Dear Parent or Guardian:

Greetings from your school health room!

Our goal is to ensure that your student enjoys a healthful, safe school year.  Please read the following information carefully and, if you have any questions, feel free to call either your school health aide, Jacqueline Osborne or the school public health nurse, Lynn Kiewel, at 703-802-7710.

Your school clinic services include:

1. Care of sick and injured students according to school guidelines.
2. Hearing and vision screening (grades K, 3, 7, 10, new to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), and those students referred by teachers and parents).
3. Administration of care for students with identified problems or conditions during the school day.
4. Coordination of care for students with identified problems or conditions during the school day.

How can you help your school clinic provide the best possible care?

• Advise the school health aide and the public health nurse of any special health concerns.
• Immediately notify the physical education (PE) teacher if your child has any PE restrictions.
• Provide current home, work, and alternate telephone numbers for the Emergency Care Information form.  Generally, a student may remain in the clinic for 15 minutes.  After that, if he or she is still feeling ill, parents will be called to take the student home.
• Keep sick children home.  It is difficult for students to concentrate or do school work when not feeling well.
• Children who have fevers (temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher), vomiting, or diarrhea are not able to stay in school.  It is best for children to be at home for 24 hours after these conditions resolve.
• When medication must be administered during the school day, please follow the guidelines established in the current version of FCPS Regulation 2102:

1. Complete the FCPS Medication Authorization forms (available online at www.fcps.edu).
2. Provide the school with properly labeled containers (your pharmacist will usually provide an extra container if you request it).
3. Medications must be transported to and from school by a parent or guardian; except, with parent or guardian approval, a high school student may carry over-the-counter (OTC) medications to and from the school clinic.
4. Medications must be kept in the school clinic or other school-approved location.
5. OTC medications may be given up to ten consecutive school days with the parent’s or guardian’s signature on the FCPS Medication Authorization form before a physician’s authorization is required.
6. OTC medications that are pain relievers may be given as needed throughout the school year with only the parent’s or guardian’s signature on part I of the FCPS Medication Authorization form.
7. Cough drops and throat lozenges may be carried and used by students in kindergarten through grade 12 as needed throughout the school year, provided that they are in the original container or packaging.  Students must not share cough drops or throat lozenges under any circumstances
8. All medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than the student dismissal time on the last day of school.  Medication left in the health room after that time will be discarded.  .

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in helping to make this a safe and healthy school year for all FCPS students.