Faculty Handbook Section XI: Health Services and Procedures A. Health Services 1. Physical Exam 2. Immunizations 3. Allergy Policy B. Universal Precautions C. Medical Care 1. Addressing Minor Injuries a. Minor Scrapes and Cuts b. Head Injuries c. Emergency Medical Attention d. Accident Report Procedures 2. School Nurse D. Administration of Medicines in School 1. Responsibility of the School Nurse 2. Responsibility of the Family 3. Responsibility of St,. Thomas’s Day School E. Infectious Diseases F. Health Recommendations for Exclusion from School G. Head Lice H. Concussion I. HIV, AIDS, and Other Infectious Diseases J. Appendix for Section IX Section XI: Health Services and Procedures 1 ​Faculty Handbook Section XI: Health Services and Procedures A. Health Services St. Thomas’s Day School does not employ a nurse or a doctor on staff. However, a school nurse from the New Haven Public Schools visits St. Thomas’s Day School one day a week to check records and provide care for students who are sick or injured. On days when the nurse is not available, the Administrative Assistant in the Front Office will assist children who are sick or hurt. Teachers should be mindful that the Administrative Assistant has many responsibilities and can therefore only address emergencies. Minor scrapes and bumps should be addressed in the classroom by Head Teachers. 1. Physical Exam All children must have a completed health form with an immunization records on file in the school office prior to the first day of school. Students without a health form will not be allowed to attend classes. After admittance, students in Kindergarten, third and sixth grades are required to have new physical exams which are kept on file in the main office. 6th graders without an up to date health form will not be allowed to graduate. 2. Immunizations Childhood vaccinations protect communities from serious life-threatening diseases. We expect all students to be fully immunized unless documentation demonstrates: 1. Your child is on a “catch up” schedule. 2. Your child has a medical contraindication to vaccination. 3. Your family has elected the “religious exemption” to vaccination. The Connecticut State Department of Education (“SDE”) and Department of Public Health revised the Regulations regarding immunization requirements for school entry. Effective August 1, 2011, students must comply with several new immunization requirements prior to school entry in prekindergarten, kindergarten and seventh grade. Among the regulatory changes are requirements that all students entering prekindergarten and kindergarten receive adequate vaccination for hepatitis A and pneumococcal diseases; students entering kindergarten and seventh grade show proof of receipt of a second dose of varicella vaccine; and students in kindergarten through twelfth grade show proof of receipt of a second dose of rubella and mumps vaccine. Further, all students attending public school prekindergarten programs must now receive the influenza vaccine during the flu season they attend such programs, and all students entering seventh grade must show proof of having received the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) booster vaccine and meningococcal vaccine.” 3. Allergy Policy St Thomas’s Day School is not a nut free school. Children with life threatening allergies (e.g. food, latex, bee sting) must have epinephrine and an Allergy Action Section XI: Health Services and Procedures 2 Plan at school. Please refer to the Medication Policy for details about medications. We encourage all families to follow new guidelines with regard to the ‘Allergy Action Plan’. These updated forms recommend that Benadryl/diphenhydramine be omitted from your child’s ‘Allergy Action Plan’. Please obtain the most up to date ‘Allergy Action Plan’ form and discuss it with your child’s medical provider. B. Universal Precautions St. Thomas's is concerned about the spread of serious infections within the school setting. We are accustomed to reacting to infections only when we notice signs or symptoms of illness. Then we rely on exclusion policies to control disease. Unfortunately, the germs causing a disease are often spread days before children appear ill. Infections like colds, diarrhea diseases and skin and eye infections are often contagious three to ten days before you might notice a symptom. Other diseases have a longer incubation period. Germs are spread through contact with respiratory droplets, body wastes, and blood. Rather than waiting to find out who is contagious, we must treat everyone as a potentially infected person. The name of this method is Universal Precautions and it gives a set of guidelines for contact with body fluids and wastes that carry germs. ● Wash hands frequently and well. When you arrive and leave; after ​ wiping/blowing your nose or a child's; before and after toileting, changing a diaper, or assisting a child with