Health Office

Immunization Requirements

New Jersey Law (NJAC 8:57) requires that any student enrolled in school must be immunized against certain diseases. Therefore, your child may not be admitted to school unless the following immunization requirements are met.

Kindergarten Students will need the following vaccines:

  • 5 doses of Dtap (the 5th dose is not necessary if the 4th dose was administered after the 4th birthday).
  • 4 doses of Polio ( the 4th dose is not necessary if the 3rd dose was administered after the 4th birthday)
  • 3 doses of Hepatitis B
  • 2 doses of MMR
  • 1 dose of Varicella

Routine Screenings

According to state law (N.J.S.A. 18A:40-4) the following health screenings are to be performed annually:

  • Height/Weight & Blood Pressure: Kdgn. - 12th Grade
  • Auditory Screening: Kdgn. - 2nd Grade
  • Vision Screening: Kdgn. and 2nd Grade

Please note that screenings for Height, Weight, Hearing and Vision will begin in October. If you do not receive a referral letter, your child has met the guidelines.

Keeping Germs Away

The most important thing that you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands. One of the most common and frequent ways to catch a cold is by rubbing your nose or eyes. To protect against infection wash your hands frequently. Your hands pick up germs from other people as well as from contaminated surfaces. Washing your hands and keeping them clean will prevent you from infecting yourself with germs. For best results use warm water and soap and wash for several minutes.

Medical Absences

If your child or children are or will be absent, please call the main office and leave a message on the attendance line: 973-509-4222, extension #1. Include the reason for the absence.

Returning to School after an Injury or Surgery

If your child has had surgery or any type of medical intervention, or has been diagnosed with a medical condition that may preclude physical activity, we will require a note from the treating physician stating that your child is medically cleared. In addition, the doctor will need to outline any restrictions from full participation in school, if any exist.

When Your Child Should Stay Home

It is our goal for students to attend classes every day that school is in session. However, there are times when students need to stay home for their own health and/or the health and safety of others. Below are guidelines to help families decide when to keep a child at home.

  • The student has a temperature over 100°F. The child may return to school after having a normal temperature for at least 24 hours, while not taking any fever reducing medications (eg. Tylenol or Motrin).
  • Antibiotics are prescribed to the student. The student may return to school after taking the antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours and being without a temperature over 100°F for at least 24 hours, without taking any fever reducing medications.
  • The student seems tired/lethargic, pale, has little appetite and is generally not him/herself.
  • The student is vomiting. The student may return to school approximately 24 hours after symptoms are resolved, and the child is able to tolerate a normal diet.
  • The student has an undiagnosed rash. A rash may be indicative of many things, frequently of illnesses that are contagious. Therefore, a student should see a physician to be evaluated and to determine the nature of the rash. A note from the physician should be provided upon return to school.
  • The student has severe cold symptoms, an upper respiratory infection, a persistent cough, a runny nose that he/she cannot manage by him/herself and/or contain with tissues, or there are other symptoms that would interfere with effective school participation.
  • The student is diagnosed with a communicable disease or illness. (ex: Influenza, Pneumonia, Strep Throat, Pertussis, Chicken Pox (Varicella), Impetigo, Scabies). Please contact the school nurse before sending your child back to school.
  • Strep Throat - The child must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

Your child's physician can help you to determine if your child is able to return to school. However, it is important to make sure she/he is truly feeling better and is able to make it through a school day before returning.

Medication

To protect your child's safety, the school nurse should be notified when there is a change in your child's health status, or if a medication has been added, deleted or changed on the student's treatment plan.

It is the policy of the Montclair Board of Education that all medication taken during school hours be administered in the health office by either the school nurse or the parent. The only exception to this rule is the administering of prescription medication that is required in a potentially life-threatening situation such as in an asthmatic episode, a severe allergic reaction and diabetic emergency.

Furthermore, the district requires both parent and medical provider authorizations be completed and on file in the health office. Medication cannot be administered at school until the written authorization form is completed. These forms can be obtained in the nurse's office or by printing the form from the district's web site: www.montclair.k12.nj.us (See FORMS tab at top of web page).

This applies to all medication (prescription and over-the-counter) that will be administered on for a short term (eg. antibiotics), routinely (eg. for asthma) or on an emergency basis (eg. Epi-Pen for severe allergic reactions).

