Health Services

- Individuals can return to normal activities when symptoms have been getting better for 24 hours.

- Individuals who had a fever as a symptom can resume normal activities when the fever has been gone for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicines).

- Once people return to normal activities, they should take enhanced precautions for the next five days (including wearing a well-fitting mask when able, keeping a distance for others, and using available test methods to inform individual actions).

Casual Contact Communicable Diseases and Pests (Control)

Because a school has a high concentration of people, it is necessary to take specific measures when the health or safety of the group is at risk. The school's professional staff has the authority to remove or isolate a student who has been ill or has been exposed to a communicable disease or highly transient pest, such as lice.

Specific diseases include: diphtheria, scarlet fever, strep infections, whooping cough, mumps, measles, rubella, and other conditions indicated by the Local and State Health Departments.

Any removal will be only for the contagious period as specified in the school's administrative guidelines.

Non-Casual Contact Communicable Diseases (Control)

In the case of non-casual contact communicable diseases, the school still has the obligation to protect the safety of staff and students. In these cases, the person in question will have his/her status reviewed by a panel of resource people, including the Franklin County Health Department to insure that the rights of the person affected and those in contact with that person are respected. The school will seek to keep students and staff persons in school unless there is definitive evidence to warrant exclusion.

Non-casual contact communicable diseases include sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), ARC-AIDS Related Complex, HIV (Human-immunodeficiency), Hepatitis B and other diseases that may be specified by the State Board of Health.

As required by Federal law, parents will be requested to have their child's blood checked for HIV and HBV when the child has bled at school and students or staff members have been exposed to the blood. Any testing is subject to laws protecting confidentiality.

 

 

When to Keep Your Child Home from School

In order to maintain the health and safety of everyone in our school district, please review these guidelines for determining when your child should be kept home from school.

Please keep children home if they have the following;

• Nasal secretions (yellow or green in color)
• Persistent cough
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Rashes
• Conjunctivitis (red or runny eyes)

Fever

A Fever is a strong indicator of the body fighting and infection. Children should be kept home if they have a temperature of 100.0 degrees or higher. Children need to be fever FREE for 24 hour (without fever-treating medications) before returning to school.

Vomiting or Diarrhea

Recurrent vomiting or diarrhea often means infection. Children need to be kept at home for at least 24 hours after any episode of vomiting or diarrhea, especially if accompanied by a fever.

Sore throats, especially if your child has swollen glands

During the school year, we see a number of children with strep throat. Not all children will have classic sore throat symptoms. Difficulty swallowing, a sore neck, headache, stomach ache, loss of appetite, swollen or tender neck glands are all signs to watch for in your child. If you notice these symptoms, please contact your health care provider.

Antibiotics

Children who are placed on antibiotics for strep throat or conjunctivitis (pink eye), must be on these medications for more than 24 hours before returning to school to prevent the spread of infection.

Cold or Flu symptoms

Children who are coughing or sneezing are spreading infection and need to be kept home from school. Be especially cautious if your child has a productive cough, or has nasal secretions which are yellow or green in color.

The above symptoms need to be absent for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school.

Each student should have the immunizations required by law or have an authorized waiver. If a student does not have the necessary shots or waivers, the principal may remove the student or require compliance with a set deadline. This is for the safety of all students and in accordance with state law. Any questions about immunizations or waivers should be directed to the school nurse.

Immunization requirements

Unless a waiver is given, students must meet the following requirements as detailed in the link below from the Ohio Department of Health.

Immunization Summary for School Attendance

Vacunas recomendadas para niños, desde el nacimiento hasta los 6 años

Vacunas recomendadas para los niños desde los 7 hasta los 18 años

Immunizations for Child Care, Head Start & Pre-School Attendance

Immunization Exempt Form for Religious, Good Cause or Medical

New Albany – Plain Local School District
Guideline and Practice for Head Lice Identification and Treatment

Pediculosis, head lice, is classified as a nuisance condition and is not known to transmit infectious disease person to person. The primary goal of identification and notification of lice infestation in the school setting is to ensure that the child receives safe and effective treatment. Parents and/or guardians have the responsibility to treat infestations.

