Weston Public Schools

HEALTH SERVICES

Definition of School Nursing

“School nursing, a specialized practice of nursing, protects and promotes student health, facilitates optimal development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, are the leaders who bridge health care and education, provide care coordination, advocate for quality student-centered care, and collaborate to design systems that allow individuals and communities to develop their full potential.” Adopted by the National Association of School Nurses Board of Directors February 2017.

The Weston Health Services Department is composed of school nurses, a nursing supervisor, and a medical director. The nurses provide direct care such as;

Management of acute injuries and illness
Medication administration
Communicable disease management
Management of Chronic Disease as needed
Development and coordination of individualized health care plans
State mandated health screenings
Behavioral health supports

The school nurse in each building is an integral part of school teams. They support students in the Special Education Planning and Placement Team (PPT) process as well as students with Section 504 plans.

We look forward to partnering with you and your students to support their health and well-being and wish them a successful and healthy school year.

Sincerely,

Kristen Abreu, BSN, RN, District Nurse Supervisor

Kristen Abreu, BSN, RN

District Nurse Supervisor

Phone: 203-231-1265

Email: kristenabreu@westonps.org (preferred)

WHEN TO STAY HOME

When Your Child is Sick:

To safeguard the health of all students and staff, we ask parents/guardians to monitor their children for possible communicable diseases and follow our District Health Services guidance on attendance accordingly. These guidelines are subject to change based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the local and state departments of public health, and our district medical advisor. Please be sure that the school has current phone contact information for you and your emergency contacts in PowerSchool. If your child becomes sick at school, please have a plan in place for your child to be picked up within 30 minutes. Sick children will not be permitted to ride the bus home. Please contact the school nurse with any questions or concerns. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Must stay home from school if they:

Have a fever equal to or greater than 100.4°F. If they are sent home by the school nurse for a fever, they must remain home the following day.
Have an un-diagnosed rash associated with fever or illness
Vomited two or more times or if vomiting is associate with fever in the past 24 hours. If a student is sent home by the nurse from school for vomiting associated with an illness, they must remain home the following day
Have diarrhea more than once in the past 24 hours
Have a severe cough, and/or chest congestion, and/or a thick green/yellow or constant nasal discharge, and/or persistent sneezing not associated with documented seasonal allergies
Have a severe sore throat with symptoms indicating possible strep throat
Complain of severe earache, with or without fever
Have conjunctivitis (pink eye) with discharge
Have an un-diagnosed skin wound, sore or lesion that appears infected, e.g., is red, swollen or draining fluid
Have or are suspected to have a communicable illness/infestation. This list includes, but is not limited to: Hepatitis A, Varicella (Chicken pox), Measles, Meningitis, Mononucleosis, Mumps, Pertussis (Whooping cough), Rubella, Scabies, Staphylococcus Infection (Impetigo, MRSA), Streptococcal Infection (strep throat), and includes any child determined by the local or state health department to be contributing to the transmission of disease during an outbreak.

Students must remain home:

For 24 hours after an elevated temperature returns to normal without fever reducing medication. Day 0 is the last day a fever was recorded. Day 1 is the first day they are fever free without the use of medication. Students may return on day 2.
With a rash associated with a fever/illness until cleared to return by a health care provider. Please provide the health care provider note to the school nurse with the date the student is cleared to return to school prior to their return.
For 24 hours after vomiting has ended. Day 0 is the last day the student had an episode of vomiting. Day 1 is the first day they did not vomit. Students may return on day 2.
For 24 hours after last episode of diarrhea. Day 0 is the last day the student had an episode of diarrhea. Day 1 is the first day they are without diarrhea. Students may return on day 2.
After a diagnosis of Flu/Covid/RSV or another respiratory virus, students must stay home until BOTH statements are true: 1. Symptoms are improved to the point that they can actively participate in class with minimal coughing 2. The student has been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication
After a culture is obtained to test for a suspected communicable diease – until the culture results are available and the child is cleared to return by the health care provider. Please provide the clearance letter to your school nurse prior to their return to school.
For strep throat diagnosis until ALL THREE CONDITIONS APPLY: 1. well appearing 2. fever free for 24 hours 3. at least 12 hours after beginning appropriate antibiotic therapy
Until ear pain is controlled to a level that allows the student to actively participate in school activities
Until initiation of treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis or cleared to return by the health care provider
Until adequately treated for scabies, or other infestation, communicable illness or skin infection. A health care provider note may be required to return to school based on nursing judgment.

When your child is injured:

To best support your child if they are injured, please speak to your school nurse to notify them of your child’s injury. If your child was place in a cast or provided with durable medical equipment such as a brace, sling, walking boot, crutches, walker, knee scooter, or wheelchair and needs to be excluded from gym or physical activities, a doctor’s note is required. This note should include:

specific limitations
the duration of the restrictions
if any accommodations are required such as the use of the elevator
A follow-up note from the doctor will be required before your child is allowed to resume normal activities in school

Head Lice

Prevention and Management of Head Lice Infestation Among Students

Weston Public Schools relies on current standards in public health and scientific research to guide its practices related to communicable disease and infestation. Current public health standards and research-based recommendations indicate that, to effectively control head lice, routine screening and management at home are the key factors. Head lice do not cause disease and, when first identified on a head, have usually been resident there for 4-6 weeks. “Head lice are an unpleasant part of the human experience, but they can be successfully managed and are no reason for a child to miss school,” said Dawn Nolt, MD, MPH, FAAP, lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2022 Head Lice report, written by the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, and Section on Dermatology. They are very annoying and can sometimes be difficult to get rid of, but they are not dangerous. Head lice are usually well-controlled when managed through mechanical removal with lice combs or chemical means, or a combination of both, and appropriate housekeeping techniques.
In keeping with current standards and research, mass screenings for head lice are no longer conducted in our schools. Rather, our emphasis is on prevention through parental education, and home-school communication and collaboration with the parents/caregivers of those students identified as having a lice infestation. Not only are mass screenings relatively ineffective, but they cause students to lose a significant amount of educational time in the classroom, often result in misdiagnosed cases, and lead to considerable stigma for children who are sent home in the middle of the school day.
If a child is sent to the nurse for complaints of an itchy scalp, the school nurse will check the student for lice. If live lice are found on visual exam, a telephone call will be made to the parent/guardian of the student. The child will not be excluded from school and will return to class for dismissal at the end of the day. Early dismissal for treatment is at the discretion of the parent/guardian. An email notification will be sent to the class with further guidance. Disclosures will never include identifying information regarding affected students.
Please remember that rapid communication is the most critical element to prevent the spread of head lice at school, at sleepovers and at other community activities. Therefore, should your child become infested with head lice, please inform the school nurse immediately. If there are parental/guardian reports of 2 or more children in the same class with active head lice within a two week period, the school nurse will send a letter alerting families in the class to increase their vigilance and screenings at home. The information you provide is confidential and the names of affected students are never shared with other families. If all families communicate with the school nurse in this way, and if the school nurse in turn alerts families in general to be more vigilant, we can prevent the spread of this difficult pest.
If you have any questions about our head lice procedures, please call or email the school nurse in your child’s school. If you have further questions after speaking with your school nurse, please email Kristen Abreu, District Nurse Supervisor at kristenabreu@westonps.org