Medication Administration Policy
If your student requires medication (including inhalers or non-prescription medication) during the school day, I will be happy to assist you by giving them safely and reliably.
Before any medication can be administered at school, the parent/guardian must complete the appropriate form, which is kept on file in the school nurse office. Medication Request Forms must be renewed each year. Prescription medications used longer than 15 days require a physician signature. Medication must be provided in the original container. Loose pills that come to school in a baggie will not be given. Please do not send medication (including cold remedies, cough drops, Tylenol, etc.) to school for your child to take on their own.

ASD policy requires an adult to transport prescription medication to and from school.
Students are not allowed to transport any medication to school or have it in their possession while at school. There are exceptions to this policy; and they are an inhaler, epinephrine auto-injector, or insulin (when authorized by a physician to be carried at school, and the appropriate paperwork is on file with the nurse).

Forms may be obtained from the ASD website: www.asdk12.org. At the home page, go to Forms & Publications, located on the right side of the screen. Type “medication” in the keyword block and download the appropriate form. Forms may also be obtained from me in the school office. If it’s easier, I can fax them to you as well.

Allergies/Asthma Policy
Parents/guardians of a student with a known anaphylactic reaction to food, animal, bee/wasp sting, latex, or any other substance must complete an Allergy/Action Plan for the nurse to keep on file. All teachers and staff are trained to use epinephrine auto-injectors, and they all maintain current lists of students with anaphylaxis. The lists are, of course, confidential. A trained staffer or teacher will go with your student on all field trips. All students with asthma or anaphylaxis are allowed to carry their own inhalers and epinephrine auto-injectors with authorization from parent/guardian and their physician. Please contact the school nurse for the appropriate paperwork.

Immunizations
Please note that Alaska State Law requires all students be appropriately immunized or have a physician-documented exclusion on file with the school district. This school has a strictly enforced “No Shots – No School” policy in accordance with state law. Please check with your student’s health care provider to ensure immunizations are up-to-date prior to the start of school and provide documentation of immunization updates to the school nurse.

Tuberculin Testing
All 7th grade students, as well as any students who are new-to-ASD, are required by Alaska State Law to have a PPD tuberculin test. This is an interdermal injection. Parents/guardians must sign a permission slip for this TB test. Students are exempted from testing only if you provide results from a PPD skin test given within six months prior to the school entry or a physician states the testing would be injurious to your child’s health. A child who has had a BCG vaccination is not assured to have any safeguard against tuberculosis; therefore, BCG is not an exemption from tuberculosis testing. There is no exemption from tuberculosis testing for religious or personal objection. If you wish, you may have your family physician administer the test and bring or fax the results to the school nurse.

Student illness or injury
Although we stress the importance of good attendance, any student who appears ill should remain at home. Please don’t send sick students to school to be examined by the school nurse. This may expose others to illness unnecessarily. If your student becomes ill or injured while at school, the nurse or someone from the office will notify you or one of your emergency contacts before excusing your student from school. Please keep your contact numbers and emergency contacts updated throughout the school year. If you leave your student in the care of another adult temporarily, for vacation or other reasons, please send a written note to school with your child to reflect the temporary contact change.

P.E. Excuses
If your student needs a physical education excuse for 1-3 days, a parent/guardian may send a note to school with the student for the school nurse. The nurse will make alternative placement arrangements and notify the PE teacher. If a student must be excused from PE for more than three days, a written physician’s note is necessary. The note must indicate the reason and specify the length of the PE exclusion and include a return date.

If you have any questions or your child has any special health concerns, you may contact me at 742-4963. My office hours are 8:00am – 3:30pm, M-F. You may send me a fax at 742-4966. Please mark it “ATTN: Nurse”. You may also email me at: williams_wendy@asdk12.org.

Wendy Williams, RN BSN
Steller Nurse