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Health Services

From the Nurse's Desk

Dear Parents/ Guardians:

Welcome to a new school year at Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools. We are excited to begin the new school year and look forward to meeting and interacting with you and your child.

Immunizations and Physicals
In order to maintain the health and safety of our students and staff, and to ensure compliance to all state laws we require a completed immunization record to be on file for every student within the first 14 days of their admission into our district. Once this record is on file, only updates need to be forwarded to our building clinics. If your child needs further immunizations to be compliant with Ohio's requirements, you can make an appointment with your health care provider or the Cuyahoga Board of Health (216-201-2041). The date of this appointment must be communicated with the building health aide. Physicals must also be on file for preschoolers, kindergarten students or other students new to our district that have not been in a public/ private school before entering our district. These forms can be obtained from the registration packet you complete from our district web site or from your school clinic. Those students participating in a school sport should obtain and return their physical forms from Final Forms on the athletic department site. Every new student is required to fill out a health history form that can be generated from the Admission Packet online or obtained from the school clinic.  This information gives us a baseline of your child’s medical needs.

Medications at School and School Activities
If your child requires medication during the school day (daily, as needed or emergency medications), please view our district medication policy and fill out appropriate forms found on the website under Parents, Health services, Medication forms or obtain copies from your building clinic. Students may not transport medication to school. If you child has medical issues that you would like to discuss with me or our staff, please feel free to call me or the school building to schedule a time to discuss these.

Communicable Diseases
It is sometimes hard to decide whether to keep your child home from school and this document may provide you with some guidelines.  “When to Keep My Child Home from School”.  The second document is titled "Common Childhool Contagious Illnesses" which lists some common conditions along with their symptoms and guidelines that our school district must follow according to the Ohio Department of Health.  Together we can work to keep communicable diseases from spreading throughout our school district and this helps create a better learning environment for all students.  

Screenings
During the school year, the district provides vision and/ or hearing screening to children in grades Pre-K, K, 1, 3, 5, 7 (vision only), 9 and 11.  We are also screening students in daily high noise environments every year for hearing. You will only receive notification if your child does not pass the screening according to guidelines set by the Ohio Department of Health.
I hope this answers a few of your questions as you enter our new school year and together we will work to keep your child safe and healthy.

Yours in Health,

Kim DiRocco, Health Care Coordinator
Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools
440-740-4406; [email protected]

Information Regarding New Medication Forms

We are trying to stream line our medication forms this year.

Inhalers: If your child uses a rescue inhaler, you and your doctor only need to fill out the Asthma Action Plan which will include the order for an inhaler, and or nebulizer treatment and has a section to indicate if the child is able to carry their own inhaler.

EpiPens: If your child uses an Epi Pen for food allergies-you and the physician need to fill out the Food Allergy Action Plan. If they are carrying their pen, you and the doctor should fill out the back of this form and remember that Ohio Law states that if a student carries an EpiPen, an additional pen must be provided for the clinic.

If your child uses and Epi Pen for insect allergies, you and the physician need to fill out the Insect Action Plan. If your child carries an Epi Pen, you and the doctor need to fill out the back of the action plan and remember Ohio Law state that if a student carries an Epi Pen, an additional pen must be provided for the clinic.

If your child uses and EpiPen for other reasons, please fill out the Basic Action Plan with your doctor and please complete the back section to allow them to carry it at school. If you do not have this, just ask the physician to indicate on the Action Plan if the student may carry the EpiPen and again if this is what is decided, an additional pen must be provided for the clinic.

Management of Communicable Diseases

The following precautions shall be taken for students suspected of having a communicable /nuisance disease:

  • The parent or guardian will immediately be notified of the student’s condition when a student has been observed with signs or symptoms of illness or nuisance disease.
  • A student with any of the following signs or symptoms of illness or nuisance disease shall be immediately isolated and discharged to his/her parent or guardian:
    • Diarrhea;
    • Vomiting;
    • Temperature of 100 degrees or higher;
    • Difficult or rapid breathing;
    • Yellowish skin or eyes;
    • Conjunctivitis
    • Rash that has not been diagnosed or treated;
    • Evidence of lice and/or nits, scabies, or other parasitic infestation.

The student may return to school when:

  • There has been 24 hours of no diarrhea or vomiting with the student eating and drinking.
  • There has been 24 hours of no fever over 100 degrees without the use of fever reducing medication.
  • Antibiotics or medication for the disease has been administered for 24 hours.
  • A physician has written that the student is not contagious.
  • A district nurse has observed the student and concluded he/she is nit /lice free.

Help With Head Lice

Head lice are small insects that like to live on human heads. They are about one tenth of an inch long. Since they have no wings they do not fly. On a person’s head, they move by grasping onto hair shafts. They can move quickly but they cannot jump. They are spread from one person to another by direct contact. These lice lay eggs on the hair shaft near the scalp and usually prefer the area along the nape of the neck and behind the ears. When checking for lice, this is the area to look. What you are looking for is a tiny white-grey sesame seed sized nit (the name given to lice eggs) that is glued to the hair shaft. It won’t move if you try to flick it off the hair.

If you find these nits, then head lice are present and the person should be treated with a medicated shampoo to kill the live lice. Ask your pharmacist for advice on the different brands available. Please exclude any affected children from activities with other children (school, parties, sports, etc.) until the lice have been eliminated. Be sure to inform and/or check any family members or friends that the child has been near recently. The child must be nit free before returning to school. Look closely for nits and remove them by pinching them between your finger and thumb to pull them from the hair. Place them in a plastic bag for disposal.

Once the child has been treated with a shampoo and nits are removed take these steps to help assure they do not return.

  • Wash all bed linens, towels, and clothing (include hats, coats, ribbons) in hot water. Dry in a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes. Pediculocide (a small amount of the shampoo) for 10 minutes.
  • Clean brushes, combs, and hair articles in hot soapy water and pediculocide (a small amount of the shampoo) for 10 minutes.
  • Vacuum all furniture, carpets, rugs, and car seats.
  • Place things that can’t be washed, such as stuffed animals, in a plastic bag and seal it for two weeks.

Examine your child’s head as a part of normal routine hygiene. Continue to check for more nits at least two weeks after having treated your child for lice. Follow instructions carefully any products you use. Do not over treat. These are pesticides and should be used with caution. To find more information do a search on the internet for “pediculosis”.

After you treat your child and clean the home, we need to check your child before they may return to the classroom. You must drive your child to school and report to the Clinic where someone will check for any remaining nits. They may not return to class unless they are nit free.

We realize this is a long tedious process, but with your help, we will be able to get the child back into the classroom as soon as possible.

If you have questions please call Kim DiRocco at 440-740-4406. 

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