Health Services Welcome Letter 8/26/2022

Canton Public Schools Health Services
CPS Nursing Team

District Nurse Leader Lauren Pushard, RN 781-821-5060 x1113
District Resource Nurse Irene Keefe, RN 781-821-5060 x1174
Home School Interventionist Nurse Lindsey Coppola, RN 781-821-5060 x1176

Canton High School	Galvin Middle School	Hansen Elementary	JFK Elementary	Luce Elementary	Rodman Preschool
(781)821-5050   x2110	(781) 821-070   x3110	(781)821-5085   x4102	(781)821-5080   x5102	(781)821-5075   x6109	(781)821-5060   x1508
Maureen Campbell, RN Christine Trendell, RN	Kerry Darcy, RN TBA	Bethany Glennon, RN  Kathy Leavitt, RN	Ellen Stenmon, RN	Cindy Bonner, RN	Bailey  Hewit, RN

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome back to another great year at Canton Public Schools!  The CPS Nursing Team is ready and excited to see our students! It is an honor and a privilege for us to care for your child, and with your help we are able to keep them healthy, having fun and learning in school. 

Please see the important information below from Health Services for the 2022/2023 school year.

MEDICATIONS:

If your child needs to take medication in school, whether it is an Epi-Pen, inhaler, or a prescribed daily medication, the parent/guardian and physician must fill out the form Medication Plan/Physician & Parent Consent. NO medication may be administered without a doctor’s order.

• Medication orders and Allergy/Asthma Action Plans must be renewed every year
• All medication must be delivered to the Health Office by the student’s parent/guardian, or a designated adult. Students are NOT permitted to bring medications to school with the exception of an inhaler, Epinephrine auto injector or if wearing an insulin delivery system (pump)
• Students are not permitted to self-carry their own inhalers/EpiPens unless they have been signed off as competent to do so by the school nurse and physician. Please contact the school nurse for further information for your child to self-carry  
• Medication must be provided to the Health Office labeled with the child’s name and in the original bottle/packaging from the pharmacy.  Medications brought to the nurse in containers or plastic bags cannot be accepted
• All medications and consent forms should be brought to school on or before the first day of school. Nurses are only permitted to keep a 30-day supply of medications at a time
• Nurses cannot accept a medication without a copy of the doctor’s order
• For short-term medications (less than 10 days), such as antibiotics, parental/guardian consent is required. However, the prescription on the bottle is sufficient for physician consent.
• Please see the full Medication Policy here

ALLERGIES/ANAPHYLAXIS/ASTHMA: 

If your child has any allergies that could lead to anaphylaxis or if your child has asthma, please fill out these forms BEFORE the first day of school.  These may be emailed or brought into the school nurse along with the medication:

Asthma Action Plan 

Emergency Healthcare Plan-EpiPen

IMMUNIZATIONS and PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS: 

• Immunizations are important to ensure that our students interact in a safe and healthy environment. If your child has received updated immunizations during the summer, please provide a copy of that documentation to your school nurse for their Immunization Record.
• All new students, and students entering grades 1, 4, 7, and 10, are required to submit a record of a complete physical exam to the school nurse before the start of school each year.  

CLOTHING:

At times children have accidents or spills and nurses have a very limited supply of clothing available. It is highly recommended that a change of clothing is provided from home to be kept in the backpacks of Preschool and Kindergarten students or students prone to accidents. Students should also be sent in with appropriate clothing for outdoor recess during the colder months including hats, mittens etc.  

WHEN YOUR CHILD BECOMES ILL OR INJURED DURING THE SCHOOL DAY:

• The school nurse will determine if the student requires dismissal for an illness or injury and will call the parent/guardian to make transportation arrangements.  Students needing to be dismissed must be picked up in a timely manner for health and safety reasons. Please have a backup plan in case you are not available to pick up your child within an hour.  Emergency contacts should be local and updated with the main office as needed
• Injuries at school, if severe, will be handled as an emergency situation and local EMS will be called to take your child to the most appropriate receiving hospital. Parents will be notified immediately if an ambulance is called

WHEN YOUR CHILD SHOULD STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL:

• Has evidence of a newly developed cold (runny, stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing). The greatest period of contagion is the first 2-3 days after onset of symptoms
• Has Covid-19 or Covid-19 symptoms 
• Has the flu or flu symptoms
• Has an elevated temperature, 100° or above  within the past 24 hours. Please remember that prior to returning to school, your student’s temperature should remain within a normal range (97.0-99.9) for 24 hours - without the use of fever-reducing medication.
• Has a suspicious rash
• Has pain or discharge from eye(s) or ear(s)
• Has had an upset stomach, vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours
• Has a contagious disease (i.e. strep throat, tonsillitis, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, etc.) until they has been seen and treated by a doctor with at least 24 - 48 hours of treatment, is fever free for 24 hours, and feels well enough to be able to participate in school activities
• Has lice that has not been treated

***When in doubt, please reach out to your school nurse to determine if your child should be kept home.***
 

For additional information from Health Services, please see the District Appendix Health Services section here.  All school health forms are located on our website Health Services.

The goal of the Canton Nursing Team is to keep our students healthy so every student may develop to the fullest intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. Please keep the school nurse informed of any health conditions that could affect your child while they are at school. Our dedicated, caring team of nurses are always here to help you and your child.

Sincerely,

Lauren Pushard, RN
District Nurse Leader
Canton Public Schools