Student Health Care

Food allergies can be life-threatening. The risk of accidental exposure in the school setting can be reduced if students, parents, and school staff work together to minimize risks and provide a safe educational environment for students with food allergies. With this in mind, if snacks or food-related celebrations are permitted in the classroom during the school day, please avoid sending snacks containing nuts or other food allergens specific to the current student population. If anyone is unsure about whether or not a food item is safe, please contact the school nurse.

It is recommended that staff avoid using food or candy items as part of activities, projects or rewards in the classroom unless they are certain that food items are safe for all students involved. Staff members are informed of students with severe food allergies at the start of each school year, and as needed throughout the school year. Students with known severe allergies have emergency action plans developed by the school nurse and shared with appropriate staff members. During school hours, a trained staff member in the school building is always present to recognize and respond to an allergic reaction.

Students with severe food allergies are not expected to clean tables in the cafeteria. A nut/peanut-free table is provided if requested by a parent or student. Alerts regarding individual student’s food allergies are posted on the electronic record. The cafeteria staff monitor alerts as students pass through the cafeteria line.

Students with food allergies are encouraged to practice self-advocacy appropriate to their age and level of maturity regarding safe foods and possible allergic reactions. Parents and guardians will be responsible for educating their students about self-management of his/her food allergy at school.  View the District’s Food Allergy Policy.

If you would like to learn more about food allergies, visit the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network at www.foodallergy.org. Thank you for helping to keep all students safe.

While we encourage students to attend school every day, an ill child will not perform well and may expose other students in the classroom. Please use the following guidelines and keep your child at home if any of these symptoms are present:

• fever of 100 degrees or greater (before medication)
• an undiagnosed rash
• an earache or draining ear
• diarrhea or vomiting
• severe sore throat
• persistent or severe cough
• persistent or severe headache
• any known communicable disease
• evidence of head lice (while you may keep your student home with lice, it is not mandatory)

If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or greater, they must be fever-free without medication for 24 hours before returning to school. A child also needs to be free of diarrhea and vomiting for 24 hours to return to school.

If your child’s doctor diagnoses them with a communicable disease, please notify the school so we can notify the parents of other students in the classroom if necessary. Communicable diseases include chickenpox, Coxsackie virus (hand, foot, mouth disease), croup, Pertussis (whooping cough), pink eye, pinworms, impetigo, fifth disease, hepatitis, flu, measles, mumps, meningitis, strep throat, lice, ringworm, and scabies.