September 23,30
Oct 7,21,28
November 4
December 16
January 6,13,27
February 3,10,24
March 3,10,17
April 14,28
May 5,26
Fact Sheets
How to protect yourself and your loved ones against seasonal flu, avian
flu or any cough illness
MRSA Parent Letter
Confidential Emergency Health Form
Emergency Action Plan for Anaphylaxis
Please refer to the Attendance Policy as stated on page 21 of the current Student Handbook for Sick Day Procedures.
Parents are asked to notify the School Nurse immediately in the event of a contagious disease condition so that the necessary steps may be taken to protect the health of other adolescents. If your child becomes ill at school, the School Nurse will make every effort to contact the parent to make arrangements for dismissal.
• If your child has a contagious illness such as chicken pox, flu or strep throat, a staph infection or impetigo, please keep him/her home. If diagnosed with strep throat, your child must be fever free and on an antibiotic for at least 24-48 hours before returning to school. If absent due to chicken pox, a rare occurrence in adolescents these days, please advise the School Nurse as this must be reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the child must be out of school for at least 7 days or until all pox are crusted over.
• If your child has a skin rash or condition NOT diagnosed by a doctor
• If your child has a fever that causes chills, sweating, or muscle aches OR a temperature over 101º F within the past 24 hours (Remember- fever free in the past 24 hours before returning to school!)
• If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea
• If your child has red or pink eyes, or drainage from the eyes
• If your child has head lice or nits (eggs)
• If your child has not submitted proof of the state required immunizations
The Pentucket Regional High School follows the guidelines of the State
Board of Registration in Nursing and the State Department of Public Health,
School Health Unit. The Policy is as follows and no exceptions to these
rules may be made:
1.) A parent and licensed provider (physician or nurse practitioner)
Must sign the consent forms for regularly scheduled medications to be given
in school. These two forms are available from the School Nurse or click
on this link to download the forms.
2.) For short-term medications such as antibiotics, parental consent
is required but the medication brought to school in the original container
from the pharmacy is sufficient for physician consent. Please note that
MOST antibiotics can be given at home before school, after school and before
bedtime. Only enough medication for the school days needed should be brought
to school. Keep the rest of the medication at home for use there.
3.) Only a 30-day supply of medication may be brought to school by a
responsible adult. NO child is permitted to bring medication, of any kind,
to school, including over the counter medications.
4.) No medications will be accepted by the School Nurse if brought to
school in an envelope or plastic baggie.
5.) Adolescents MAY NOT carry any medications, including Tylenol or Advil,
to school, in backpacks or bags or have them on their person at any time.
Please see your childs’ school handbook for the specific policy and
consequences if found to have medications on their person.
6.) Under certain circumstances, and with parental consent, adolescents
may carry their own asthma inhalers in school. Click here for the permission
form or contact the School Nurse for the required form.
While every effort is made to keep all children safe at school, accidents and injuries do occur. Injuries at school, if severe, will be handled as an emergency situation and an ambulance will be called to take the child to the nearest Emergency Room facility. The parent/guardian will be notified immediately if an ambulance is necessary.
More and more children are being diagnosed with potentially life threatening allergies. These allergies include peanuts, tree nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, walnuts), eggs, milk, shellfish, and wheat. Other allergies include bee or wasp stings. If your child has been diagnosed with one of these allergies, or another life threatening allergy and requires an Epi-pen, it is extremely important for the parent/guardian to speak to the School Nurse, to supply the school with two Epi-pens, submit the physician and parent medication forms (see link above) and send in a picture of the student for the Emergency Action Plan. Emergency Action Plans, while kept confidential, are given to the students’ teachers for safety reasons. The School Nurse trains all staff in the building on a yearly basis, in the use of an Epi-pen. For any questions or concerns regarding this situation, please call the School Nurse at ext 111.
In order to care for your child at school, the School Nurse needs vital information such as a health history, emergency contact numbers, medications that your child may be taking and other pertinent information that may help the School Nurse to provide quality care and to keep your child safe at school. Cards are given out at school on the first day back each year. They need to be returned to the School Nurse in a timely manner, where they will be kept on file through out the year. The card also gives the School Nurse permission to give your child over the counter medications such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprophen (Advil), Tums, cough drops and Antihistamines (Benedryl) if needed. Your signature implies permission for the above. Without this information your child will not be able to receive medications at school should the need arise. Please click on this link to download the form or see the School Nurse if your child has lost his/her card.
****Please note- On this year’s card the word Tums was inadvertently omitted from the card under medications allowed to be dispensed by the School Nurse. Your signature on the card will imply permission for this medication also. If you do not want your child to have antacids for whatever reason, please call the School Nurse NOW at ext. 111. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Throughout a childs’ school career, the Massachusetts State Department of Public Health, School Health unit, requires certain screenings to be done by the School Nurse. The mandated screenings are listed below:
• Postural Screening grades 5-9. This screening for scoliosis is done yearly during these grades when the greatest growth spurts occur. If you choose not to have the screening performed by the School Nurse, the screening MUST be documented on the physical examination done by the childs’ Physician or Nurse practitioner.
• Vision and Hearing- Vision is tested in grades K-5, grade 7-8 and grade 11. Hearing is tested in grades K-3, 7-8, and grade 11.
• Height and Weight- grades K-8, grade 11
• Physical examinations- grades K, 5, 8 and 10. MIAA rules require yearly physical examinations if your child is playing a sport in High School. Click here for a downloadable copy of the Physical exam. Form and immunization form.
• Immunizations- All students must present proof of immunization in compliance with Mass. Gen. Laws, Ch 76, Sec. 1, which specifically prohibits admitting a child to school without a physician’s written certificate showing that the child has been successfully immunized against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Hepatitis B, Varicella (chicken pox), and meningitis unless exempt due to a medical or religious reason. Children who are not fully immunized are not allowed to attend school. Children who are exempt due to medical or religious reasons will be excluded from school if an epidemic of the disease for which the child is exempt should occur. New recommendations include a Pertussis vaccine for adolescents age 12 years and older, which should be given at the time of the 12th year physical examination at the Physician’s office, and Meningitis vaccine (Menactra) for all students in grades 9-12, especially if attending a private secondary school and living in a dormitory, or attending college and living in a dormitory.
***As immunization requirements change periodically, please check
with your Physician or School Nurse for further information.