AJ Smith Nurse's Office

Questions and Answers... 

Send Them Or Keep Them Home?
Do I send them to school or keep them home?  You don't want your child to miss school but you also don't want to endanger him/her and other children as well.  Here are a few guidelines you might wish to follow:

• A runny nose -- is a way many children respond to pollen, dust, chalk or simply a change of season.  If the drainage is clear, don't keep your child home but remind him/her of good hand washing after using tissues.
   
• A bad cough -- or cold symptoms can indicate a severe cold, bronchitis, flu, or even pneumonia.  If your child has difficulty breathing, fever, or is not acting "right", check with your doctor.
   
• Vomiting and diarrhea -- please don't send your child to school if he/she has had either episode.  Waiting 12 - 24 hours after the last spell is pretty much a safe indicator that you can send them back to school.
   
• Fever -- most doctors advise keeping children home during the course of the fever and an additional 24 hours.
   
• Strep throat, scarlet fever, and ear infections -- after diagnosis, the child should have been on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school or as directed by your doctor.
   
• Pink eye or conjunctivitis -- it's best to keep your child home until your doctor says it's all right to return.

  
Reminder -- If your child has developed any new allergies, please call the health office.
  
If you have any questions or are uncertain whether your child should come to school, please feel free to call the health office at any time.
 
The school nurse's role is not to diagnose any medical problems; this is the role of your family doctor.  The nurse is here to treat illnesses or injuries that occur during school hours.
 
Absences
Please call to report your child absent to the nurse's office.
Please send an excuse to the nurse when your child is absent from school.  Be sure to include:     
     Date(s) of absence(s)
     Student's full name - (first and last name)
      
Physicals & Screenings *NEW*
Effective 7/1/2018, the mandated years for health exams and screening will change. In addition, only the approved NYS School Health Examination Form may be used to document health exams to provide consistency across the state.

Health examinations will be required in Grades Pre-K or K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.

Vision screening for distance and near acuity will be required within 6 months of admission to school and in Grades Pre-K or K, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11.

Hearing screening utilizing pure tone testing will be required within 6 months of admission to school and in Grades Pre-K or K, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11.

Scoliosis screening will be required in Grades 5 and 7 for girls and Grade 9 for boys.

Students involved in sports are also required to have physicals within the previous 12 months. If a student has a sports physical during the year in which a specific grade level physical is required, the sports physical will be sufficient for both requirements.

Our school does offer school physicals for the grades listed above and for sports at no charge to parents. However, it is recommended that your child receives a physical by their own primary care physician, as he/she knows your child best.
 
Medication
Medication is to be brought to school by a parent/guardian.  Please do not send medication to school with your child. All medications must be in a properly labeled container and must have the signed Parent and Physician Authorization for Administration Of Medication Form on file in the Health Office prior to the need for administration of any medication.