CMS School Nurse Page

Phone: 912-720-1022 FAX: 912-720-1032
Charlene E. Smith, LPN charlene.smith@coffee.k12.ga.us	Wanda H. Medders, RN wanda.medders@coffee.k12.ga.us

A Note From Your School Nurse...

Student Welfare

The health and welfare of each and every student is our number one concern. In order to provide quality health services for your child we need your help in keeping us informed of any vital information that pertains to your child and his learning needs while at school. You will need to inform your school nurse and your child's teacher of any health concern which may influence your child's school performance. These conditions may include, but are not limited to; physical disabilities, vision or hearing impairments, seizures, diabetes, heart conditions, migraine headaches, asthma, allergies, kidney disorders or attention needs.

When your child is enrolled, all relevant information is recorded, but should you change your address, phone number or place of contract, please notify the school immediately to enable office staff of contact parents as soon as possible in the event of an accident or illness.

In case of accident or illness, only basic first aid can be administered. Parents will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the circumstances, usually with the recommendation that the child be collected and taken home

Medications

If you wish your child to receive medication during school hours, you are required to complete and sign a Medication Permission Form available at the school nurse office. Please bring in the medication, do not send it with your child. ALL medications MUST be personally delivered to the school office or Nurse’s office by the student’s parent / guardian. Students MAY NOT bring medication to school in book bags, purses, pockets, or any other means. School personnel WILL NOT send medication home with a student.

Only medications that are necessary for a student's medical care will be administered at school. Most medicines that are needed, even up to three times a day, can be given at home and should not be sent to school. There are some occasions where medication is required by students and cannot be adequately given at home. In these cases, with written permission of a parent or guardian, school personnel can give the medication. The following are guidelines established for medication administration by school personnel.

A Request for Administration of Medication form must be completed for each medication to be administered.

Parents are to drop off and pick up medication at the nurse's office. Students are not allowed to carry medication with them in school or on the bus. Unused medication will be discarded after 30 days.

Medication must be in the ORIGINAL container.

Please make arrangements so the medication can be left at the nurse's office until the last day the medication is to be given. If the pharmacist is unable to prepare a separate container for home and school, keep enough medication for home use and bring the rest to the school in the prescription bottle.

If non-prescription medications are required longer than one week, have the physician write an order to keep in the nurse's records.

Students with asthma may carry their inhalers with written permission from their doctor stating that the student may self-administer. Permission slips are available in the Nurse Office.

Please call if you have any questions about the policies. Thank you.

Infectious Diseases

PLEASE DO NOT SEND SICK CHILDREN TO SCHOOL.

PLEASE REMEMBER THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY.

Children who contract an infectious disease are to be kept at home until they are fully recovered. Parents and Guardians are advised to contact the school office if their children contract any of the following diseases:

Chicken-pox, Shingles, Diphtheria, Whopping Cough, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Viral Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, Poliomyelitis, Typhoid, Streptococcal Infection, Conjunctivitis, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, Impetigo, Head lice.
Various exclusion periods and rules apply to communicable diseases. PLEASE REMEMBER THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY.

Head Lice

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice

General Guidelines

Treatment for head lice is recommended for persons diagnosed with an active infestation. All household members and other close contacts should be checked; those persons with evidence of an active infestation should be treated. Some experts believe prophylactic treatment is prudent for persons who share the same bed with actively-infested individuals. All infested persons (household members and close contacts) and their bedmates should be treated at the same time.

Retreatment of head lice usually is recommended because no approved pediculicide is completely ovicidal. To be most effective, retreatment should occur after all eggs have hatched but before new eggs are produced. The retreatment schedule can vary depending on whether the pediculicide used is ovicidal (whether it can kill lice eggs).

