Frequently Asked Questions

The health and safety of the children of Community ISD are the primary concern of the school faculty and staff.

· What happens if my child gets sick at school?

· Should I keep my child home from school because of illness?

· What type of health screenings can I expect my child to receive while in school?

· What if my child needs to be excused from physical education because of an injury or health problem?

· How do I know if my child has head lice?

 

What happens if my child gets sick at school?

Parents/guardians will be contacted when it is determined that a student should be sent home as a result of illness or injury.  Students can only be released to the designated persons listed on the student emergency card.

 

Should I keep my child home from school because of illness?

Illness can affect your child’s ability to learn and pose health risk to others. It is important for parents to keep children home from the following reasons:

· A temperature of 100 degrees or above. Parents are requested to keep their children home until they have been free of fever for 24 hours without medication

· Has vomited during the night or in the morning

· Has persistent diarrhea during the night or into the morning

To protect children from contagious illness, student infected with certain diseases are not allowed to come to school while contagious.  Parents of a student with a communicable or contagious disease should phone the school nurse or principal so that other students who have been exposed to the disease can be alerted.  These diseases include:

Chicken pox

Measles

Common Cold with fever

Meningitis

Fifth Disease

Mumps

Gastroenteritis, viral

Pinkeye (conjunctivitis)

Rubella (German Measles)

Hepatitis (specify type)

Scabies

Impetigo

Streptococcal disease

Infectious Mononucleosis

Tuberculosis

Influenza

If a communicable disease develops, children should stay at home until recovery is complete.

Contact the school nurse when your child should return to school.  If your child has a special medical need, please call the office so a conference can be set up with his/her teacher(s). We need to be aware of the correct procedures for your child if she/he experiences seizures, severe allergies, etc.

 

What type of health screenings can I expect my child to receive while in school?

Your Brave Health Team conducts vision and hearing screenings on all new students, and all children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first, third, fifth and seventh grades. We also conduct screenings if a parent or teacher requests the procedure.  Once a child is identified as having a problem, a referral letter will be mailed to the parent. It is important to remember that a screening will not detect all vision and hearing  problems nor identify all children with hearing/vision difficulties.

 

Spinal Screenings

 

Spinal screenings on young people during the high-risk years seem to be the best way to detect spinal deformities.  Without screening, referral and treatment, mild curves may progress into severe scoliosis, a sideways twisting of the spine.  All students in the fifth and eighth grades will have a scoliosis screening. Parents will receive a notification letter one month prior to the screening.  Parents will be notified in writing if a professional evaluation is recommended.

Dental and blood pressure screenings are available upon request.

 

What if my child needs to be excused from physical education because of an injury or health problem?

A written doctor’s statement is necessary to excuse a child from participating in physical education class.

 

How do I know if my child has head lice?

Head lice are tiny insects passed from human to human that live on the scalp.  They lay eggs (nits) that are cemented to the hair shaft and cannot be easily removed.  The adult lice are grayish white and re 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length.  Lice cannot hop, jump or fly.

 

What to watch for:

· Your child may scratch their head repeatedly

· Watch for skin redness at the nape of the neck and over the ears

· Inspect the scalp for the nits and adult crawling lice. Part the hair and inspect small sections. Use a good light.

· The eggs are found 1/4 inch from the scalp, are cemented to the hair shaft and will not wash off.

· The most common place to find the eggs and lice are the crown, nape of the neck, and over the ears.

 

What to do if you find eggs or lice:

· Safe medications are available over the counter at most pharmacies

· Follow the label directions

· Treat all combs and brushes with medications

· Wash all clothing and bed linens used during the last 2 days. Wash in water that is at least 120 degrees.

· Dry cleaning will also kill lice

· Vacuuming the carpet, couches, and chairs is sufficient.