Nurse Clinic/Health Services

If Your Student is Sick

Ill students should report to the school health clinic prior to contacting their parent/guardian. If your child contacts you during the day because they do not feel well, please instruct them to go to the nursing office. Students should not text home for someone to be picked up from school without having first visited the nurse. The school nurse will contact you after determining whether or not the student needs to go home. Ill students must be picked up no more than 30 minutes after the parent is notified.

Any student will be sent home if he or she has a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, vomiting, diarrhea, or signs and symptoms of a possible communicable disease. Please keep students home until they remain fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of medication and are free of vomiting or diarrhea symptoms for 24 hours prior to returning to school. All children with suspicious rashes/pink eye must be excluded from school until it has been determined non-contagious by a doctor.

If Your Student Has an Accident 

Injured students should report to the school nurse office prior to contacting their parent/guardian. Fairfield Christian Academy will be responsible only for those students who are either on school property during regular school hours, or during a school supervised function. 

When an accident occurs, the injured student will be sent or taken to the nurse’s office. If the student is unable to walk, a responsible student will be sent to request assistance. If emergency transport is needed, a staff member will stay with the injured student and send someone else to the office to request emergency transport. Please note that if a student is to be transported to a hospital, they will likely first be sent to Fairfield Medical Center.

Parents will be notified of any serious accident involving their child during school hours. If an injury needs immediate medical attention, every effort will be made to contact the parents. If a student needs to be transported via medical squad to a medical facility, a school official will go with the student.

It is essential that we are able to contact a parent/guardian or a reliable adult in the event of an emergency.  Please complete the annual update during Online Enrollment: Emergency, Medical, Mental Health and Medication Information.  During the school year, there may be changes in addresses and telephone numbers; please update these accordingly.

Immunization Requirements

• Immunization Resource Pamphlet

The state of Ohio has a mandated immunization schedule for all students in grades K-12 who attend school. This immunization summary can be obtained from the Ohio Department of Health website.

If your child does not have completed immunizations prior to the 15th day of school, one of the following has to be met:

1. Evidence from your physician stating your child is in the process of receiving the required immunization.

2. A written statement from your physician stating that immunizations were withheld due to medical reasons.

3. A written statement from the parents or guardians stating that immunizations were withheld due to philosophical/religious beliefs.

Failure to meet one of the above requirements, may result in the student being excluded until such requirement is met.

Health Concerns

If your student has a health condition, medical diagnosis and/or allergies, please provide the school nurse with the most up-to-date documentation from your student’s health care provider.  Mutual understanding about health concerns will help us to provide better care for your student while at school.  Please update your student’s Emergency Medical Information at the start of every school year and as necessary when health status and diagnosis change.

School personnel will provide basic first aid and care for student injuries and illnesses that occur during the school day.  If an emergency arises during school hours due to an illness or injury, school personnel will attempt to notify the parent/guardian.  If unsuccessful, one of the other emergency contacts listed will be contacted.  Please ensure that your contact information is correct and update as needed.

Medications

Medication prescribed by a provider:  State of Ohio law and district policy require that students requiring administration of prescription medication during the school day must have a completed Medication form on file in the school health clinic.  This form must be completed by the prescribing provider, signed by the parent/guardian and must be provided to the school health staff prior to administration of the medication to the student.  The form is located in the school nurse office and on the district website.

Additionally, the medication must be presented to school personnel by the parent/guardian in its original container with the pharmacy label.  The pharmacy label must include the student’s name, provider’s name, name of the medication, dosage to be given and time to be administered.  Any change from the original order must be provided in writing from the student’s prescribing provider.

FDA-approved non-prescription medication:  If non-prescription medications are required to be given at school, the parent/guardian must sign the non-prescription medication form for their student.  The medication must be in the original sealed container and accompanied by a completed non-prescription medication form with the student’s name, name of the medication, dosage to be given, time to be given, date to be started, and date to be discontinued.  The non-prescription medication form can be found in the school nurse office or on the district website.

All non-prescription medication (including cough drops) must be stored in the school clinic.  Dosages exceeding the manufacturer’s recommendations will require a medication authorization form completed by the treating health care provider.

Students are not permitted to transport medications to and from school.  All medications are to be delivered to school by the parent/guardian.  The parent/guardian must pick up any unused medications before the end of the school year or the medications will be discarded.

Kindergarten/New Student

All new kindergarten students and previously homeschooled students are required to have a documented physical exam within the last year, health record form and immunization record. Transfer students from another school system are required to have copies of their school health record. Please note it is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to provide all health information to the school. Failure to meet one of the above requirements, may result in the student being excluded until such requirement is met.

Hearing & Vision Screenings

Our school nurses will soon be conducting hearing and vision screenings this fall and winter, following Ohio Department of Health guidelines. These screenings are a quick check to help identify any concerns that could impact learning. Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 11th graders, all new students to the district, and all 7th graders (vision screening only) will have screenings.

Families will be notified if a student does not pass a screening. Please note: Screenings are not a substitute for a full exam by your child’s healthcare provider or eye specialist. Opting Out: If you do not want your child to participate, please complete the vision and/or hearing screening waiver and return it to the school nurse.