The health and safety of all students is paramount at Edison School. The Health Office attempts to ensure that every student is functioning at their optimal level of health. We wish to enable students to work to the best of their ability in the classroom.

It is requested that you keep your child at home if he or she shows evidence of any of the following:

• Flushed face or other signs of fever, such as complaints of a headache or elevated temperature

• Runny nose, persistent cough, sneezing or other signs of a cold

• Sore throat, earache, or swollen glands

• Vomiting, nausea or failure to eat a normal breakfast

• Unexplained skin rashes

• Sores on the skin, especially if moist, oozing, or encrusted

• Unusual drowsiness or listlessness

Return to school: the district policy is that your child must be FREE from vomiting, diarrhea, or fever (without fever-reducing medication) for 24 hours. Fever must be below 99 degrees Fahrenheit. If your child has vomited or had diarrhea, they must stay home the next day. Students with inflamed or pink eye(s) will be excluded from school. They must remain out of school until they have been on medication for at least 24 hours and have a physician’s note stating that they are no longer contagious and may return to school.

Physical Examination
All new students and kindergarten entrants are required to have a current physical examination and complete immunizations (as required by NJ state law). It is recommended that students in fourth grade also have a physical exam. According to state guidelines, annual auditory screenings are conducted for all children in grades K-3. Vision is checked biannually in grades K-4. Screenings will also be done throughout the year at the request of the teacher or parent. Height, weight and blood pressure measurements are done each year. Fifth grade students are also screened for scoliosis.Parents are encouraged to contact the Health Office regarding any medical concerns they may have regarding their child’s health. Please remember to keep us advised of any changes in your home, emergency or work phone numbers. If your child should become ill, these phone numbers are our only means of reaching you regarding your child’s condition.

Medications
Three requirements are necessary for medication to be administered during school hours.

• A physician’s written order with the name, dosage and purpose of the medication (med forms are available from the health office, please request one if needed)

• Written permission from the parent/guardian to administer the medication.

• The medication in the original container (with prescription label if appropriate) with the student’s name on it.

Students are not permitted to take medication unsupervised. If you come to school to medicate your child, it must be done in the Health Office. Please tell your child to bring any medication to the health office.

These requirements apply to both prescription and over-the-counter medications. Cough drops are considered an over-the-counter medication and follow the above requirements. We do allow Chap Stick without a doctor’s note (please send a tube in during the winter months for your child to keep at their desk).

Physical Education Excuses
If your child should go to the doctor for an illness or injury, please obtain a note stating why and that the child is cleared to return to school.

All students requesting to be excused from Physical Education class must bring a note from the parent or doctor to the nurse at the start of the school day. A parent’s request for exclusion is acceptable for one day only. Any further exclusion requires a physician’s note. The note should indicate the reason for exclusion. (If your child is excused from PE class, they will also be excluded from participating during recess for that same day).