Health screening
Checking on your child’s health/wellness every morning is beneficial for keeping a safe environment at school. If your child/a child in your care is feeling unwell, we ask that you keep the student home. When ill symptoms are present, we ask that you keep your child out, until the student has been free of ill symptoms for 24 hours.
Keep your child at home for treatment and observation for the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Vomiting (even once)
- Diarrhea
- Chills
- General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
- Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
- Nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
- Complaints of sore throat; pain when eating or drinking
- Red, itchy/painful eyes, especially if accompanied by drainage
- Unknown rashes
Please contact your nurse’s office if you are unsure whether you should keep your child home.
COVID-19:
If your child is tested for COVID-19 and the result is positive, the student should stay out of school for five days (with the first day of symptoms being day zero), and can return after these days, as long as your child is feeling well. This information should be communicated with our local health department, as well as our nurse’s office. If you have other children in the household, they DO NOT need to remain out of school, unless they begin to exhibit ill symptoms.
Our offices do still carry at-home rapid antigen tests. Please reach out if you are in need of a test.
Accident reports
If your child is injured during the school day, it is necessary for us to have an accident report on file. Generally, staff who witnessed the accident or the school nurse will complete this form. The nurse will notify the parents/guardians of the incident that day.
Health and dental exam requirements
New York state law requires a health examination for all students entering the school district for the first time and when entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. The examination must be completed by a New York state licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner and provided to the school within 30 days of the student’s first day of school. If a child has an appointment for an exam during this school year that is after the first 30 days of school, parents are asked to notify the health office with the date.
New York state also requires children to be up-to-date on mandatory immunizations to be enrolled in school. Our office will review immunizations on file, and if they are not up to date, you will be notified. A child can only be enrolled in school for 14 days without necessary immunizations, per New York state. If not received, a child will need to be excluded from school attendance until the immunization process has been started and verified by a physician’s office or Public Health. Your school nurse will communicate the process and needs for continued enrollment.
The following screenings are also required for students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11:
- Vision screening for distance and near vision acuity
- Hearing screening
In addition, girls in grades 5 and 7, and boys in grade 9, will require scoliosis screenings.
If our office notices any concerns with the routine screening, we will reach out to parents/caregivers and notify them that the child needs to follow up with a physician for further evaluation.
A dental certificate which states a child has been seen by a dentist or dental hygienist is also asked for at the same time. A list of dentists and registered dental hygienists who offer dental services on a free or reduced cost basis is available from the school upon request. Communication between private and school health staff is important for safe and effective care at school. Health care providers may not share health information with school health staff without a parent or guardian’s signed permission. Parents are asked to talk to their child’s healthcare provider about signing a consent form for the school at the time of the child’s appointment for the examination.
Body mass index (BMI) reporting
New York state requires schools to track each student’s body mass index (BMI) and weight status category as part of school health examinations. Every year, the New York State Department of Health surveys some schools for the number of students in each of six possible weight status categories.
If Herkimer Central School District is surveyed by the state, the district will share summary group data only and will not share individual names or information. Parents/guardians who wish to exclude their child’s data from the summary group calculations must contact their child’s school.
More information: Student weight status category reporting