Professional Nursing Services
Here at Woodbridge, we strive to provide your child with a healthy learning environment. If your child has any health concerns, please communicate that to me. I can help develop a plan in collaboration with you and his teachers to put a plan in place based on your child's needs, to keep him or her safe. If your child becomes ill or is injured, or will be out of school for an extended period of time, please let me know. Below are several important policies and protocols that parents and guardians should be aware of.
To promote a healthy school environment please check your child’s temperature if he or she complains of feeling ill in the morning. Observe your child for the following symptoms and keep them home if they have:
1. A temperature of 100 degrees or more before school. Students need to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school after having a fever.
2. A continuous moist, productive sneeze or cough or a red inflamed sore throat.
3. Vomited or had diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
4. Symptoms from a chronic illness, such as asthma, that do not resolve after medication.
5. Suspected or diagnosed communicable diseases (examples strep throat, flu, head lice etc.) Please report confirmed communicable diseases to the school nurse as soon as possible. This will help me to alert others to look for similar symptoms so that early diagnoses and treatment can lessen the spread and severity of the illness for everyone!
Encourage your child to eat healthy everyday! A healthy diet is key to proper growth and development. Studies have shown that students who eat breakfast learn better and do better on testing. Breakfast is available at school!
Please make sure that your child gets enough sleep every night. A consistent bed time (even on the weekend) to provide 8 hours of sleep is important to assure that your child is well rested. Many complaints that kids present to the health suite for are directly the result of lack of sleep. They are unable to concentrate in class and are more likely to develop headaches and stomach aches from feeling overtired.
Parent's Request to Administer Medication in School: This form needs to be completed for when your child requires administration of medications during school hours. Both prescribed and over the counter medications require authorization forms which are available upon request. Each medication requires a separate form completed by a Physician or Nurse Practitioner and signed by the Parent and/or Legal guardian. The physician’s office may fax completed forms to us at 410-887-0912. Medications must be brought in by an adult and never by the child and must be in their original pharmacy container with a valid pharmacy label specifically for the child or they will not be accepted. They are only valid for one school year. At the end of the school year, all meds must be picked up by an adult and new orders are needed for the following school year.
Consent for Approved Discretionary Medications: Some of the most common reasons for kids to come to see the nurse is for headaches, sore throats, stomach aches, and allergic reactions. A new consent form must be completed by the parent/guardian each school year so each year it is a different color and this is throughout all Baltimore County schools. For the 2016-17 school year, the form is GREEN. Medications that are available include: Acetaminophen (like Tylenol), Diphenhydramine (like Benadryl), Chewable antacid tablets (like Tums) and cough drops/throat lozenges. Please check off which meds you give consent for your child to receive. These medications are for occasional use only.
If your child requires any of the medications on an ongoing basis, then medication must be provided by the parent/guardian as required by the BCPS school policy). Students are allowed to carry: Saline or salt water nasal spray (very helpful for preventing nosebleeds and sinus headaches), Chap Stick and sunscreen. Your child must demonstrate that they have the maturity to use these items. Please make sure all items are labeled with your child’s name.
Baltimore County Public School’s protocol for student’s who have chronic and/or life threatening illnesses: For your child’s safety, if they experience symptoms related to this condition and medication is not provided to the school or if your child fails to respond to the prescribed medication 911 will be called unless a parent/guardian is able to physically be at school to pick up the child within 15 minutes of onset of symptoms. Please notify the school nurse if there are any changes in your child’s condition and of any changes to their medication. We will need to know either via a note or phone call when there are any difficulties prior to the school day and especially if medication is given.
Absenteeism: Please let the Woodbridge staff know when your child is going to be absent for extended periods of time or if they have been ill for three consecutive days. We will phone home if we do not hear from you and your child has been absent for three consecutive days. We request documentation from a physician if the student is absent due to illness for longer than 5 consecutive school days.
We welcome your input! Please feel free to contact the school nurse at 410-747-5348 between 8:30 am and 3:20 pm.
Extra clothing: Here in the health suite, I give out many pairs of pants and underwear so my stock is always running low. If your child comes home with clothing from the health suite, please help by washing and returning them (except for underwear).
If you are able to donate, I am accepting donations of packaged unworn underwear sizes 6-10 (especially boys). If you have any extra pants or shorts (sizes 6-10) that your child does not need, please consider donating them to school to the health suite as well
Please do not send shirts or tops as I rarely need these.
Thank you!
Important links:
Office of Health Services
http://www.bcps.org/offices/sss/health/
Health:
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/