Health Services
MISSION
The mission of the Health Services Department in North Shore School District 112 is to work in conjunction with school staff and families to promote optimal health and safety, thereby facilitating the educational process for all students.
STAFF INFORMATION
North Shore School District 112 employs registered nurses who serve full time in each of our schools as well as the Green Bay Early Childhood Center. The nurse at Green Bay also serves an additional role as Health Services Facilitator to assist in policy and procedure development across the district.
Some of the nurse’s duties include:
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providing first aid and emergency care to students and staff
- administering medication and medical treatments as required
- providing screenings for vision and hearing with referral to the doctor and follow up as necessary
- ensuring compliance with State of Illinois physical, dental, vision examination and immunization requirements
- managing communicable disease issues in accordance with Illinois and Lake County Departments of Public Health guidelines
- developing and implementing individualized care plans for students with special health needs -collaborating with school staff regarding students with special health care needs
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providing health and safety education to students and staff
- conducting classroom presentations on health related topics as requested
- participating on district wide committees relating to health and safety issues
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ILLNESS and KEEPING YOUR CHILD HOME
Students will be sent home from school if they have symptoms of a cold or any other contagious disease, have a temperature of 100.0 degrees or above, have vomited, or have had experienced an accident requiring a doctor’s attention. A child who shows signs of illness should not come to school. Remember, this practice is for the sick child’s own benefit as well as the protection of other children at school. In the event you are contacted by the school nurse you are reminded that it is the parents’ responsibility to pick up the ill child or to arrange transportation as quickly as possible. Please make sure that the nurse has emergency contact numbers on file in the event the parent cannot be reached. The child will be permitted to lie down until someone can pick him or her up at school.
Your child should stay home if any of these symptoms are present:
-Fever of 100.0 degrees or higher
-Nausea or vomiting
-Skin rash or sores
-Reddened, swollen or watery eyes, and/or conjunctivitis
-Red or swollen joints
-Diarrhea
-Excessive coughing or sneezing
-Sore throat
-Headache or earache
If your child has a fever, s/he should be kept home until the temperature has been normal for 24 hours without the aid of medication. Children on antibiotic therapy for any infection must have completed a 24 hour course of medication before returning to school. A child sent home at noon with a fever should not return to school the following day. Children should remain home if they have vomited or experienced nausea or diarrhea during the night.
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CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
All contagious diseases must be reported to the nurse AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. We are required to report certain communicable diseases to the Lake County Health Department. To ensure compliance with this mandate, we ask that you call the school if your child has been diagnosed with any of the following:
| Chicken Pox | Conjunctivitis (pink eye) | Encephalitis |
| Fifths Disease | German Measles | Head Lice |
| Hepatitis, A, B or C | Pin Worms | Meningitis |
| Mumps | Red Measles | Scabies |
| Strep infections | Tuberculosis | |
| Food-borne illnesses such as campylobacter, e-coli, or salmonella | ||
Attendance restrictions due to contagious illness are as follows:
Strep throat and other strep infections (including scarlet fever)
-The child should remain out of school for a minimum of 24 hours after treatment with antibiotics has begun.
Chicken pox
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The child should remain out of school until all skin eruptions have crusted over; this involves a minimum of six days after the appearance of the first vesicles.
Conjunctivitis (pinkeye)
- The child may return to school when he or she has been under treatment for 24 hours, when the eyes are clear, or with a written note from a physician stating that the child is not contagious.
Impetigo
- The child may return to school when he or she has been under treatment for 24 hours, when all symptoms have disappeared, or with a written note from a physician stating that the child is not contagious.
Head lice
- The child may return to school after treatment with a medicated shampoo specifically for pediculosis and an inspection by the school nurse shows that attention is being given to the removal of nits.
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ACCIDENTS and INJURIES
Every effort is made to prevent accidents. If an accident occurs at school, first aid is administered and the family is contacted. Parents are required to complete emergency information forms at the time of registration. It is the parents’ responsibility to make sure that up-to-date emergency information is always on file in the school office. This includes telephone numbers of two relatives, friends or neighbors who we may contact in the event that a parent cannot be reached.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
District 112 has insurance coverage for injuries sustained during school hours or during school sponsored activities. The District’s response to accident policy requires that all student incidents/accidents be reported to the school nurse. It should be understood that some of these incidents may be of a more serious nature and may require additional medical services beyond those which the school nurse is able to provide. Parents who incur additional medical costs associated with their child’s injury, which occurred during school hours or during a school sponsored activity, should contact the school nurse in order to complete the appropriate claim form.