The school district will follow recommendations for the school setting from the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of School Nurses and the Centers for Disease Control. Most cases of head lice are acquired outside of school. No healthy child should be excluded or allowed to miss school because of head lice or nits. Current research on head lice does not support that exclusion policies result in reduced transmission of head lice. The exclusion of a child from school until all nits are removed may also violate a child’s civil liberties.

Head lice screening programs have not been proven to have a significant effect over time on the incidence of head lice in the school setting and are not cost effective. The school district will emphasize prevention and education as a primary measure to control head lice in the school setting. The school nurse will assume the major teaching responsibility for educating parents, teachers and students about the transmission and treatment of head lice.

School Head Lice Control Practice:

1. School staff will use the Lice Communication Flow chart when a case of lice is identified or suspected.
2. Any student found to have nits may remain in the classroom and go home at the end of the day to be treated or taken home by the parent at any time. The parent/guardian will be confidentially notified by the clinic staff.
3. Any student found to have an active infestation will be discouraged from close head to head contact and the parent/guardian will be confidentially contacted. The parent/guardian may take the student home once notified. 
4. Students with lice will be checked by the clinic staff when they return to school. 
5. Parents/guardians of children with head lice will be encouraged to talk to parents/guardians of close playmates.
6. Parents/guardians will not be informed of the names of other children who have lice in school, as that is a privacy concern and the risk of getting lice from a classmate is very small.
7. It may be appropriate to screen other children who have close head to head contact with a student with an active infestation such as household members. 
8. It may be prudent to check other students who are symptomatic. The teacher and the school nurse will collaborate on identification of any such students.
9. The school nurses are the key health professionals to provide education and anticipatory guidance to the school community regarding best practice guidance in the management of pediculosis. 
10. The school nurse’s goals are to facilitate an accurate assessment of the problem, contain infestation, provide health information for treatment and prevention, prevent over exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals and minimize school absence.
11. If a parent/guardian does not follow through with the proper treatment, then the child with lice may be excluded from school until proper treatment has been completed.

Please see these links for additional information.

Frequently Asked Questions About Head Lice
A Guide for Families Facing Head Lice
What Your Should Know About Head Lice
Pediculosis Management in the School Setting, The National Association of School Nurses
Head Lice Treatment, The American Academy of Pediatrics

Any questions should be directed to District Head Nurse, Brian Weikert, MSN, APRN, NP-BC, LSN

New Albany-Plain Local Schools require physician and parent authorization to administer any prescription and over the counter medication to a student. Only those medications necessary to be given during the school day will be administered. Examples of over the counter medications include acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

We wish to emphasize that it is more desirable for medication to be administered at home. However, any student who is required to take medication during the regular school day must comply with school regulations. A form must be obtained from the clinic and completed by the physician and the parent or guardian.

Regulations

• Written orders from the physician must detail the name of the drug, dosage, time medication is to be taken, reason for prescribing, probable length of time medication will be needed, and possible side effects
• Medication must be brought to school in a container appropriately labeled by the pharmacy or physician
• Medication must be stored in the clinic. Students may not administer or carry medicines of any type on their person (lockers, purses, etc.)
• A new request form must be submitted each school year and as necessary for changes in medication orders
• Medication must be picked up prior to the last day of school. Any medication left in the office will be disposed of if not picked up. School personnel cannot be responsible for medication while school is not in session.

All injuries must be reported to the nurse/nurse’s aide. If minor, a student will be treated and may return to class. If medical attention is required, the nurse will follow the school's emergency procedures.

A student who becomes ill during the school day should request permission from the teacher to go to the clinic. The nurse will determine whether or not the student should remain in school or go home. No student will be released from school without proper parental permission.

The American's with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provide that no individual will be discriminated against on the basis of a disability. This protection applies not just to the student, but all individuals who have access to the district's programs and facilities.

The New Albany-Plain Local School District provides a variety of Special Education programs and services for students identified as having a disability defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Please refer to these pages for additional information or contact our Special Education department.

School Nurse

• Plans and coordinates your child’s medical care at school)

• Screens your child's vision and hearing and connects you with resources

• Reviews your child's immunization record and connects you with resources

• Works with our local health department to reduce the spread of communicable diseases

• Trains our school staff to respond to health emergencies

• Provides health education in the classrooms

Clinic Aide

• Attends to your child's illness or injury during the school day

• Assists you in completing forms if your child needs medication at school

• Provides daily support of your child's medical plan/needs