School Nurses

Should I keep my child home or send him or her to school?

The following are guidelines for deciding if your child should stay home.

Call your doctor if your child has these signs:

• Has a fever of 101.0 degrees or higher
• Has been vomiting or has diarrhea
• Has symptoms that keep your child from participating in school, such as:
  • Cough that he or she cannot control, sneezing often
  • Headache, body aches, or earache
  • Sore Throat – a little sore throat is ok for school, but a bad sore throat could be strep throat, even if there is no fever. Other signs of strep throat in children are a headache and stomach upset, or rash. A special test is needed to know if it is strep throat.
• In general, keep your child home if he is coughing or sneezing often because this spreads the sickness to others.

24 Hour Rule:

• FEVER: Keep your child home until his or her FEVER has been gone WITHOUT medicine for 24 hrs. Returning to school too soon may slow recovery and make others sick.
• VOMITING OR DIARRHEA: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the LAST time he or she vomited or had diarrhea.
• ANITBIOTICS: Keep your child home until 24 hours after the FIRST dose of antibiotics for anything like ear infection or strep throat.

We often have many children and adults with colds coming to school, and each one is passing their sickness to others. Please help us keep our school family healthy by keeping your child home when sick.

Contact:

Donna Cushman - x1771
dcushman@dimanregional.org

Tracy Cusick, RN - X1770
tcusick@dimanregional.org

• Annual Emergency Information Form
• Administration of Medication Procedure
• Caring for someone with Covid-19
• MIAA Sports Medical Questionnaire/Parent Consent Form
• Release to Return to Participate in Vocational Educational Setting
• Sick Day Guidelines
• Verbal substance use preventive screening letter
• Wellness Policy

Please review the immunization requirements for all Massachusetts students. An updated physical exam is also required at this time. If your child has a physical during the current school year, please send a copy to the school nurse so we may update our records. If your child has not had a recent physical, please make an appointment with your primary care physician. Your child will not be allowed to enter Diman Regional without meeting these state requirements.

If you would like to be able to schedule an appointment for your child or have your child seen by the HealthFirst physician or nurse in the future, you must complete this consent form: HealthFirst Consent Form

• Your student can receive routine care during the school day so they don't miss that much school. SBHC's can help manage a child's chronic disease, such as asthma.
• SBHC services complement the work of the school nurses. The SBHC provides a referral site for students without a primary care provider, or students needing additional care.This allows students to receive the next level of care without missing an entire day of school for an outside medical appointment.
• Getting health care for your child can be complicated. Many doctors can only see patients during the school day, and parents may have difficulty (transportation, work) getting to the appointment. SBHC’s make going to the doctor simple — kids can just walk down the hall.
• SBHC’s work hard to keep parents/guardians in the loop about their child’s health. Parents/guardians might be invited to participate in the visit via phone or computer — or even in person. Between visits, SBHC’s may follow up with parents/guardians via letters, phone calls, notes on secure websites, or even home visits.
• Studies show that teens, who might resist going to a doctor, are more willing to get help for problems like depression, anxiety, and weight issues at the SBHC. This might be because they see the health center's staff at school each day, which helps build trust.

• Yes, parents are welcome to come to appointments but they are not required.

• No, all students are eligible for care at the SBHC, regardless of their ability to pay.
• We accept most forms of public/private health insurance. If you do not have insurance, we will help schedule an appointment with our Insurance Enrollment Coordinator who can help determine if you qualify for assistance, and help you enroll in the program that best fits your needs.

• That's okay! Your child doesn't have to change their primary care provider if you don't want to! Your child can still come to the SBHC and we will coordinate with their doctor.

• The School-Based Health Center is open when school is open. If your child gets sick and the School-Based Health Center is closed, please contact your child’s primary care provider.
• If your child has already received care at the SBHC and you need assistance after hours please call: HealthFirst Family Care Center at 508-679-8111
  • HealthFirst provides 24-hour emergency call coverage 7 days a week
  • A provider will respond within 60 minutes
  • In case of Emergency, dial 911

Through your SBHC your student can access medical services during school hours.

Annual Check-UpImmunizationsSick visitsSore throat, coughStomach painsFlu and ColdAsthma and other chronic illnessesIllness, injuries, and infectionsWeight ManagementHealth Education Acne Sports exams Help to quit smoking, drinking, and drug use Menstrual problems Contraceptive counseling and services*

Massachusetts law allows minors to consent to contraceptive and STI services. This means that your student may access these services without parental consent and knowledge at any medical office.