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VISION SCREENING
Vision screening will be completed during the school year, as is mandated by the Illinois department of Public Health, for children in the following grades: Preschool, Kindergarten, Second Grade and Eighth Grade,
Screening is also mandated for children who fall into these categories:
Special Education, Teacher Referrals, Transfer Students
Vision screening is not a substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye doctor. Your child is not required to undergo the school vision screening IF an optometrist or ophthalmologist has completed and signed a report form indicating that an examination has been administered within the previous 12 months, and that evaluation report is on file at the school. If your child wears glasses and is in one of the grades/groups to be tested, please made sure your child wears his/her glasses to school on the day of testing. Vision screening is not performed on students who already have glasses.
HEARING SCREENING
Hearing screening will also be completed during the school year, as is mandated by the Illinois department of Public Health, for children in the following grades: Preschool, Kindergarten, First, Second and Third Grades
Screening is also mandated for children who fall into these categories:
Special Education, Teacher Referrals, Transfer Students
If at any time, you have concerns about your child’s vision or hearing, please contact the nurse at your child’s school. We are happy to provide screenings upon request.
The school nurse will notify you if your child does not pass a screening. If this happens, you are strongly encouraged to have your child examined by the doctor and to return the doctor’s report to your child’s school.
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HEALTH EXAMINATIONS AND IMMUNIZATIONS
All children entering preschool, kindergarten or sixth grade and students newly enrolled in District 112 are required by law to have a complete health examination by a licensed physician within one year before they begin school. Immunizations against communicable diseases are required by the Illinois department of Public Health and are strictly enforced. North Shore District 112 School Board policy now requires that this information be presented to the nurse before the first day of school.
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MEDICATION POLICY
Students should not take medication during school hours or during school-related activities unless it is necessary for a student’s health and well-being. When a student’s licensed health care provider and parent(s)/guardian(s) believe that it is necessary for the student to take a medication during school hours, they must request that the school dispense to or supervise the self-administration of the medication by the student and otherwise follow the District's procedures on dispensing medication.
-Forms for medication authorization and sefl-administration are available at the top menu.
Illinois School Code Sections 10.22 and 10.23
NSSD112 School Board policy 7:270 and 7:270R.
The District’s medication procedures are as follows:
1) A School Medication Authorization Form completed and signed by the parent/guardian and doctor must be on file at school to permit the child to receive all medication, including those available over the counter, during school hours. All appropriate forms are available from the nurse or on the District website. Please do not give your child any medicines (including cough drops, nose drops, aspirin, antibiotics, etc.) to keep on their person or in backpacks or in lunch bags. This is for the safety of your child as well as other students.
2) Over the counter medicine must be brought to the school in the ORIGINAL package labeled with the student’s name.
3) All prescription medication must be furnished by the parent in a LABELED pharmacy container which displays the following: child’s name, date, prescription number, medication name, dose, and administration directions, as well as the physician’s name and pharmacy address and phone number.
4) All medication should be brought to school by the parent or guardian. Student’s should not have medication, including cough drops, in their possession.
5) The consumption of medication will be supervised by the school nurse. When it is not possible for the school nurse to dispense medications or to supervise the self- administration of medication by the student, authorized school personnel will supervise or dispense.
6) NSSD 112 reserves the right to reject any request for administration of medicine in the schools and to contact the student’s physician to request an opinion regarding the child’s current health status before administering any medication.
7) For student’s with severe allergies and and/or asthma, in conjunction with the physician and the parent/guardian, circumstances should be identified in which the student may self -administer and/or carry the medication. A student will be permitted to carry and/or self- administer medication for asthma and/or an epinephrine auto-injector.
8) All School Medication Authorization forms expire at the end of each school year. New orders must be provided at the beginning of each school year.
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