Franklin High School Health Services

Dear Parent/Guardian:

This information is being provided to you in an effort to help familiarize you with the health services at Franklin High School. There are currently 2 school nurses who are stationed in the FHS Health Office located in room C-129 and are on duty Monday-Friday during school hours. All students are required to come to the Health Office with a pass, the exception being in the case of an emergency.

Illness and Injury- all student illness and injury that occur during the school day shall be evaluated and treated as appropriate by the school nurse. In the event that it is determined that a student will need to be sent home due to illness/injury the school nurse will contact the parent/guardian, or person designated as the emergency contact. If a student has an injury or medical condition which requires use of the elevator and/or to be excused from Physical Education class, a note from your healthcare provider is required. Passes for elevator use and Physical Education excuses are issued by the school nurse. Per district policy any student who has a fever of 100 degrees or above may not attend school and must remain at home until they are fever free (without the use of fever reducing medication) for a minimum of 24 hrs. Care of body piercings and tattoos are a part of daily hygiene and are to be addressed at home. For those students who wear contact lenses it is strongly recommended that the student carry their own contact solution and lens case. Contact solution is not available in the health office due to potential for cross-contamination between students.

Medications- as per board of education policy, before any medication whether prescribed or “over the counter” (i.e. Tylenol, Motrin, Advil, cough medication, eye drops, etc.) may be administered to or by any student during school hours the following documentation must be submitted to the school nurse: written permission from the parent/guardian for medication administration and a written order from the prescribing healthcare provider including the purpose of the medication, dosage, time or special circumstances of administration and possible side effects. No medication shall be dispensed, nor will students be allowed to have medication in their possession without the required documentation. Medication forms are available from the school nurse. All medications shall be brought to school, in the original labeled container, by the parent/guardian or adult student and shall be securely stored in the health office. With the proper documentation students may carry and self-administer medication such as asthma inhalers and epinephrine auto-injectors, without the supervision of the school nurse.

Health Screenings- as per state administrative code the following screenings will be completed by the school nurse on an annual basis: height, weight, blood pressure for grades 9-12, vision screening for grade 10, hearing screening for grade 11, scoliosis screening for grades 9 and 11. Scoliosis screening assesses curvature of the spine and necessitates removal of shirts/tee shirts. Female students may leave on their undergarments. If a student is suspected of deviation from the recommended standard for any of the screenings, a written referral will be mailed home to the parent/guardian. It is requested that the referral be completed by your healthcare provider and returned to the school nurse in a timely manner. If you do not wish your child to be screened you must submit written documentation to the school nurse by October 1^st of the school year. Please note that it is important for your child to have a medical examination by your healthcare provider at least once during each developmental stage, at early childhood (pre-school through grade three), pre-adolescence (grades four through six) and adolescence (grades seven through twelve).

Emergency Contact Information - in the event of illness and/or injuries that occur during the school day it is important to keep all emergency contact information, such as home, cell and work phone numbers, current and up to date. It is necessary to list alternate emergency contacts, such as relatives, friends, neighbors in the event that a parent/guardian is unable to pick their child up from school. Students will only be released to parents/guardians and those people who have been designated as emergency contacts. In the event that a student is ill or injured and a parent/guardian/emergency contact cannot be reached, is unable or unwilling to pick the student up, Emergency Medical Services (911) may be contacted at the discretion of the school nurse depending upon the severity of the illness or injury.

NJ FamilyCare Insurance- NJ FamilyCare is a federal and state funded health insurance program created to help New Jersey’s uninsured children to have affordable health coverage. NJ Familycare is for families who do not have available or affordable employer insurance, and cannot afford to pay the high cost of private health insurance. NJ FamilyCare Advantage is another low cost health insurance program offered through Horizon NJ Health. To determine if you are eligible for either of these programs contact the school nurse for additional information.

For any questions or concerns related to the healthcare of your child please feel free to contact the school nurse at ext. 6320.