Jane Conte, R.N. (grades 7-12) x1514

Carol MacDonald, R.N. (grades 3-6) x1304

Jackie Reyman, R.N. (grades UPK -2) x1555

FAX: 5186867371

The Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act is a new law as of July 1, 2022.
Physicians are not clearing athletes with strong cardiac history and are referring to cardiologists. Please visit the button below to learn more about this law and how you may be impacted by it:

The School Nurse is frequently asked to give internal medication such as over the counter medications or prescription drugs to children during school. Our Health Services Program functions under New York State Education law. To comply with the law, special procedures established by the State are required if a child is to receive medication during school:

The medication must be delivered directly to the School Nurse by the parent or parent’s designee.

The School Nurse must have a written request on file from the family physician indicating the frequency and dosage of prescribed medication. The prescription bottle label is NOT sufficient.

The School Nurse must also have a written request from the parents on file to administer the medication as specified by the family physician.

These regulations are developed for the protection of all pupils as well as school personnel, and it is hoped that parents will recognize their need and importance in spite of the inconveniences these procedures may cause.

Nurses cannot and will not give any medication, including over the counter medications (such as TUMS, ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc.) without a written order from a doctor. Please do not call the nurse asking to make an exception to this law.

• CDC Centers for Disease Control

• NYSDOH New York State Department of Health

• Rensselaer County DOH

Consent for Release of Information

Authorization for Administration of Medication in School

Dental Health Certificate

Student Health Examination Form

In an effort to help keep our school community healthy, the district wants to share some reminders:

Please do not send your child/children to school with any newly developed symptoms of illness including the following:

• Fever or chills (100F or greater)

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting, and/or

• Diarrhea

If your child/children has any of these symptoms please do not send your children to school, but contact the attendance office in your child’s/children’s school(s) and contact your child’s primary care physician for further directions.

STREP:

If your physician is considering a Strep infection and a throat culture has been taken. Please do not send your child to school until the results are known. If the results are positive, your child must receive at least 24 hours of the antibiotic before returning to school.

RESPIRATORY INFECTION:

When your child/children have been diagnosed with an infection (e.g. pneumonia, bronchitis, strep) and your doctor prescribes an antibiotic, they must receive at least 24 hours of the antibiotic before returning to school.

EYE INFECTIONS

If your child/children has red eyes and eye drainage in the morning or complain of one or both eyes itching and/or feeling sore, please keep them home and consult with your physician. If eye medication is prescribed, he/she must receive at least 24 hours of the medication before they return to school.

PREVENTION

REMEMBER TO TEACH your child that good hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of disease. Hand washing reduces the spread of disease both to and from the student.

REMEMBER TO CALL your child’s school to report your child’s absence each day that they are out of school with an illness. Please report what symptoms your child is exhibiting.

With your help and cooperation we can make the school year a healthier one for your children. As always if you have any question, please feel free to contact your school nurse.

2024-2025 Immunization Requirements 

The New York State Department of Health has updated immunization requirements for public school children. Download the complete list of the new state immunization requirements (pdf)

Emergency Contact Information

Please make sure to keep the nurse's office updated with your current contact information. This could include changes in employment, home phone numbers and addresses, and other persons authorized to give care and provide transportation; all are vital pieces of information that need to be kept current. If a serious accident or illness occurs and the necessary information is not on hand to inform you of a problem in a timely manner, we will provide emergency care to the best of our ability after we have consulted with the administration. A phone call or note from you helps the Health Office meet the unexpected needs of your child.

The parent is always notified first when a student:

• has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher

• develops a rash of undetermined origin

• is suspected of having conjunctivitis (pink eye)

• shows evidence of head lice

• is suspected of having scabies

• is seriously injured or demonstrates abnormal behavior or symptoms

Conditions 1-5 listed above, which are potentially contagious to other children, are a basis for exclusion from school. A child so infected will be isolated and sent home as soon as possible. The child will not be sent home on a bus. Transportation arrangements will be made with the parent.

Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Information

Influenza, or the ‘flu’, is a severe respiratory illness that is easily spread and can lead to severe complications, even death. To protect your child from getting the flu, the NYS Department of Health says:

• Get the seasonal flu vaccine for yourself.

• Encourage your child’s close contacts to get seasonal flu vaccine, too. This is very important if your child is younger than 5 or if he or she has a chronic health problem such as asthma (breathing disease) or diabetes (high blood sugar levels). Children under 6 months can’t be vaccinated and so need to rely on those around them being vaccinated.

• Wash your hands often and cover your coughs and sneezes. Its best to use a tissue and quickly throw it away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. This will prevent the spread of germs.

• Tell your children to:

  • Stay away from people who are sick;

  • Clean their hands often;

  • Keep their hands away from their face, and

  • Cover coughs and sneezes to protect others.

Download the Seasonal Flu Guide for Parents from the NYS Department of Health: What Everyone Should Know about the Seasonal Flu (NYSDOH website)

Medical Appointments

Please inform your child and your child’s teacher if you will be picking up the child for a medical appointment. If your child has a dental appointment, please do not bring him or her back to school until the Novocain has worn off.

Physicals

New York State Education law requires that a medical exam be done for all new entrants and all students in grades PreK or Kindergarten, first (1st), third (3rd), fifth (5th), seventh (7th), ninth (9th) and eleventh (11th) and a health certificate be presented to the district. The Hoosick Falls Central School District does provide this service by the school physician during the school year; however many parents prefer to have their own physician do the exam. A private physician provides the extra benefit of not only consulting with the parent on the child’s growth and development, but also can provide the needed immunizations and follow-up care. A health certificate must be based on an examination completed within the past 12 months. If a health certificate is not provided within 30 days of the start of school, the district’s director of health services must arrange for a health examination consistent with the requirements of Commissioner’s Regulations section 136.3.