Just a Note from the Nurse
Health Cards
Please complete all information on the pink emergency health card. Please note on the card who you want to be notified first when your child is sick or has an accident. Also, please notify the office when there are any changes in phone numbers.
Medication
All medication must be brought to the clinic. The school district requires that all prescription medication must be properly labeled with name, name of physician, name of drug with specific dosage and time frame and current date (less than 2 months old). You must sign a medication record giving the school permission to give the medication at school. The district is also asking that you bring only a 2 week supply at a time.
Any over the counter medications or sample medications (i.e.: Tylenol, cold medicine, cough drops) must have a parent’s and doctor’s note stating students name, doctor’s name and signature, medication name, specific time and dosage that medication is to be given. The medication must be in the original container.
Illness
If your child is ill the night before, during the night, or in the morning before school PLEASE DO NOT BRING THEM TO SCHOOL. This is for your child’s comfort and safety and to prevent the spread of germs to others. (examples: vomiting, diarrhea, fever, undetermined rash, uncontrollable cough, constant drainage from nose or eyes, pink eye that is not being treated) Students also need to be free of symptoms and free of fever 24 hours before returning to school.
Also, please notify me if your child comes down with the Flu or Chickenpox.
Change of Clothes
For Kindergarten and 1st grade students Please send/keep an extra change of clothes in your child's backpack. Sometimes there is an occassional bathroom accident due to having to adjust to a new schedule. Doing this will eliminate the student from missing classroom instruction time while trying to contact someone and waiting for someone to bring them a change of clothes.
Screenings
The following screenings are conducted routinely on the following grade levels:
Hearing, Vision and AN – K, 1st, 3rd and 5th
Scoliosis – 5th

Thanks,
Kathrine Cruise, BSN, RN
Tosch School Nurse

Clinic -972-882-5003
FAX – 972-882-5010

Immunization Requirements

Students are required to be properly immunized before entering school. Required immunizations are determined by the grade the student is entering. For more information visit www.immunizetexas.com .

Immunization Requirements for Elementary (Grades K-6)

Low Cost Clinics

Mesquite ISD Medication Policy

Medication should be administered at home whenever possible. However, medication can be administered during school hours when the following guidelines are followed:

1. United States or an advanced nurse practitioner that has prescriptive rights and is working under the directives of a licensed physician.
   
2. All medication must be filled by a pharmacist licensed in the United States .
   
3. All medication must be in the original container properly labeled with the student's name, type of medication and direction for administration.
   
4. Sample medication will be treated as "over-the-counter" (See #7.)
   
5. Parents/Guardians may send only two (2) weeks supply of prescribed medication (exceptions include liquid and inhaled multi-dose medications).
   
6. A written request to administer medication is received from the parent/guardian.
   
7. Over-the-counter (OTC) medication will be administered only if a written request is received from the parent or guardian AND written instructions are received from a licensed physician. Physician's instructions must include:
   
   1. Student's name
      
   2. Purpose for administration
   3. Dosage and frequency of the medication ("As directed" or "According to package instructions" will not be accepted).
      
   4. Length of time the medication is to be administered

Screenings

VISION
Grades: K, 1, 3, 5
Purpose: To identify through mass screening any student experiencing vision difficulty and refer for medical evaluation and treatment to insure learning through sight in the classroom.

HEARING
Grades: K, 1, 3, 5
Purpose: To identify through mass screening any student with a hearing impairment as early as possible and refer for medical evaluation and treatment to minimize effects on language development and learning in the classroom.

SPINAL (SCOLIOSIS)
Grade: 5
Purpose: To identify signs of possible abnormal curves of the spine and refer for medical evaluation and treatment. Early intervention can prevent the development of a severe deformity that can affect a person's appearance and health.

ANCOTHOSIS NIGRICANS
Grades: 3, 5
Purpose: To identify light brown-black, velvety marker on the skin around the neck. These markings may be an indicator of a condition called insulin resistance, which could develop into Type 2 Diabetes. Early detection and intervention can be very important to the child's health. For more information about Acanthosis Nigricans log on to www.panam.edu/dept/tmbhco

When Your Child Is Sick...

