Student Health

Schools may exclude students with certain medical or physical conditions exhibiting certain symptoms from attending school or school-related activities. If you think that your child has an illness that can be spread to others, please keep him or her home from school and contact your medical doctor. Schools and the School Health Services Department will work with parents to expedite student’s return to school. Every child is different, and the nursing staff will use their professional nursing judgment when deciding if a child should be at school or at home. See the list of protocols here: Illness Protocol

Every year schools are required to assess all students’ immunization records to determine compliance with the Wisconsin Student Immunization Law. To protect students and children from diseases that are preventable by immunization, Wisconsin law requires all students to show that they have received the required immunizations or have a signed waiver.

Head lice are a common community problem. Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live close to the human scalp. They are not dangerous and they do not transmit disease. However, they do spread easily making it a community issue. Please see the attached instructions on how to manage head lice.

Administration of Medication

Schools are responsible to provide required health services during the school day to enable students to access a free and appropriate public education. The registered nurse provides training to the CMA and school personnel in administration of medications required to support students. Medications are to be administered at home whenever possible. If it is necessary for a student to receive medications at school, please fill out the Prescription Medication Consent Form and return to the school. New forms are required at the beginning of each school year.

Over-The-Counter Medication

The school district will keep a supply of OTC medications available for student use. The following medications are available: Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen, Cough Drops, Anti-Itch Cream, Benadryl, Tums. Parents must give consent via school registration or Non-Prescription Medication Consent Form.

Screenings are a traditional part of school health services. They center on hearing and vision, since impairment of these senses can interfere with learning. You will receive notification of the assigned dates when screening is going to occur via the weekly family folders and district website. The mandatory grade levels are listed below:

• Vision Screening: Provided to students in 4K-8th Grade
• Hearing Screening: Provided to students in 4K-3rd Grade

When children and teens are together in group settings such as schools, child care facilities, camps, and sporting activities, some disease-causing germs are easily spread among them. Communicable diseases are those diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and protozoa that are passed from one person to another. It is important to recognize when someone in a group setting is sick with a communicable disease so steps can be taken to obtain medical care and prevent the spread of disease to others.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services revised and combined the Wisconsin Communicable Disease Chart and the Childhood Day Care Exclusion Criteria to create the Wisconsin Childhood Communicable Diseases wall chart. The complete wall chart is a color-coded, quick disease reference for those responsible for the care of children and teens in group settings. The wall chart has been divided into six categories, as shown below, of the most common communicable diseases affecting children. The category charts include how the diseases are spread, incubation period (time of exposure to symptoms), signs and symptoms, time period when a person is contagious, and criteria for exclusion from school or group.

Wisconsin Childhood Communicable Diseases Chart