Mission Statement
The school nurse is to provide for the daily healthcare of students in order to maximize their learning potential. The school nurse maintains student health records, performs state required health screenings, and administers doctor prescribed medications. The school nurse responds to school illnesses and accidents and conducts health related classroom instruction, serving as a consultant for health related matters.
Required Immunizations
The following immunizations must be completed before your child can be admitted to the school. Medical or religious exceptions to this requirement can be explained by the school nurse and require a parent/guardian signature:
- Diphtheria and Tetanus (DT): Four or more doses of vaccine, one of which must be given at age four or older.
- Polio: four properly spaced doses of vaccine or third dose given at age four or older (new mandate).
- Rubella (German Measles), Measles, and Mumps: two doses of vaccine, the first at twelve (12) months of age or older.
- Hepatitis B: three properly spaced doses of vaccine
- Varicella (Chicken Pox) Immunity: Varicella vaccine or history of disease (two doses of Varicella vaccine or history of disease is required for all students)
Children attending 7th grade need the following immunizations:
- 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) (if 5 years has elapsed since last tetanus immunization)
- 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)
Children attending 12th grade need two doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV, new mandate)
If your child is exempt from immunizations for medical reasons or religious beliefs he/she may be removed from school during an outbreak.
A child may be admitted to school if there is documentation that one dose of each of the above immunizations has been given. All mandated immunizations must be completed by the 5th day of school. Your child will be excluded from attending school after this unless a written medical plan signed by your healthcare provider with scheduled completion dates is provided.
Required Health Examinations
Pennsylvania mandates the following health examinations as indicated:
- Physicals -- school entry, grades 6 and 11
- Dental -- school entry, grades 3 and 7
- Hearing -- school entry, grades 1, 2, 3, 7, and 11
- Vision -- all grades
- Height, Weight & BMI -- all grades
- Scoliosis -- grade 7
Parents are urged to have physical and dental examinations completed by their family physician or dentist and submitted prior to September 30 of the year that they are due. A completed exam dated no earlier than September, one year prior to the required grade, is acceptable
Communicable Diseases
It is imperative that the health office be notified if your child contracts a communicable disease. Children are excluded from school for the following common diseases:
- Chicken Pox: excluded until at least six days after the last outbreak of “pox”.
- Conjunctivitis, Acute (“Pink Eye”): excluded until prescribed treatment for 24 hours.
- Head Lice: Excluded until treated with a pediculocide shampoo and combed for nit removal. Students must be checked by the school nurse before being readmitted to school and must be nit free.
- Impetigo: excluded until judged non-infective by the child’s physician.
- Measles: excluded until four days from onset of rash.
- Mumps: excluded nine days from the onset or until swelling subsides.
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough): excluded four weeks from onset or seven days from start of antibiotic treatment.
- Ringworm: excluded until treatment begins.
- Rubella (German Measles): excluded four days from the onset of rash.
- Scabies: excluded until determined to be non-infective by the child's physician.
- Shingles: excluded until judged non-infective by the child’s physician (all lesions must be crusted over).
- Streptococcal Pharyngitis (Strep Throat and Scarlet Fever): excluded until 24 hours after treatment has begun.
Pennridge also reserves the right to exclude children from school based on the following criteria:
- Illness that prevents the child from participating in activities (such as diarrhea and vomiting)
- Fever (100 degrees or higher). Students may not return to school until free of fever without fever reducing medication for 24 hours.
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