Health

Policy on Medications

All medication to be taken during school hours must be left in the Nurse's Office and administered by the nurse.

Exception: a parent may come to school to administer medication to his/her own child at any time.

All medications, including over-the-counter items such as Tylenol and cough syrup, must have a note from both the doctor and the parent. No medication will be given without these notes. The medication must be in its original container or pharmacy-labeled container. Your pharmacy will provide you with a second labeled container for school if you ask them.

Please do not send pills to school in envelopes or plastic bags. The Nurse will not accept them. A parent or other responsible adult over 18 must bring medication to school in appropriate containers.

Many physicians are able to provide the required note via fax machine directly to your child's school. Parents must call the doctor's office to make this arrangement. The school fax number is 856-988-7799.

All medication must be picked up from the Nurse's Office by the last day of school. Any remaining medications will be discarded - they may not be held over the summer.

Physical Exams

All physical exams must be done by your family physician. It is important to your child's health that he/she be examined at least once during the following stages of development: childhood (grade K-3), pre-adolescence (grade 4-6) and adolescence (grade 7-12).

New Students: Every student new to the district from out of state, or who does not have a physical on file from a NJ school district, must submit a physical exam form to the nurse within 60 days of starting school. The exam must have been done within the previous 365 days.

Screenings

All children will have an annual growth survey, blood pressure, vision and hearing tests. Any deviations from normal will be reported to parents.

Scoliosis Screenings

Each year a scoliosis screening is conducted for all pupils age ten through eighteen, as required by New Jersey State law. Scoliosis is a condition of the spine in which the spine may curve to the left or right. It is most commonly found during the period of rapid growth and may progress if not treated. The purpose of the screening is to recognize scoliosis in its earliest stages.

If you do not wish your child to be screened for scoliosis, you must request this in writing to the school nurse before October 1st. If your child has already been diagnosed with scoliosis by your family physician, please notify the school nurse. Scoliosis screening will be done for all sports physicals. Thank you for your cooperation.

Emergency Cards

Please complete the card, sign it, and return it promptly to your child's school. Please use local people for your emergency numbers, as someone who is more than twenty minutes away may be reluctant to come for your child. We must have at least one emergency contact in the event you are unavailable. If your residence, emergency and/or work numbers change during the school year, please contact the school.

Immunizations

If your child has had any recent immunizations, please send a copy of the physician's certificate to the School Health Office so that we may update your child's health records.

Student Accident Insurance

The school district carries a full excess policy on each student during all school activities. Please contact the school nurse for claim forms.

NJ KidCare

The State of New Jersey has a health insurance program for children called KidCare. This is a comprehensive insurance for working families that cannot afford to purchase insurance or do not receive it from their employer. A family does not have to be "poor" to qualify for this insurance, although, there are income limits. Please contact Mrs. Castile for information and an application if you are interested.