When treating head lice, supplemental measures can be combined with recommended medicine (pharmacologic treatment); however, such additional (non-pharmacologic) measures generally are not required to eliminate a head lice infestation. For example, hats, scarves, pillow cases, bedding, clothing, and towels worn or used by the infested person in the 2-day period just before treatment is started can be machine washed and dried using the hot water and hot air cycles because lice and eggs are killed by exposure for 5 minutes to temperatures greater than 53.5°C (128.3°F). Items that cannot be laundered may be dry-cleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks. Items such as hats, grooming aids, and towels that come in contact with the hair of an infested person should not be shared. Vacuuming furniture and floors can remove an infested person's hairs that might have viable nits attached.

Remember, though head lice do not carry disease they are a nuisance, so please stress head lice prevention with your family.

They should: not share combs, brushes, barrettes or other hair ornaments; not share coats or hats, including Santa hats or reindeer headbands; not share helmets; not leave their coat or hat where it touches others' coats or hats. Family members should inspect children's hair every 2-3 days for 2 weeks after lice treatment and at regular intervals after that.

Policies & Procedures

Sick Policy

Any student with a fever of 100.4 degrees or greater will be sent home from school. Students must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of acetaminophen or ibuprofen before they are to return to school. If your student is sent home from school with a fever they are not to return to school the next day.

Students that are vomiting or have diarrhea will be sent home from school immediately. Before sending them back to school ensure that they are able to eat a "regular" meal without any problems.
To help protect students and staff please inform me if your student has been diagnosed with a contagious illness i.e. strep throat, chicken pox, pink eye. You may have your doctor fax me a note stating when they may return to school. Fax: 912-720-1032.

Help be a role model by reminding your kids to wash their hands after they cough or sneeze, before they eat, and anytime they are around someone who is sick. Handwashing is the best way to stop the spread of illnesses.

Feel free to contact me at any time if you have a question or concern about symptoms you are seeing with your child. I will be able to let you know what we are seeing at school and I can point you in the right direction if I don't know the answer.

Health Screenings Required

Scoliosis Screening will be given for all students in 6th and 8th grade. Scoliosis is a common spinal abnormality found in adolescents. It is usually detected in children between 10 and 15 years of age. A letter will go home informing you of when this screening will take place.

Clinic Needs

We can always use donations of size 4,5,6,7 clothing, especially gently used short, jeans, and new underwear. We have a good supply of larger sizes right now but the smaller sizes are utilized more. Thanks for your support!

Immunization Requirements New for 2009-2010

Immunization requirements are available at www.immunizegeorgia.com.

Vaccine	7-10 years	11-12 years	13-18 years
Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis		Tdap	Tdap
Human Papillomavirus		HPV (3 doses)	HPV series
Meningococcal	MCV	MCV	MCV
Influenza		Influenza (yearly)
Pneumococcal		PPSV
Hepatitis A		HepA Series
Hepatitis B		HepB Series
Inactivated Poliovirus		IPV Series
Measles, Mumps, Rubella		MMR Series
Varicella		Varicella Series

Range of recommended ages for all children except certain high-risk groups

Range of recommended ages for catch-up immunization

Range of recommended ages for certain high-risk groups

Pinkeye

Conjunctivitis seems to be making the rounds all over town lately. We have had some cases among the younger students. Since all of the students share common areas for lunch and gym, it is good to be aware of the symptoms and preventive strategies. Pinkeye can be bacterial, viral (during or after a cold), or allergic. Allergic pinkeye is not contagious but can develop into a bacterial infection if rubbed persistently. Bacterial conjunctivitis is characterized by redness of the eye with purulent discharge. Sometimes the eyelids may be swollen from the inflammation and many times the eyelashes will be matted with debris. It is important not to treat with over the counter "get the redness out" drops since these are very drying and can actually make the infection more severe. When you get a prescription from the doctor be sure to follow the directions for the duration of treatment prescribed and don't discontinue because it seems better. An infected child should not share towels, washcloths, or pillowcases with anyone else. Have your children always wash their hands thoroughly and frequently. Remind them not to rub their eyes and how to dispose of tissues properly. Students with pinkeye are temporarily excluded from school attendance but may return when symptoms are gone or their doctor sends a note that the student is no longer contagious.

