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School Health

School Health Services in Lafayette County are provided by the Lafayette County Health Department. The Lafayette County Health Department employs a school health coordinator, an RN, an LPN and two school health aides for the Lafayette County school system.

Health Services are conducted as a part of the total school health program. School health staff provides medication administration, health counseling, health education, referral, follow-up of suspected or confirmed health problems and following routine health screenings. They also provide consultation with students, parents or guardians concerning the need for health evaluation by the family physician, dentist or other specialist when definitive diagnosis or treatment is indicated. School health staff review and maintain records on incidents of health problems, corrective measures taken and other information that may be needed to plan and evaluate health problems and policies. The school nurse provides health information when necessary regarding the placement of students in exceptional student programs and the re-evaluation at periodic intervals of students placed in such programs. A student will be exempt from any of these services if his or her parent(s) or guardian requests such exemption in writing.

Parent Information for School Entry

School Entry Health Examination

Students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade who are making their initial entry into a Florida school must present a record of a physical examination completed within the past 12 months. The exam record should be taken to the child's school upon enrollment. It is recommended that Florida's standardized School Entry Exam form (DH 3040) be used to document completion of a physical examination.

Immunization Record

The Florida Certification of Immunization, Form 680, must be used to document the immunizations required for entry and attendance in Florida schools. Current requirements for the 2012-2013 school year are:

Public/Non-Public Schools Kindergarten through 12th Grade

• Four or five doses of diphtheria-tetnus-pertussis (DTaP vaccine)
• Three doses of Hepatitis B (Hep B vaccine)
• Two doses of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR vaccine)
• Three, four or five doses of polio vaccine
• Two doses of varicella vaccine (chickenpox) for Kindergarten and grades one through four
• One dose of varicella vaccine (chickenpox) for grades five through eleven
• If the fourth dose is administered prior to the fourth birthday, a fifth dose of polio vaccine is required for Kindergarten.
• Varicella vaccine is not required if varicella disease is documented by the healthcare provider.

Additional Seventh Grade Requirements

One tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap vaccine) effective 2009-2010 For more information on immunizations, call (850) 245-4342 or visit the Bureau of Immunization.

Puberty & Abstinence Classes

4th - 6th Grade Puberty Classes

Your student will have the opportunity to participate in a Puberty, Growth and Development class at Lafayette High School. The curriculum involves discussing students’ physical changes in their bodies during the ages of 11-18 years old. Girls and boys will be divided and spoken to separately to prevent embarrassment and encourage participation. This presentation will be conducted during a non-core academic class. If you do not want your student to participate, contact the LES or LHS Clinic or send a written request.

7th & 8th Grade Abstinence Classes

All 7th & 8th grade students will have an opportunity to participate in an Abstinence Program (Postponing Sexual Involvement). This program is designed to teach students to think about their future goals, how to reach those goals, and recognize things that can get in the way of achieving those goals. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions, ask questions, and formulate positive and healthy answers/outcomes. If you do not want your student to participate, contact the LHS Clinic or send a written request. Parents are encouraged to speak with their student about postponing sexual involvement and focus on the importance of their education and future goals. Please remember, if you are not talking to your student about postponing sex who is?

Head Lice Policy

Lafayette County School Board has a “No Nit” policy. This means your student will be excluded from school until the nits/lice are removed. It is important for you to bring your student back to the School Clinic so that your student can be cleared to return to school. Routine head lice screenings will be conducted throughout the school year. The Lafayette County Health Department does not recommend the use of head lice shampoos containing pesticides. The most important thing you can do for your student is to remove all nits and lice. It is also recommended that you do a weekly check of your student’s hair. This way if your student does have an infestation, it can be caught early and require less time in removing nits/lice.

School Health Screenings

The following screenings are provided to students per Florida requirements. If you don’t want your student to receive these screening services, please notify the School Clinic. You may request these screenings at anytime for your student even if they are in a different grade by notifying the School Clinic.

School Clinic

Our Number One goal is to keep the students in class. Students and teachers can expect the clinic staff to maintain the following guidelines:

1. Band-Aid visits should require less than 5-10 minutes of care time.
2. General complaints will be given approximately 15 minutes rest after assessment is completed. The student will return to class if:
1. Student's temperature is less than 100 degrees.
2. Student is not vomiting after drinking liquids.
3. Temperature is greater than 100 degrees, vomiting or suspicious/possible contagious illness will require immediate pick-up from school.

Medications

If students require medication, we ask that you PLEASE arrange to give it to them while at home. If it is necessary for your student to have medication or medical treatment administered during school hours, SPECIAL RULES APPLY!!

1. Medication MUST be brought to the school by the parents and a Medication Administration Permission Form MUST be filled out in the clinic. Written prescription from a physician is needed for over-the-counter medications (Tylenol, ibuprophen, etc.)
2. Medication MUST be in the original container.
3. Medication must be picked up at the end of the school year by a parent/guardian or it will be destroyed.
4. MEDICATIONS/EMPTY MEDICINE CONTAINERS WILL NOT BE SENT HOME WITH STUDENTS!!
5. All medications will be kept in the school clinic, unless a doctor's order is on file stating otherwise.

Contact Information

Melissa Pearson, RN School Health Coordinator
Nurse’s Office (386) 294-4142
LHS Clinic (386) 294-4175
LES Clinic (386) 294-4240