Immunizations The Minnesota State Immunization Law requires students attending school to be immunized against vaccine preventable diseases or show proof of exemption. This means students in all grades need to have documentation of required vaccines or exemption on file. To enter kindergarten, students need to show proof of having (or being exempted from) five DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), four polio, two MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), the Hepatitis B series and two varicella (chicken pox) vaccines. Students entering grade 7 are required to show evidence of having (or being exempted from) a second MMR, a Tdap (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), the Hepatitis B series, two varicella and the
meningococcal vaccine. All vaccinations or exemptions need to be completed prior to the first day of school. Class schedules for those entering seventh-grade will be held until the needed immunization dates or exemption information is received. Please call the LSN at your student’s school with any questions.
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Physicals The Minnesota State High School League requires that students participating in any athletic activities have on record a physical examination every three years. The district requires physicals for participation in athletic activities at the middle school and high school levels. In the growth and development of the adolescent, it is important that regular preventive healthcare such as a physical is obtained. The recommended years to have a physical would be prior to seventh and tenth-grades. Physical fitness and developing the habit of routine preventive health exams promotes optimal health throughout your student’s life. Athletic physical exam forms can be obtained in the health office at your child’s school or found online at www. isd15.org > St. Francis High School > Athletics. If you have questions, please contact the health office at your student’s school. Illnesses It can be difficult to decide when your child should stay home due to illness. St. Francis Area Schools Health Services staff has developed guidelines that can guide your decision making. ■ If your child has a temperature over 100 degrees, they need to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. ■ If your child has vomited or had diarrhea, they need to stay at home for 24 hours
after the last episode. ■ If your child has had a throat culture to rule out a strep infection, they should remain at home until the results of the culture have been obtained. If the culture is positive for strep, your child will need to be on medication for 24 hours before returning to school. ■ If your child has any rash that may be disease-related or you do not know the cause, check with your healthcare provider prior to having your child come to school. ■ Please contact the health office at your child’s school if your child has any infectious disease such as chicken pox, strep throat, impetigo or if you have any questions. Medications A healthcare provider and parent/guardian permission are necessary to give medications at school. This includes both prescription and over-thecounter medications. Please remember, when you are at your clinic, get a note from your healthcare provider stating that medication needs to be given at school. If you forget to obtain the written order, the clinic can fax the permission to the school your child attends. Medication must be in the prescription bottle or original container when brought to school. Parents are required to bring the medication to school unless an alternate plan has been developed with the school nurse. Many medications are a controlled substance and we need to make sure that all of the medications arrive safely at school. If you have questions regarding medications, please contact the health office at your child’s school. Asthma Students with asthma may self-carry and administer their quick relief asthma inhaler at school when a healthcare provider, parent/guardian and school nurse agree that a student is able to selfadminister their medication safely and responsibly at school (MN Inhaler Use Statutes 121A.221). Consent to selfcarry must be completed annually by the prescribing healthcare professional and parent/guardian and returned to the school nurse. Severe Allergies Students with lifethreatening allergies/ anaphylaxis may self-carry and administer their Epi-Pen®.
The parent and prescribing doctor must annually inform the school in writing that the student possesses or requires access to the Epi-Pen®. The licensed school nurse will develop an individualized health plan to ensure student safety at school (MN House File 1763). Diabetes Federal law gives students with diabetes the right to receive the care they need to be safe and participate in school activities just like any other child. Our health services staff works hard to provide monitoring of blood glucose levels, administer insulin and glucagon and provide diabetes care during field trips, extracurricular events and all school-sponsored activities. In addition, we work with families to make appropriate individualized health plans for the students. Per federal law, capable students are permitted to self-manage their diabetes anytime, anywhere. Section 504 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal civil rights statute that assures individuals will not be discriminated against based on disabilities and medical diagnoses, including many of those described above. This law protects a student with an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. In addition, students on 504 plans generally have accommodations so they can access learning at the same rate as peers. A student must qualify for a 504 plan through a school based evaluation process. If you are interested in learning more about 504 plans or feel your child may be a candidate for a 504 evaluation, please visit www.isd15.org/ section504. Additional Information The Health Services webpage can be found on the district website (www.isd15.org) under the ‘departments’ tab. Additional information about the above topics as well as important health forms can be found there. If you have any health related questions at any time throughout the school year, please contact your school’s health office. If you need to contact someone about your child’s health during the summer to prepare for the upcoming school year, please contact Sonni Buerskin, supervisor of special services at 763-753-7013.