Health and Safety

Illness at School

For your child’s welfare and for the protection of others, it is important to keep your child at home if they have:

• A fever of over 100 degrees during the past 24 hours 
• A cold in the active stages
• A sore throat and/or swollen neck glands
• Undiagnosed rash or skin eruptions
• Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

Please see the COVID-19 Daily Health Assessment below for detailed information pertaining to keeping children home from school for the 2020-2021 school year. Anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home from school and contact their pediatrician for further assessment/testing. 

1. Does your child have any of the following symptoms? 

• Fever (100F or higher), chills, shaking chills 
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough) 
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 
• New loss of taste or smell 
• Sore throat 
• Headache (when in combination with other symptoms) 
• Muscle aches or body aches 
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea 
• Fatigue (when in combination with other symptoms) 
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies and when in combination with other symptoms) 

2. Has your child been told by a public health official to isolate or quarantine? 
3. In the last 14 days, has your child traveled anywhere that isn’t on the Massachusetts list of lower-risk states and did not get a valid negative PCR test (no longer than 72 hours before returning or after your arrival)?

If your answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’ STAY HOME AND DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. 

• Notify the school nurse and/or building principal
• If symptomatic, contact your healthcare provider for assessment and testing

If you are keeping your child home from school related to illness, please contact the School Nurse at 617-559-6453.

School personnel assume the responsibility for determining whether your child should be sent home because of an illness commencing during school hours. Please be prepared to pick your child up from school promptly if they are sick during school hours. 

Please do not send your child to school whenever you suspect a fever, rash, or other signs of illness.

Since accidents can happen, the school secretary must have at least three local telephone numbers of neighbors or relatives in case you are not home in an emergency. These numbers must be kept up to date in Aspen. If you need assistance with making these changes, contact the Main Office.  

Medication

Every attempt should be made to give medication before or after school. If medications must be administered in the school or on authorized field trips, it will only be done under direct orders from a licensed physician and with the parent’s or guardian’s written permission. Forms are available in the health office for such requests. Medication must be brought to school in the original container provided by the pharmacist. No student is allowed to carry medication without written prior approval from the school nurse.

The nurse has general and overall responsibility for the administration of medication and for the implementation of these procedures. Designated school personnel will administer certain medications to the student under the supervision of the school nurse

Food Policy

Our school makes every effort to reduce the risk of life threatening allergic reaction caused by accidental allergen exposure during the day.

Therefore, we have:

• No food sharing or trading during snack or lunch
• No food on the bus
• No food for birthday celebrations
• Limited use of food for classroom celebrations, and curriculum instructions

Families will be notified if it is necessary to restrict particular foods, based on student needs in a classroom.

Medical Records, Physical Examinations, Immunizations

A medical record is kept for your child from kindergarten through grade 12. The State of Massachusetts requires a periodic examination of every school-age child. Newton complies with this regulation by requiring physical examinations in kindergarten and grade six, with a request for a health update in grade 3. These examinations should be made by your private physician. You are required to have him/her complete the medical form provided and return it to the school. If you are unable to fulfill this requirement, i.e. no physician or health insurance, special arrangements can be made by contacting your school nurse. Medical update forms are to be completed for grades three and nine.

By state law, every child attending public school must be immunized against influenza, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, chicken pox, mumps, rubella, and Hepatitis B or otherwise risk exclusion from school. Documentation of these immunizations must be present upon entry to school.

Hearing tests are mandated for all children in grades K through 3. Vision testing is mandated for students in grades K through 5. Other grades may be tested upon review. Testing is done by the school nurse. Parents are notified of any problems. Parents concerned about a child’s vision or hearing should inform the school nurse and the child will be tested appropriately.

A screening program to detect scoliosis (curvature of the spine) is conducted yearly for all fifth through ninth grade students. Parents are notified of any concerns. Height and weight measurements are done in grades K, 1, 3, and 4. School nurses graph these measurements as indicators of growth and development. Parents are notified of anything unusual.

Children entering kindergarten must have documentation of having been tested for lead poisoning at least once in their lifetime.