In order for your child to receive any medication at school, please confirm the following:

  • All medical consent forms and orders expire at the end of the school year. Medication orders must be renewed at the beginning of the school year. Medication must be brought to school by the parent/caregiver in the original container with proper labeling for the student. Children are not permitted to carry medications.
  • A new written request must be completed for any changes to the original request.
  • Students are not permitted by law to self-administer medication at school, with the exception of insulin, asthma inhalers, emergency epinephrine, and then only if written authorization for self-administration is provided by the parent/caregiver and the student's healthcare provider.
  • End of school year: medication has to be picked up by the parent/caregiver during the last week of school. Medication not picked up is discarded and destroyed.

Head Lice

Unfortunately, many children will have at least one case of lice detected in the classroom before the year is over. At the Nishuane School we want to help keep your child and our classrooms free of head lice. We suggest you read the information on the link below, as well as the information provided with this packet.  Discuss it with your entire family.  You will learn how lice live and breed and how they spread: www.montclair.k12.nj.us (District School Nurses Head Lice). Also, see our special addendum - Myths and Reality Regarding Head Lice.

Montclair Public Schools - Food Guidelines

Regulation 8505 Food/Nutrition Standards

  • No food may be sold for fundraising during school lunchtime.
  • Food sold for fundraising during school hours (other than lunchtime) must be tree nut free and peanut free with all ingredients clearly labeled, and must follow USDA Smart Snack Guidelines (see below).
  • Food sold for fundraising before and after school hours must be tree nut and peanut free with all ingredients clearly labeled. This includes PTA and Booster Club fundraisers.
  • No food is allowed for birthday parties or other individual student celebrations, or used as student rewards, with the exception of food rewards designated in an individual student's IEP.  This reward must be tree nut and peanut free, and eaten in the designated classroom.
  • Food may be use as instructional material in science labs, family and consumer science classes, and classes where course lesson plans contain a food-specific educational component. All food used as instructional material must be tree nut and peanut free.
  • Food served at any classroom or all-school festivity must be tree nut free and peanut free with all ingredients clearly labeled. If any food does not have all ingredients clearly labeled, it cannot be served. These rules also apply to evening and weekend functions. Parents/guardians must be given a five-day notice of any event serving food.
  • All classrooms must be tree nut free and peanut aware. Other life-threatening food allergens will be restricted on a class by class basis as deemed necessary by the school nurse. Tree nuts and peanuts must be consumed only in the cafeteria during lunchtime. All K-5 schools will have a designated tree nut free and peanut free table in the cafeteria or outside picnic area. Middle and high schools will have a designated tree nut free and peanut free table in the cafeteria or outside picnic area only upon parent request.
  • Breakfast Program may be consumed in the classroom by students within 10 minutes of arrival to school.
  • Snacks in the classroom may be eaten only during a snack time designated by the teacher or administrator. All snacks must be tree nut and peanut free.
  • No food may be consumed on K-12 school buses with the exception of students with diabetes who require an emergency snack. They may consume a tree nut free and peanut free snack at a seat in the front of the bus. Buses for field trips and athletic events must be tree nut free and peanut free.
  • All school trips must consider the needs of students with food allergies. For example, a class may not go apple picking if a student in the class is allergic to apples. It is the teacher's responsibility to ensure all students are accommodated.

USDA Smart Snack Standards

Grain products must contain 50 percent or more whole grains by weight (have a whole grain as the first ingredient); non-grain products have fruit, vegetable, dairy product, or protein food listed as the first ingredient.

The food must meet the following nutrient standards for calories, sodium, sugar, and fats:

Calories - 200 calories or less
Sodium - 200mg of less
Total fat - 35% of calories or less
Saturated Fat - Less than 10% of calories
Trans fat - 0g
Sugar - 35% by weight or less

USDA Smart Snack Beverages

 Beverage Amount
 Water: Plain (with or without carbonation No Limit
Milk: Unflavored low-fat, unflavored or flavored fat-free; milk alternatives Elementary School 8 fl oz
Middle School and High School 12 fl oz
 Juice: 100% fruit or vegetable juice (with or without carbonation) Elementary School 8 fl oz
Middle School and High School 12 fl oz

 

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