toileting; before and after food preparation. Hand sanitizers are installed throughout the school. ● Proper waste disposal. Line all trash cans; use trash cans with lids; bag any soiled ​ first aid wipes or rubber gloves. ● Use gloves for extra protection. With the current concerns regarding the spread ​ of hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, disposable gloves should be worn when dealing with blood or fecal material. ● Bleach. Soap and water make a good cleaning solution, but to sanitize any soiled ​ areas such as counters, use bleach and water (one tablespoon bleach per quart of water) or the school provided sanitizing solution. C. Medical Care All faculty and staff at St. Thomas’s Day School are required to obtain and update Red Cross and CPR training. As a result, teachers and staff members should work together to address medical concerns when they arise. Minor scrapes and cuts should be addressed in the classroom by the classroom teacher when possible. Children who are sick or need more intense medical care should be sent to the Main Office. There is a Nurse’s Station in the Main Office where children who become ill after the start of school may lie down until their parents can come and take them home. This space is also the space where children come when accidents occur. When the Nurse is not available, the Administrative Assistant in the Main Office will provide medical care. If the injury is serious, he/she will contact a parent. 1. Addressing Injuries a. Minor Scrapes and Cuts When a child gets a minor skin scrape or cut, the teacher or child should wash the scrape with mild soap and lukewarm water. The area should be dried thoroughly and the wound covered with a sterile gauze pad and tape or a simple Band-Aid. Teachers should always wear gloves as a precaution Section XI: Health Services and Procedures 3 when dealing with bodily fluids such as blood. Children should only be sent to the Main Office for a medical attention if the cut is severe or the teacher is unable to address the issue safely. b. Head Injuries Most head trauma involves injuries that are minor and don't require specialized attention or hospitalization. However, even minor injuries may cause persistent chronic symptoms, such as headache or difficulty concentrating, and may require some time away from normal activities. Minor head injuries should be watched and the child asked to engage in quiet activities for awhile. If a serious head injury occurs, the teacher involved should call for help or send an older child to the Main Office to get assistance immediately. The area should be secured to make sure that the other children are safe and the injury should be assessed. If there is bleeding, the bleeding should be stopping by applying firm ​ pressure to the wound with sterile gauze or a clean cloth. Direct pressure should not be applied to the wound if there is suspicion of a skull fracture. The child should remain immobile and the teacher should watch for changes in breathing and alertness. If the child shows no signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement), the teacher should begin CPR. An ambulance should be called and the parents contacted as soon as possible. c. Emergency Medical Attention In the event that a serious injury occurs and emergency medical attention is required (i.e., broken bone, open wound, concussion, etc.,), teachers should use the following guidelines: ● The child should remain immobile with an adult who will administer simple first aid as required. ● The teacher should send another adult or older child to the Main Office to get assistance. ● The parent will be called and if necessary an ambulance (911). ● If the parent cannot be reached and the child must be transported to the hospital, the child's classroom teacher will accompany the child and remain with him/her until a parent or guardian arrives. ● The child's medical records and emergency card must be taken to the hospital if the parent or guardian cannot be reached. ● The school will continue to try to reach the parent or guardian. ● The Head of School must be apprised of the situation at all times. d. Accident Report Procedures Any accident requiring first aid treatment must be documented with an accident report. This form may be located in the Main Office and on the Faculty Intranet on the school webpage. Teachers should keep several copies of the Accident Report form in their classrooms in case of an emergency. When an accident requiring first aid occurs, one copy of the Accident Report Section XI: Health Services and Procedures 4 is given to the parent and the other is for the nurse's file in the Main Office. For all but the most minor situations, it is advisable for the head teacher to notify the parents of the child's injury in person or by phone before the child goes home. 2. School Nurse St. Thomas’s Day School does not employ a nurse or a doctor on staff.