Nursing Notes
Keeping Our Community Healthy
Please keep a few things in mind
Please reinforce good hygiene practices at home. Studies have shown that the most effective way to prevent the spread of illness is through good hand washing, hand washing, hand washing.
Please be mindful of others at school- Children who have GI bug symptoms (vomiting/diarrhea) may not return to school until they are asymptomatic (symptom-free) for at least 12 hours and are able to tolerate foods and liquids and are able to fully participate in school activities. Sending a child to school when they are not feeling well impacts their learning and puts others in the community at risk for illness.
Fevers are usually a good indicator that something is going on. Children should stay home if they have a temperature of 100.4 ℉ or greater. They may return to school after they have been fever-free for 24 hours (WITHOUT the HELP of fever-reducing medications).
Food Policy and Allergy Awareness
We are an allergy-aware school which means we are unable to provide 100% guarantee that your child will not come into contact with an allergen, but we will do our best to monitor the food we provide and the snacks/ treats sent in for special occasions. Additionally, we are happy to provide a designated table in the cafeteria should students/parents prefer their student to eat at a separate table. This measure is meant to minimize the risk of cross contamination from another student’s lunch. Students may eat with a friend at the designated table, provided their lunch doesn’t contain the allergen specific to that student’s allergy. Please note: the table is not in a segregated area away from other students or activity in the cafeteria. Hot/cold lunches provided by Commella’s are carefully selected and parents will have the option to sign up independently. If you have any questions regarding ingredients or preparation, please contact Comella’s directly or speak with Mrs. Mahoney.
Please contact the health office directly if your student has an allergy to certain foods or environmental products.
****If your student requires a body cast/and or crutches and will need accommadations at school such as transitioning to classes and PE, we require a doctors note describing the limitations/guidelines and time frame.
Food to share: A special treat may be sent in to share with the entire class for Selected Holiday Class Parties.
Selected Holiday’s for Class Parties: Halloween, Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, Field Day, Catholic Schools week -ONLY !! Birthday food items sent in will not be distributed and will be sent home with your student.
If your student’s class is having a holiday party, please reach out directly to the teacher, in advance, to discuss food items to be brought in. We strongly encourage the treat to come in the form of a traditional "party favor" such as pencils, stickers, bookmarks, mini-notebooks as opposed to food items. These occasions should be more about the celebration of the holiday, with less emphasis on food consumption.
If a student does decide to bring in a food “treat” for the entire class, please let your teacher know at least 3 days in advance, so that the parents of students with food allergies have time to prepare/purchase an alternative treat for their child.
Healthy treats are strongly encouraged- think fruit!
All treats need to be individually packaged, factory sealed, with the manufacturer’s ingredient label visible on the individual/original packaging (no Bakery or Home-baked treats will be permitted).
Packaging states treats were made in a nut-free facility
Students with food allergies can have life-threatening reactions upon exposure to even the slightest amount of allergen. Please be mindful that we have students/faculty, and staff with allergies and many are not limited to peanuts.
It is our goal to ensure that everyone in our school can learn and work in a safe and supportive environment.
We appreciate your understanding and support of these policies. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the health office if you have any questions.
Accidents Happen... Occasionally a child will have an accident and clothes need to be changed. The health office stocks some clothes, however, if you have an old pair of gym pants or socks you would like to donate to the office, we would greatly appreciate it.
Finally, we are here to help. If your child has a diagnosis of an illness, a chronic health condition, or even if their beloved pet has died, please keep in mind how stressful situations can affect your students school day and feel free to share any relevant information with the school nurses. We believe involving the family is essential to the success of all health care, interventions, and academic planning in the school setting.