About Health Services
Guidelines
Summarized below are some of the guidelines of the Health Service Program relating to the health and well being of students. Please feel free to drop by and meet your school nurse. Click on a link to scroll to that section or page.
- Illness or Injury
- A student who appears ill or has a temperature of 100 degrees or more, should remain at home or be sent home when becoming ill at school. Before students are excused from school for illness, injury or any other reasons, parents/guardians or authorized emergency contact persons are notified. Accidental injuries at school are given first aid by the school nurse, or in his/her absence, by a trained staff member. Parents will be informed and advised if further medical care is needed.
In a major life-threatening emergency, or when it is unsafe for a parent to transport a child for further treatment, the paramedics will be called. Any child displaying signs or symptoms of an untreated communicable disease are generally recognized as contagious and will be excluded from school until signs and symptoms abate. The student may return to school by request of the student's physician, Municipal Health Department or the Alaska Division of Public Health, Section of Epidemiology.
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Parents are encouraged to contact their school nurse and review their child's special health concerns with the nurse.
- Immunizations
- Alaska state law requires all school children to be immunized in order to enroll in school. ASD follows the state’s strict requirement of “No Shots, No School” and requires proof of immunization at enrollment. By law, a student is not allowed to attend classes unless they are compliant with immunizations. The exceptions to this are a medical or religious exemption; a 30 day waiver for those who are in the Child in Transition/Homeless program; or a 30 day waiver for active duty military dependents who have just been relocated to Anchorage. (Military and Homeless waivers required by federal law)
If there are medical or religious reasons a child cannot be vaccinated, call the school nurse for further information. For more information on immunizations see the Health Services' immunization section.
- Medication Administration During School Hours
- Prescription medicine may be administered at school when prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider with prescriptive authority in the State of Alaska, and provided in a container labeled by the pharmacy or the legal prescriber. The State of Alaska grants prescriptive authority to physicians (MD and DO), physician assistants (PA), advanced nurse practitioners (ANP, FNP, PNP) and dentists. The proper forms must be completed for administering all medications at school. Forms are only applicable for the current school year in most circumstances.
Parents are responsible for providing all medications to the school nurse in original containers accompanied by the appropriate form. The school nurse is responsible for reviewing all medication requests including those for a field trip or overnight student school travel.
- Outdoor Recess
- Students who are well enough to attend school are well enough to play outside unless the school receives a note from their medical provider. Students in the ASD play outside until temperatures are 10 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Appropriate attire is necessary to prevent frost bite.
- Phone Numbers and Updates on Medical Status
- It is important that the school has current home, work, and emergency phone numbers and is current regarding changes in health status. This is especially critical during an emergency situation.
- School Physicals
- Current physical examination (completed within the past 12 months), by a health care provider (MD/DO/ANP/PA) is required within 90 days of enrollment for all kindergarten children entering the Anchorage School District. If a current physical is not provided, the school nurse shall complete a health screening for all new-to-district students and record in the electronic Student Health Record per Alaska Statute AS 14.30.070.
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- Screening
- During the course of the school year, the school nurse will be checking height, weight, vision, hearing, and color vision. The extent of the routine screening depends on the grade. However, any time a teacher or parent has a concern, the school nurse will follow up with the appropriate test and notify the parents if further evaluation is warranted.
- Special Needs or Treatments
- If your child requires special nursing care during the school day, please contact your school nurse. Schools nurse are trained to manage most medical situations. Depending on the circumstances, physician orders and special equipment may be required.
- Starting the Day
- Parents are encouraged to start the student's day with breakfast and an encouraging word. Those nutrients enable the brain to be ready to learn and a positive comment from an important person sets a receptive learning environment.
- Tuberculin Skin Testing
- TB screening is required by Alaska state law for children enrolled in public schools. All kindergarten, seventh grade and new-to-district students will be screened. A consent form needs to be signed by parent or guardian at the time of registration. Documentation for a TB test from a healthcare provider will be accepted if it is within six months. We DO NOT accept a chest x-ray INSTEAD of a ppd. AFTER a ppd, a chest x-ray may be required if positive. More »
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