SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES

Staff:

Kayla McCarthy

School Health Services Coordinator

Tamari Tarver

Administrative Assistant

School Health Services within Life Academy strives to assess, protect and promote the health of students so that they may be academically successful within a safe, healthy, and nourishing environment.

Some students have chronic and life-long conditions such as asthma, diabetes, anaphylaxis, seizures, obesity, and mental health/behavioral issues that can impact the students' ability to attend school and learn. School health services focus on the daily management of diagnosed chronic conditions as mandated by state and federal laws as well as to:

Promote health education and wellness
Prevention of specific disease, disorders, and injury
Assist students in need of health-related services
Assist students at risk for health-related issues
Manage and support students with special health care needs
Promote positive health and safety behaviors

Program Services

Health services offered in the school setting include:

Health screenings
Monitoring for the presence of communicable diseases and conditions
Ensuring compliance with immunization laws
Provision of routine and/or specialized health services and procedures
Medication administration for students diagnosed with a chronic or emergency condition
Work in collaboration with community and public health agencies

When should students stay home?

Many acute illnesses may be transmitted from person to person and are a common cause of school absenteeism. If your child is not feeling well and/or has a fever, they need to be kept at home. When your child is not feeling well, they will most likely not be at their best to learn, and they could spread illness to their peers, teachers and other staff. Students should stay home for the following:

Diarrhea: Frequent loose or watery stools compared with the normal pattern, abdominal cramps, fever, and generally not feeling well. Exclude until no diarrhea for 24 hours.
Vomiting: Nausea, vomiting, or cramping. Exclude until there is no vomiting for 24 hours or until the individual provides medical documentation indicating that the cause is not infectious.
Common Cold: Sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, headaches, and body aches. Exclude until symptoms subside and exercise droplet precautions.
Pink Eye (Bacterial or viral conjunctivitis): Red/pink itchy, swollen eyes; eye discharge; possible light sensitivity; and/or eye pain. Exclude if the child/student has white or yellow drainage coming from the eye or eye pain, and until evaluated by a physician.
Strep throat (Streptococcal pharyngitis): Fever, red sore throat, swollen glands, strawberry tongue (occurs following peeling of a white coating from tongue): A very fine raised rash (feels like sandpaper) is present on the neck, chest, elbow, and groin. Exclude until 24 hours after beginning appropriate antimicrobial therapy and no longer have a fever.
Fever: 100 or above, with any accompanying symptoms, must be 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Undiagnosed Rash: Your child should not attend school until the rash has been diagnosed, treated and verified that the rash is not contagious.

ADPH Communicable Disease Chart

A current State of Alabama Certificate of Immunization is required for entry into Life Academy.

Mandatory Immunization Law - Each child enrolled in daycare, Head Start, and public or private school in Alabama must have a valid Alabama Certificate of Immunization on file at the facility that they attend. The certificate may be obtained from the physician or clinic that administers the vaccine or may be completed by any county health department in the state if the parent presents a vaccine record from the provider. For students who are moving to Alabama, out of state vaccine records must be transferred to the Alabama Certificate of Immunization prior to enrollment in daycare, Head Start, or school entry. This may be accomplished by taking a vaccine record from the provider to the local county health department, or if a physician in Alabama has been chosen by the family, the record may be transposed by the physician.

The State of Alabama does not recognize philosophical, moral or ethical exemption from vaccination. A medical exemption may be used by a physician or an Alabama Certificate of Religious Exemption may be obtained from the local county health department. Attendees of daycare and Head Start must be age-appropriately vaccinated against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Haemophilus Influenza Type B, Polio, and Chickenpox.

Students who require medications during school hours must have a completed School Medication Prescriber/Parent Authorization form (PPA) along with the medication in its original container. A parent/guardian must deliver all medications to the school nurse. All controlled substances are to be signed in and counted by a parent/guardian with the school nurse. Self-medication is only allowed under specific conditions and should be discussed with the school nurse. A PPA and Self-Medication Authorization form must be completed.

Procedures for Administering Prescription Medication to Students
School Medication Form

Students that require routine and emergency medications, medical procedures or meal accommodations at school must have the proper forms completed and on file at school. Please download and print the necessary forms to be completed by your child’s healthcare provider and submit them to your child’s school nurse. Parents/guardians are encouraged to proactively share any concerns about their child’s health with their school nurse.

School Medication Form

Meal Accommodation Form

Gastrostomy Tube Form
Clean Intermittent Catheterization Form