Fifth Disease (Human Parvovirus)

Fifth disease is a mild rash illness that occurs most commonly in children. The child typically has a "slapped-cheek" rash on the face and a lacy red rash on the trunk and limbs. Occasionally the rash may itch. An ill child may have a low-grade fever, malaise or a "cold" a few days before the rash breaks out. The child is usually not very ill, and the rash resolves in 7 to 10 days. Human parvovirus is a different parvovirus than the one that infects dogs and cats. About 50% of adults have been previously infected with it and have immunity to it. It is estimated that at least 20% of those infected do not develop any symptoms of illness. A person infected is contagious during the early part of the illness, before the rash appears. It is spread through respiratory secretions and direct contact like sharing eating utensils or cups. It is diagnosed with a blood test and it usually takes several days for the results. After the rash appears if the student has no fever they are no longer considered contagious and may return to school. Adults who develop fifth disease may have joint pain and/or swelling which may last several months. Serious complications may develop from this infection during pregnancy. There is no vaccine or medicine for this infection and good frequent handwashing is recommended to decrease the chance of becoming infected. We saw a few cases in the fall but it is always something to be aware of.

Chickenpox

Early winter and spring are peak seasons for chickenpox which is a highly contagious virus. The symptoms include a skin rash of red bumps (usually more concentrated on the head and trunk) that itch and turn into blisters. These blisters then burst and scab over. The incubation period (time from exposure to symptom development) can range from 10-21 days. Often, the person will have fever before the rash appears. The disease is easily spread by coughing, sneezing or contact with the blisters. People who have been vaccinated may get a milder illness with a less severe rash, sometimes involving only a few bumps that resemble insect bites and have little or no fever. We have had a few cases this year in students who had received one dose of vaccine. We haven't had any clustering of cases, just a few isolated in different classes and grades. The Georgia Health Department is requiring a 2nd dose of vaccine (varicella) for incoming Kindergarteners and 6th graders. It is recommended that you talk to their physician about getting the 2nd dose. Chickenpox can result in severe complications in adults, infants, teenagers and anyone with a compromised immune system. You should contact your child's physician immediately if he/she develops a severe headache or constant vomiting, sensitivity to bright light , confusion, unusual sleepiness, problems breathing or persistent coughing, or if the rash changes to bigger open sore that show signs of infection. You should avoid aspirin for fever or discomfort in children and teenagers due to the risk of Reyes Syndrome. Oatmeal baths are very soothing and helpful to relieve the itching. Please notify us at school if you suspect your child has the chickenpox. Children cannot return to school until all the blisters have crusted over which is generally about 7 days from the onset of rash. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Strep

Strep throat is a common infection among school age children. The symptoms include a red, sore throat, headache, fever (but not always), and sometimes stomachache and/or nausea, and enlarged lymph nodes around the neck, and sometimes rash. All sore throats are not strep infections; they can also be due to viral infection (i.e. colds) or sinus drainage irritation. A strep test is the only way to accurately diagnose strep infection. If your child has a positive test, they may return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic therapy if their fever is gone. It is important to diagnose and treat strep because untreated strep can result in scarlet fever or rheumatic fever which can lead to kidney or heart valve damage

Stomach Viruses

We have had a stomach virus going around (actually all around town). It was never concentrated in one class, instead infecting a few people from multiple classes, mostly in the lower grades. However, when a student would get it, it seemed to go through their entire family. The symptoms reported include vomiting, diarrhea, bloating and gas. A few people complained of a headache but there was only low grade fever, if any, reported. It is important to encourage clear liquids to prevent dehydration and stress good handwashing to prevent the spread of it. Handwashing seems to be more effective against this type of virus than hand sanitizer. People who contract it should not prepare food for others as they can shed the virus even after they are feeling better.

Coffee Middle School
901 Connector 206 North
Douglas, Georgia 31533
Phone: 912-720-1011 • Fax: 912-720-1032