Related Health IInformation
Absence Guidelines
GENERAL ABSENCE GUIDELINES
Deciding when a child is too sick to attend school can be a difficult decision. When trying to decide, please use the guidelines below and seek the advice of your health care provider.
GO to school: If your child has the following symptoms, they could probably go to school:
· Sniffles, clear runny nose, and/or mild cough or throat irritation without fever.
· Vague complaints of aches, pains, or fatigue.
· A single episode of diarrhea without other complaints.
KEEP at home: If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep your child home and contact your health care provider:
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Chickenpox
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Chickenpox blisters appear in crops and may leave scabs. Your child should remain home until all blisters are crusted over (usually 6-7 days after rash first appears). A slight fever may or may not be present.
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Colds
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General symptoms are watery discharge from eyes/nose, sneezing, mild cough or throat irritation. If symptoms persist beyond 7-10 days, or if fever develops, keep child home and see your doctor.
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Diarrhea
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Keep child home for two or more watery stools in a 24 hour period, or if accompanied by cramping, fever, and body aches. If your child will not eat, keep them home.
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Ears
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Drainage from the ear and/or ear pain should be evaluated by your health care provider.
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Eyes
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Thick mucus, pus, or ‘sticky’ eyes may be contagious. One or both eyes may appear extremely red and feel irritated, itchy, or painful. The eye may be swollen and sensitive to light.A visit to the doctor is needed to confirm pink eye. Return to school when eyes have cleared, or after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment.
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Fever
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A fever is a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater. May return when fever-free for 24 hours without the use of Tylenol or Motrin, etc. Remember, fever is a symptom indicating the presence of an illness.
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Fractures/Sprains or Surgery
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A doctor’s note is needed to notify the nurse of any modifications to physical activity, length of the school day, mobility or transportation needs. Bus transportation may be affected by the use of crutches. Doctor’s note must include dates of restrictions.
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Lice or Scabies
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With lice, your child may return when treated adequately. The child must be cleared by the doctor, Health Department or school clinic before returning to class. Our district practices a policy of “no live Lice”. With scabies, your child may return to school 24 hours after medical treatment has been started.
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Nasal Discharge
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If drainage becomes yellow/gold to greenish, please stay home until evaluated by your doctor.
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Rashes
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Rashes of unknown cause are considered potentially contagious, especially when accompanied with fever and itching. Many skin problems are contagious (impetigo, scabies, and chicken pox.) The rash should be evaluated by a doctor before your child comes to school. Child may return when rash disappears, or after medically recommended.
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Sore Throat
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Sore throat with presence of fever, swollen glands, or white spots on the throat should be evaluated by your health care provider. May return to school when cleared by doctor, or after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment.
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Vomiting
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When a child vomits, they should be isolated from other children for 24 hours. If your child has two or more episodes in the past 24 hours or vomits during the night, do not send them to school. They should remain at home until without a symptoms for 24 hours.
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If you are not sure if your child should stay home from school or if they need to be evaluated, please call your doctor. Thank you for your cooperation. These represent the recommendations of the school nurse, the Ohio Department of Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please see the Administrative guidelines section on our website for additional information on management of casual contact diseases.
Medication Policy
Medication
Whenever possible medication required by a student should be given before or after school hours. However, certain students may require the administration of medication during the school day to maintain an optimal health status for learning. Section 3313.713 of the Ohio Revised Code (Medication Policy Law) and our board policy requires written permission from parents and written orders from licensed prescribers for all medications that are to be given at school, including over the counter medications. Forms may be obtained at the school office or by clicking on the highlighted links included in the policy below.
Please call the clinic with any questions at 997-7321.
Buckeye Medication Policy-
http://www.neola.com/buckeye-oh/search/policies/po5330.htm
Immunization Requirements
The State of Ohio requires certain vaccines being given at certain times in your child’s life in order to attend school. The basic grades that require additional vaccines are kindergarten, the start of seventh and twelfth grades.The Ohio Department of Health provides the recommendation for each new school year. For more information please click in the appropriate school year as requirements do chance year to year.
Health Screening
Screening Information
Why is it important to have your child’s vision screened? To identify if your child has vision problems or might be risk for vision problems. The vision screening procedures are meant to aid in the detection of: defects in distance visual acuity, defects in binocular vision, and other observable abnormalities. Without intervention, there can be permanent vision loss, the development of learning disabilities, and/or emotional-behavioral problems that can lead to school failure. Children often do not know that they should be able to see better than they do.
Why is it important to have you child’s hearing screened? To identify hearing problems, either temporary or permanent, that can hinder school performance.The purpose of early detection of potential hearing loss is to prevent permanent hearing loss during childhood and to identify students who need special accommodations due to hearing deficits. Hearing loss can contribute to educational delays and social isolation. Hearing loss is invisible and the child may be blamed for not paying attention.
The State of Ohio requires routine hearing and vision screens be done on children in the K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 9th grades, as well as new students. The State of Ohio also requires vision screening for 7th graders. If your child has an IEP or a 504, screening will be done yearly, usually around time of review.
If your child passes the hearing and vision screen, you will not be contacted. This screening provides only a snapshot of how your child performs on the day the test was administered and is not a substitute for a complete professional exam.
If your child fails the screening, you will be informed of the test results. I will send home a referral. It is important to know the outcome of the professional examination. Please return the referral form to the school nurse.
Any questions call 997-7321
Lice 101
Family Resources
Family Resources
Our local health departments are wonderful resources for your child's health. They offer immunization clinics and well child examinations. Hours and services may vary depending on the location and time of year. Please contact them to confirm availability and hours.
Ashtabula County Health Department
12 West Jefferson Street
Jefferson, OH 44047
(440) 576-6010
Ashtabula City Health Dept
4717 Main Avenue
Ashtabula, OH 44004
(440) 992-7122
Conneaut City Health Department
327 Mill Street
Conneaut, OH 44030
(440) 593-3087
Ashtabula County has several clothing and food banks
Spider web- Free clothing available every 6 weeks. Hours: M,W,F 9-12 and T,TH 3-6.They also have a program called Cinderella's closet for prom type dresses. Call 440-576-4547 for more info.
Light House Harvest- This is a food and clothing bank on State Road. They also have personal hygiene items available. Hours: M,T,W 10-3 , Th 10-2, and F 10-1. Call 440-998-7813 for more info.
211- Ashtabula County Family Guide to Community Services. This is a 24-hour, free, multilingual confidential telephone information service to any social, health and human service programs and resources.
Additional resources:
Center for Disease Control:
www.cdc.gov
Ohio Department of Health:
www.odh.ohio.gov
