Student Health

MEDICAL SERVICES

Studies have documented that healthy students perform better in school. Pike Road Schools will have ongoing activities that help prevent the spread of communicable diseases and help our students stay healthy. We encourage you to contact the school nurse with questions to help your child stay healthy.

INDIVIDUALIZED HEALTH PLANS

Annually, you should inform your building-level nurse of any medical history/diagnosis relevant to your child’s schooling. Please make an appointment with your school’s clinic nurse every year before the first day of school to discuss any significant health information (diabetes, epilepsy, anaphylaxis, catheterization, and daily medications, for example) to decide if an Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) is needed. This plan should be made, agreed upon, and signed before the beginning of each school year. The IHP will inform those who have educational contact with your child about their daily health needs and provides school employees with much-needed information in an emergency. 

Illness

If a learner becomes ill at school, the lead learner will send the learner to the school nurse. The nurse or trained designee will check the learner's temperature, and, as necessary or required, the school nurse will contact the learner's parent(s). Learners who present with no exclusion criteria are given the option to call home on their own. Together, you and your child can decide if you feel they should go home. If you check out your child and they have no exclusion criteria, you will need to provide an excuse note for them per usual protocol. We recommend you encourage your child to remain at school if you know they tend to malinger. If, on the other hand, your child rarely complains, please feel free to keep them at home when ill, even if they do not present with any exclusion criteria. In light of the recent pandemic, please keep in mind any respiratory symptoms should be treated as potential COVID-19, and proper precautions should be taken to prevent the spread.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Students will be required to check out and may not return to school (excluded) for at least 24 hours for:

  • Vomiting as the only symptom (24 hours past the last episode of vomiting)
  • Acute diarrhea as the only symptom (24 hours past the last episode of diarrhea)
  • Other suspected contagious infection/rash as identified by the school nurse

Covid-19

COVID-19 symptom-specific exclusion criteria will be updated as new guidance is made available by the CDC, ADPH, Alabama State Department of Education, and Pike Road Board of Education o Please check our COVID-19 Dashboard for the latest guidance.

INJURY

Small scrapes and cuts will be cleaned and bandaged by a lead learner, paraprofessional, or school nurse. Parents may be notified about the situation by designated school personnel.

In the event of a significant injury to a student, every effort will be made to contact a parent as quickly as possible. Current phone numbers and contact information must be on file with the registrar’s office (not just updated with your lead learner) so that parents/guardians can be contacted promptly.

If a serious injury occurs, emergency services will be called, and the child will be transported if it is determined to be in the best interest of the child. Parents/Guardians are responsible for any expenses incurred from transporting the child.

LICE

Head lice is not specifically a 24-hour exclusion, rather the child will need to remain home until all nits are removed from the hair.  We have adopted this policy due to the likelihood of head-to-head contact in our specific school setting (we do not sit at individual desks. Active learning in a collaborative environment includes working near other learners.

MEDICATION GENERAL INFORMATION

Medications of any kind (prescription or over-the-counter (OTC)) should not be carried by any learner without the proper paperwork on file with the school nurse (this includes field trips).  Daily prescription medications, non-emergent OTC medications, and controlled substances are not allowed to be carried in person (self-carry). They must be stored in the locked medication cabinet in the nurse’s office. Please read the information below very carefully concerning medications in the school setting.

The Alabama Board of Nursing, Alabama State Department of Education, and Pike Road Board of Education have strict guidelines regarding medications in the school setting. A School Medication Prescriber Parent Authorization (PPA) form must be completed for prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medication. These forms must be signed by your doctor and by a parent/guardian; please read the form carefully and completely before returning it to the nurse’s office. These forms are available on the PRS website, in the main office, and the school clinic.

Initial drop-offs and refills of daily medications to be administered by the school nurse must be brought to the nurse’s office by a parent/guardian during school hours by appointment only. No medications will be accepted on the first day of school. You should be prepared to drop off daily medications before the first day of school; our nurses have a very busy day on the first day and do not have the time to properly take in prescriptions that day. The administrative work involved in keeping medication at school is extensive and requires some prep work. Please be prepared to provide the name and dose of the medication while making the appointment. When the medication is dropped off, it will be counted by the nurse with the expectation that the parent/guardian will provide a witness signature for all controlled substances.  

Medications must be picked up before the last workday of the school year. Parents should understand that if they do not pick up the medication, it will be destroyed. We do not store medications or medical devices over the summer.

REFILLS

Learners should never bring a refill of medication in their backpack or on their person. Repeat offense of this will result in an office referral for disciplinary action. Some of these medications can be misappropriated for profit or abuse. In addition, if one of these medications were accidentally or intentionally shared with another learner, it could be deadly. These regulations are in place to protect our learners, the school district, and the parent/guardian. We can never be too vigilant regarding narcotic medications in a school setting (Ritalin, Focalin, Vyvanse, Quillivent, Adderal, etc.). Additionally, no narcotic (opioids such as Percocet, oxycodone, Vicodin, tramadol, etc.) pain medication will be administered or allowed in the school setting; if a learner is in enough pain to require opioid medications, they should stay home.

PRESCRIPTION LABELS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION

All prescription medication must have a valid prescription label, with the correct dosage instructions that are not expired (this includes Epi-pens and asthma inhalers).  This can be a copy of the box or an extra label from the pharmacy, but we must have a pharmacy label for EVERY prescription medication.  

OTC medications must be in an unopened container from the manufacturer and appropriate for age. For example, do not bring adult Tylenol or Advil to be administered to your elementary-age learner. The package must have an age-appropriate label.   

SELF CARRY MEDICATIONS

No medication of any kind should be carried or self-administered by a student without the proper paperwork signed and filed with the school nurse. Learners are not allowed to self-carry any controlled substances at PRS. All controlled substances must be locked under a double lock and key for safety.  

If a student is approved by a physician to self-carry a medication such as an inhaler, epi-pen, or insulin, please complete the self-carry contract in the nurse’s office to ensure the child is aware of his/her responsibilities when it comes to having medication on their person.

Information and Laws Related to School Health

Sunscreen

Backpack

Meningitis

Diabetes Law

Influenza Act

Vaccine Law