In collaboration with students and parents, Saint Andrew staff strives to create an environment which prevents illness and injury as well as promotes and maintains physical and emotional health with the ultimate goal to maximize the benefits of each child’s education experience.
Confidentiality
Saint Andrew School acknowledges that an individual’s health status is personal and private. Therefore any health and personal information is held confidentially with information shared only with school personnel who have regular contact with the student.
Immunizations
Illinois State Law requires proof of immunization for each student from the following diseases: Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Rubella, Measles, Mumps and Chicken Pox. All students from Kindergarten and up must have a Hepatitis B Vaccination. Please notify the school office in writing of any immunization updates. Forms are available in the school office. Proof of immunizations is REQUIRED prior to entry into the school year. If you fail to provide proof of immunization, your child may be excluded from school until missing immunizations are obtained and/or proof of immunization provided.
All students entering school for the first time, Early Childhood (except Transitions), Kindergarten and 6th Grade must provide proof of a current physical examination (within the past six months), immunizations and medical examination must be on file with the school prior to the beginning of the school year. Non-compliance with this State Law requires exclusion from school.
Communicable Diseases
Children with suspected or confirmed communicable diseases (i.e. pink eye, hand, foot and mouth disease, measles, strep infections and head lice) should be kept home from school until a physician determines that the child is no longer contagious. Saint Andrew School reserves the right to request that the child be removed from school and/or not return to school until he/she is no longer contagious. If your child is absent due to a confirmed communicable disease, please notify the school office immediately so that other parents can be informed. A doctor’s note may be required prior to allowing the child back into the classroom.
The school must be notified if a student has contracted head lice. Saint Andrew School reserves the right to conduct inspections for head lice. If head lice and/or lice nits are found on a child during the course of a school day, the child will be sent home from school to receive appropriate treatment. The child will be inspected by the school nurse or school representative prior to the student returning to classes. The students will be re-inspected 7-10 days following reentry into school once appropriate treatment has been initiated.
Medication
Compliance with the School Medication Procedures established for the administration of medication is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. State law forbids school personnel to administer any type of medication to students unless all appropriate and required authorization forms are completed and on file with the school office. When a child is on medication for a short term, immediately following an illness, the parent must determine if it is in the child’s and the school’s best interest to keep the student at home during the period of recuperation.
If medication is necessary to maintain the student in school, parents are asked to consult their physician in order to determine if the administration of the medication can be scheduled outside of school hours. If this is not possible, the ideal situation would be to have the parent or a responsible adult appointed by the parent, come to school to administer the medication. In the event that this cannot be done, the parent MUST adhere to the following regulations:
No medication can be administered and/or taken by a student during school hours or during a school related activity until the following criteria are met:
- Parent has read the Office of Catholic Schools School Medication Procedures
- Medical Authorization Forms have been thoroughly completed by the student’s parent and submitted to the school office.
- Medical Authorization Form, providing a written physician order for administration of medication, has been completed by the student’s physician and includes the following:
- Student’s name
- Date of Birth
- Diagnosis requiring medication
- Licensed medical provider signature
- Licensed medical provider’s phone & emergency phone numbers
- Name of medication, frequency and time of administration
- Purpose of medication
- Possible side effects of medication
- Date of prescription and date of order
- Discontinuation date
- Medication has been registered through the school office. Medication must be brought to the school office in the original packaging or an appropriately labeled container which includes the following:
- Student’s name
- Prescription number
- Medication name & dosage
- Time of day for administration
- Administration routine and/or other directions
NOTE: Medication intended to be administered by school personnel during school hours cannot be stored in the student’s backpack.
Storage and Maintenance of Medication
Medication can only be stored in the school office. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to keep track of expiration dates of medications. (If a parent wishes to have the student’s medication(s) stored in the classroom, a request must be submitted in writing at the time that the medication and required authorization forms are first brought into the school office). Each homeroom teacher will receive a list of all students in his/her classroom who have a medical condition.
Self-Administration of Medication (Asthma Only)
A student may self-administer Asthma medication at school if so ordered by his/her licensed prescriber AND all Medication Authorization Forms are thoroughly completed and submitted to the school office. The Medication Authorization Form must contain a written statement signed by the licensed prescriber and the parent/guardian verifying the necessity and the student’s ability to self-administer the medication appropriately.
Allergies
If a student has an allergy which may require medication for an urgent/emergency situation (i.e. should an allergen be ingested and/or come into contact with the student) we request that the school be provided with two sets of response medications (EpiPen, Benadryl, etc). In an effort to improve the response time to an allergic reaction, one set of medication will be stored in the school office or classroom and the second set will be stored in the lunchroom.
Reporting Child Abuse
By law, the State of Illinois requires school personnel to inform the Department of Children and Family Services of any allegation/suspicion of child abuse/neglect.