Any child with a severe or life threatening medical condition that may require adult intervention and oversight during the school day, such as but not limited to diabetes, poorly controlled seizures, severe respiratory problems, or anaphylaxis secondary to food or insect allergy, will have an Emergency Care Plan/Emergency Action Plan created by the school nurse in cooperation with the parent and their private health care provider. These plans are updated annually. The purpose of the plan is to provide concrete and simple training and instructions to non-medical personnel acting in a supervisory role for your child to keep your child as safe as possible until medical assistance arrives. If you believe your child needs an Emergency Care Plan/Emergency Action Plan, please bring the school nurse medical documentation from your physician as soon as possible before the start of school, so she/he can work with you to develop a safe plan for your child. Please be advised that you or your designate are encouraged to attend field trips with your child who has a special medical need for medication or management when the RN or an RN may not be available. Please provide adequate supplies of all lifesaving medication and testing materials to the school nurse. If your child is self-carrying life-saving medications on their person, their kit should be maintained in a dedicated, secure place known to the nurse, and a second kit should be stored in the health office for emergency purposes, including things such as misplaced or used medicines your child was carrying, emergency sheltering-in-place, emergency evacuations, etc. Be sure to keep the health office informed of updated cell phone numbers for emergency contact if needed.

Any child with a medical condition that requires special accommodations in physical education, must have an annual re-evaluation of need and renewal of the order for adaptive physical education or accommodations from your primary care provider. If you have been given written administrative clearance in the past for your child to have any special accommodations based on medical need, including the ability to participate in physical education and sports with only one of a paired organ, you may provide a letter annually to the school nurse without a medical provider note that your child’s medical condition has not changed and that the prior year’s plan remains current. When your child’s medical condition changes, a physician written update is required.

The Board of Education supports a safe medication delivery system for any child in need of medicines during the school day. Accordingly, all prescription and non-prescription medicines require physician and parent written permission and delivery of the medication by the parent in the original container to the school nurse who will store and oversee the administration of a medicine to a child. A photograph of the child is affixed to all prescription medicine bottles for added precautions. The Board also encourages that whenever possible parents discuss with their health care provider alternatives to having medicines administered during the school day when doing so may interfere with instructional time. The school nurse will count controlled substances when you drop them off and will monitor them on a decreasing count. The nurse will notify you of any discrepancies.

The Board of Education requests that all parents work with their children of all ages to ensure they are educated to know the name and appearance of their medicine, the amount they are to get at what times, and the reason they are taking the medicine. The Board also asks parents to make sure their children realize that if they are asked to take a medicine that is not familiar to them or at a dose that is incorrect, that it is important to tell the adult “NO”, to explain to the adult there appears to be a mistake, and to say they need to call their parent to clarify their concern before they accept an unfamiliar medicine from anyone.

Responsible children, with prior approval by the principal, school nurse, and district physician, sometimes may carry and self-administer life-saving medicines upon parental request and with private provider approval that the child is responsible to do so. All self-carried, life-saving medicines must have a duplicate supply stored in the health office in the event the child’s supply is misplaced, lost, or not readily available in an emergency. Children may not carry or self-administer controlled substances or substances abused for recreational purposes.

In the event of a field trip and the need to administer medication, the district encourages you or your designee to attend the trip with your child so you may safely administer the medication to your child. Non-self-directed students require a nurse or a parent designate present on field trips if medication is required. In the event of need for medicine during athletic events, prior arrangements are essential, either having your child carry and self-administer medicine with prior parent and medical provider documentation and school nurse approval, or designating a friend or relative to give medicine in your absence. A staff member who is a friend of your family may serve as your designee in your absence with prior arrangements. Nurses are not available after school for athletics. No one may give medication to your child without prior written approval. Please contact the school nurse if you have questions. For significant life-threatening medical conditions parents may wish to alert their local Emergency Medical Services responders of the matter to ensure prompt response in the event of a call.