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Brenda J. Conover, RN, MSN, CPNP
bconover@pemb.orgPhone: 609-893-8141 ext:1561
Valerie Chapman, MSN, RN, CSN-NJ
Phone: 609-893-8141 ext:1562
FAX: 609-795-3989
One of the problems most often confronting school-age children occurs when a child complains of not feeling well on a school day. A decision must be made as to whether or not the child goes to school. What do you do? How do you make the right decision? You don't want to keep him home sick if he's not sick, but you don't want to send a sick child to school. Some guidelines to consider at times like this are:
COVID symptoms: Covid is still in our communities. If your student has fever, dry cough, and difficulty breathing; please keep them home and have them tested for covid. At this time the quarantine period for covid is five days. If your child is diagnosed with covid, please call the school health office and make us aware of the date of diagnosis so we can excuse your child and give you a return date.
FEVER: Fever is a warning that all is not right with the body. No child with a temperature of 100.0 or more should go to school. DO NOT SEND THE CHILD TO SCHOOL UNTIL HE HAS BEEN FREE OF FEVER FOR 24 HOURS WITHOUT THE HELP OF MEDICINE.
COMMON COLD: Children with heavy cold symptoms and hacking coughs should remain at home.
SORE THROAT: A child with a sore throat but without other symptoms may attend school, but if white spots can be seen or fever is present, keep the child home and contact your doctor.
RASHES: Do not send a child to school if they have a rash unless your doctor indicates it is safe to do so.
VOMITING AND DIARRHEA: Keep home and consult your doctor if stomach ache persists or it is severe.
TOOTHACHE: Seek doctor's advice as soon as possible.
EARACHE: Contact your doctor without delay.
HEADACHE: If there are no other symptoms, the child usually need not stay home.
PEDICULOSIS (LICE): The presence of lice infestation is easily recognized. Intense itching of the scalp is usually the primary complaint. Upon examination of the hair, nits (eggs) can become firmly attached to the hair shaft about 1/2 inch from the scalp. Gray insect-like parasites may be seen. STUDENTS CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL WHEN ALL EVIDENCE OF LICE IS GONE. Parents must continue to check students' heads for nits each night and remove any that are seen, as they can hatch, allowing the lice cycle to continue.
REMINDER: Please do not send cough drops to school with your child. They are considered medication and may not be taken in school without a note from the doctor.**Immunization Update**
Please contact your child’s Health care provider, to ensure your Child‘s Immunizations are up to date.
State law requires an annual flu vaccine each Fall for children under 5 and one dose of DTP, Polio and MMR to be given on or after the 4th birthday before entering Kindergarten.School Health Screening Program:
Each year by state statute, all students will have health screenings done for height, weight, blood pressure, hearing, vision and dental. Any concerns will be written down on a Screening Referral Update form and sent home so that you can have your child evaluated by their pediatrician. *If you would like to opt out of the school screening program, you can instead submit a current physical at the start of each school year with the height, weight, blood pressure, hearing, vision, and dental recorded.
Other Important Medical Forms
Medication PolicyPemberton Township Local Health Resources
Universal Child Health Record - A Current Universal Health Form needs to filled out and returned to your school nurse prior to starting school. You will need parts of the form to be filled out by your family physician, and must be signed and stamped by the physician's office.
Emergency Information Verification Form - It is very import to have a current Emergency Information Verification Form on file with the school Nurse. This is used to contact you when you child is not feeling well, and needs to filled out and returned to your school nurse at the start of each school year.
Request for Medication Administration - This form is REQUIRED to be filled out by your family physician, and must be signed and stamped by the physician's office when your child needs to take medication while at school. **Do not use this form for students who require inhalers or epi-pens. Special forms have been developed for those medications,and they are available futher down on this page.**
Allergies Forms - If your child has a potentially life threathing of allergy (food, latex, etc.) you will need to fill out the allergies forms and return the school nurse at the start of each school year. You will need parts of the form to be filled out by your family physician, and must be signed and stamped by the physician's office.
Bee Sting Allergy, Please Complete the Epi-Pen Packet
Food Allergy Questionnaire
Epi-Pen Packet
Asthma Forms - If your child has any type of asthma you will need to fill out the asthma forms and return the school nurse at the start of each school year. You will need parts of the form to be filled out by your family physician, and must be signed and stamped by the physician's office.
Asthma/RAD (Reactive Airway Disease) Treatment Plan
Diabetes Forms - Please contact the nurse's office concerning any diabetic forms. Most doctors’ offices will only use their forms concerning diabetic students. We will accept your doctor’s forms as long as no important information is missing per state law. If any needed information is missing, we will give you that section for your doctor to complete.
If you do not have health insurance or your health insurance does not cover immunizations, you may contact the Burlington County Health Department at 609-265-5526 to arrange for low cost immunizations. Southern Jersey Family Medical Center can also provide immunizations on a sliding scale fee and can be reached at 609-894-1100.
Please call or E-mail our office with any questions or concerns you may have about any of the above information. We are here to help you and your student.
