Health & Medicine

Nurse’s office: Our nurse is available to attend to students who become ill or who are injured while in school.  Students who need to go to the nurse’s office should ask their teacher or the adult in charge for permission to go to the nurse.  The nurse maintains health records for all students.  Parents are encouraged to contact the nurse’s office to inform the school of any health problems.  The school nurse works in partnership with parents, teachers and students.  Injuries sometimes occur at school – The school nurse will notify you if your child is severely injured.  Please keep all contact information up to date.

Food Allergy Awareness: We have several students at Matthew Paterson Elementary School with a variety of life threatening food allergies.  Please remind your student the importance of not sharing food items during snack time or lunch time.  We are a nut-aware school, please consider peanut and nut free snack items which will be eaten in the classrooms to help insure the safety of all students.

Medication: New York State Law governs administration of medication in schools.  School personnel cannot dispense internal medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter, without both a doctor’s written order and parental consent.  All class trips must have parental approval and a doctor’s note if administration the day of the trip is not a necessity.  If medication is warranted, a parent must accompany the child.  In some cases, as in the fourth grade outdoor education programs, a nurse will be provided by the district.

Students may not bring medication to school.  The parent must bring the medication in the original bottle from the pharmacy with the label attached including the doctor’s name, phone number and directions or orders.

The parent must apprise the school nurse of medical conditions and medication.  Please do not make any assumptions that the school need not know about a problem.  Your child’s safety and well being are paramount in school and at home.

Scoliosis screening: New York State Law requires that each child between the ages of 8-16 be provided with Scoliosis Screening.  School appointed personnel will conduct the screening.  Parents will be notified prior to the event so children can be appropriately dressed for screening.  Efforts are made to make the experience private and discreet.

Lice: From time to time a few homes are affected by a lice situation.  Having lice is an uncomfortable condition that may feel embarrassing to the child and the family.  However, having lice is not an unusual situation at school and each year a few homes are affected.  Students are sent home when lice is detected. Should lice be detected in a classroom all children in that class will be checked.  You will receive a call from the school nurse who will help you deal with how to help your child and what to do in your home.  You will need to apply a special product to your child’s hair.  The nurse will ask you to check your family’s hair for five days.  It is important to take care of the bedding also.

Immunizations:  NYS law requires that all students be immunized against polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B and 1 dose of Vericell and/or a Dr.’s diagnosis before entering school.  Varicella is for students born on or before 1998.  If you have questions, the school nurse is available to assist you.

Emergency Health Cards: These are extremely important should we need to contact you in case of an emergency.  If any changes in emergency contacts or phone numbers should occur during the school year, please notify the school nurse and the Main Office.

Physical Examinations & Health Screening:  All new students and those in Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 3 are required by state law to have a physical examination.  It is recommended that you have this completed by your family physician.  If a student has not had a documented physical, the school physician will conduct physicals in the health office.  All students are checked annually for height, weight, vision and hearing.  At some time during their elementary years, students are screened for color perception and farsightedness.  They are also examined for scoliosis after age nine.

Communicable Disease Control:  Always notify the school nurse if your child is diagnosed with a communicable disease.  Once alerted to communicable disease, the nurse works to prevent the spread.  From time to time, notices will be sent home with students alerting parents of specific health problems.  Please take the time to read these notices and follow any directions that relate to your child.

Doctor’s Notes: A Doctor’s note is required if a student is not able to participate in physical education or recess. The note should include the reason and length of time the student is to be restricted.

Students are not allowed to carry prescription or over-the-counter medications (including cold medications, aspirin, etc.) while in school or on the school bus.  In the event that your child should need medication during the school day, please follow these guidelines.

1. A parent should deliver the medication directly to the school nurse.

2. The nurse must have written instructions from the child’s doctor for both prescription and over-the-counter medications which indicates the reason, the frequency and dosage to be dispensed.

3. The nurse must also have written permission from the parent to dispense the medication as prescribed by the physician.

4. Prescription medications must be in the original container and should include the student’s name, name of the medication, dosage and frequency. Please ask your pharmacist to dispense the medication in two containers – one for school and one for home.

5. A parent should contact their child’s teacher about how medication will be administered on a class trip.