Health Services

All students are welcome in school. There are no exclusions for health conditions or illness, unless directed by the Minnesota Department of Health or Centers for Disease Control. Our nurses work with students and their families, staff and health care providers developing accommodations for school attendance. 

We want children in school and ready to learn. The following guidelines have been established to help determine when children should remain at home. They may need to rest at home if they have:

• Fever
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• or are not feeling well enough to participate in the school day

When your child is feeling ill please don’t hesitate to call the school nurse with questions or concerns. We would prefer the child remain at home for 24 hours after the symptoms have subsided. This helps prevent the spread of communicable diseases and allows the student the opportunity to rest and recover fully from the illness.

If you need to report an absence, please leave your child's name, grade and reason for the absence.

REPORT AN ABSENCE

Instilling healthy habits and routines (adequate sleep/nutrition) and consistent attendance ensures a student’s success in school even as early as kindergarten. We know that too many absences/tardies, for whatever reason, can cause children to fall behind both academically and socially.

The school district will follow the guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health for recommended exclusion and notification for vaccine-preventable diseases including mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis, diphtheria, viral hepatitis, chickenpox and meningitis. Families will not be notified and students are not excluded for lice, pink eye or strep throat.

Each year students participate in screening. Students also receive hearing and/or vision screening upon request from a parent or guardian or if the teacher suspects a hearing or vision concern that is affecting the student’s ability to learn. If you do not wish to have your child screened, please contact the school nurse.

In cases of illness or significant injury at school, a parent or guardian will be contacted by the school health office. If a parent or guardian cannot be reached, the emergency contact will be called. The emergency contact must be willing and able to provide transportation and supervision of the student. It is important the parent/guardian and emergency contact information is current for all students. If no one can be reached, 911 will be contacted as necessary. Please keep your contact and emergency contact information up to date.

In order for students to enroll or remain enrolled in elementary or secondary school, Minnesota law requires documentation of required immunizations, written proof of exemption or conscientious objection. Students will not be allowed to start school until this information is returned to the health office. Your child can meet the immunization requirements through being fully immunized, providing a signed medical exemption letter or through a notarized conscientious objection. 

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Rules for taking medications while at school

To ensure students receive needed medication and that it is not misused, District 196 has developed rules for the administration of medication in school.

Please note the following points:

All prescription medication must be kept in the office of the school nurse and must be administered by the school nurse or other appropriate school personnel, unless the Authorization for Student Possession and Self-medication with Inhaler, Epi-Pen and/or Insulin form at school has been completed and is on file with the school nurse.  

Medication guidelines:

• A completed Prescription Medication Authorization form signed by a student’s parent or guardian and medication in a prescription bottle or original container is required before a school nurse will give a student prescription or non-prescription medication. 

• Only FDA approved medications will be administered.

• If medication is to be given for more than two weeks, a written order from a physician or dentist must be provided to the school.

• If prescription medication remains in the nurse’s office after the end of a school year or when the student is no longer attending the school, the nurse will contact the student’s parent or guardian to pick up the medication. If the medication is not picked up within one month, it will be destroyed.

Questions should be discussed with your school nurse.