If your child is experiencing any of the following symptoms of an infectious illness, please DO NOT send your child to school. Please call the school office to report any absences from school.

• Fever (100.0 or higher)
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Red eyes with drainage
• Undetermined rash on torso or face
• Any other symptoms indicating possible infectious illnesses

If your child begins to experience any of these symptoms, the parent, guardian, and/or other emergency contact will be
notified to pick up the student from the school. A doctor's note may be required, in some instances,
before your child can return to school.

Worried About Head Lice?

What are head lice?
Head lice are small, grayish-white insects that are 1/16 th to 1/8 th inches long. They have no wings, but have strong legs to help them crawl. One insect is called a louse. Many insects are lice.

What are nits?
Nits are head lice eggs. They are grayish-white and shaped like a tear-drop. The female attaches the egg to the hair with a very strong, water-proof glue about 1/4 th inch from the scalp. Each female can lay from 50-100 eggs. They can be seen anywhere in the hair, but usually they are found behind the ears and around the neck.

Where do head lice live?
Head lice live on people's scalps and feed on human blood, just like a female mosquito. They eat every 3-4 hours.

How do you get lice?
Lice crawl from one person to another. You have to be very close or touching to get lice because lice do not jump or fly. You can also get lice from sharing a comb, brush, hat, or anything else you put on your head. Lice can live for 2 days away from the human body.

Can lice make you sick?
No, but they do make you itch and can make the skin very red and sore.

How do I know if I have lice?
Itching is usually the first sign, but you may not itch if you have only a few insects.

How can I kill the lice and their eggs?
Buy a safe, lice-killing shampoo from the store. Everyone who lives in your house must wash their hair on the same day, even if they do not have lice. Everyone must wash their hair 7-10 days later because the shampoo does not kill all the eggs . Some eggs will live and hatch into new lice, and you will have to start all over again.

Do I only have to wash my hair?
No, you must wash all clothes and bedding used during the past 2 days with very hot (120 o ). Most people's water heater can make water that hot. Any clothes, pillows, or stuffed toys that cannot be washed must be sent to the dry cleaners or put in plastic bags for 2 weeks. All combs and hairbrushes must be soaked for 1 hour in water with lice-killing shampoo or put in a pan of very hot water (120 o ), for 5-10 minutes. Vacuum all carpets and throw the vacuum bag away afterwards. Use a lice-killing spray to kill lice on couches, chairs and the car upholstery.

I wash my hair everyday and use a hair dryer, so I can't get lice!
WRONG!….frequent hair washing does not keep a head louse from crawling on you, and regular shampoo does not kill lice once they are on your head. Also, a hair dryer is not hot enough to kill them.

Does oil on my hair keep the nits from sticking?
No, the female can still attach her eggs to hair with oil on it.

Can I use vinegar to remove the nits?
No, it will not loosen the glue the female uses to attach her eggs. A special comb and hair rinse to be used after treatment with a lice-killing shampoo can be used to help remove the nits, but even this not completely effective.

Should I cut my hair?
Short hair can get lice just as easily as long hair. People with long hair might need to use more lice-killing shampoo.

How can I keep from getting lice again?
Do not share combs, brushes or clothes.

What does the school do to help prevent lice from spreading?
The Mesquite ISD school nurses have developed educational material for children, their parents and teachers. Students found with head lice (live lice or nits with 1/4 th inch from the scalp) will be excluded from school. All students in the infected classroom will be screened. The parents of the affected child will be contacted and the student will be sent home. Siblings of the affected student will also be screened. Students excluded because of head lice are to receive two treatments 7-10 days apart with either prescription or over-the-counter head lice shampoo. Students will be permitted to return to school after the initial treatment and a letter signed by the parent that treatment has begun using a lice shampoo. Between 7-10 days after the initial treatment, the student must be re-treated and checked in through the office with another letter from the parent that a second treatment has been completed. The district reserves the right to enforce a nit free policy for those students that have excessive cases of head lice.

Resources:
Worried About Lice? An educational pamphlet prepared by your MISD School Nurses MISD Health Services Clinic Management, October 2004