We feel it is important to remind parents of our school policy regarding food brought from home. As recommended by our school physician, no food items baked or prepared at home are allowed for snacks or parties. Only packaged food and bakery products from bakeries are allowed.  This is to protect your child from contracting any illness that might be circulating. Hand washing before eating is also recommended. Any food brought from home will be politely refused and returned home.

HEAD LICE

If you have found live nits or live lice on your child’s head, you will need to treat them with a pediculicide shampoo and then, most importantly, "pick the nits" out of the hair. You can use "over the counter" or a prescription shampoo for head lice. Olive oil treatments left on the hair for 8 hours then washed twice with an oily-hair shampoo has proven to be an alternative, non-toxic treatment. You still need to comb and "pick the nits".  Please let the nurse know if you have treated your child for lice.  If your child has been sent home from school, you must transport your child back the following day and show proof of treatment to the nurse. The nurse will check the child’s head for nits prior to them being re-admitted. If nits are found, your child will be sent back home with you to have the nits removed. Do not put your child on the bus.  Don’t forget, you will need to check other family members, have someone check your head and treat everyone who is infected.  The household items need to be treated also. Wash combs, brushes, hair bands, ball caps, etc. in hot water. Wash and dry bedding & clothing on hot temperature settings. Sprays can be purchased to treat couches and carpets. Stuffed animals and pillows need to be "bagged" for two weeks. Let your friends, relatives and child care providers know so they can check heads at their houses, too.  Please check your child’s head every Sunday night to help keep "lice" under control.

The school provides a full-time nurse. The nurse is on duty at all times during school hours. Each student enrolled in a public school is required by the Salamanca City Central Board of Education to have a health examination either by a family physician or by the school medical officer in grades 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10. All new students to the district need physicals, also.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

**School Health Office Procedures**

Every child attending school has a yearly evaluation by the school nurse. This includes a height and weight check, blood pressure reading, and a vision and hearing test. Children eight years and older have a scoliosis examination to check for curvature of the spinal column. A parent or teacher may request additional eye and ear checks whenever they suspect a problem. Children in grades 1, 3, 7, and 10 have a physical examination by the school doctor. Classified children receive physicals every three years.

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Fluoride Program        

In an effort to promote dental health and prevent cavities, the Salamanca School System offers a fluoride program for children in grades 1-5. In grades 1 and 2, the child receives a fluoride tablet daily in the classroom under the teacher's supervision. This program is approved and recommended by the N.Y.S. Health Department and administered only with parental permission. Information and permission slips are distributed at the beginning of the school year.

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If a child has a mishap in school, he/she should immediately be checked by the school nurse. The teacher or adult in supervision must file a school accident report. If necessary, the nurse will notify the parent who may choose to seek a physician's care. If there is medical follow-up, the nurse sends notice to the school's insurance carrier for possible coverage.

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Immunizations  

Records must be updated with the school nurse within the first two weeks of school.

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Insurance Policy

Our school, although not required to, does carry an insurance policy to cover accidents that occur in school. The benefits are available only after all other insurance has been used. However, these are scheduled or limited payments that might not pay all medical bills, but are designed to assist the parent. Students are covered by this school plan once they get on the school bus coming to school and until they depart the bus going home. Pupils who walk, ride bikes, or drive to school are not covered until they enter the building. Children who wear glasses to gym class are requested by the gym teacher to remove them or wear protective goggles. If the parent wants their child to wear glasses without goggles, they must write a permission slip stating this.

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Medication Procedure  

If possible, a child's medication should be administered outside of school hours, however, the school nurse will dispense medication if the proper procedures are followed. The parent must obtain a written order from the doctor and also a signed permission slip himself authorizing the nurse to give medication. All relevant information such as the child's name, name of medication, dosage, time, date, and the doctor's name must be included. All medication must be brought to school in the original prescription bottle. Upon request, the pharmacist will provide you with a second labeled bottle for school.  Medicine should not be transported back and forth each day, even over the counter medicine must be in the original bottle. Medication sent in an envelope will not be given out.  This is for the child's protection as well as the schools.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS

All transfer students and all first grade students will be given a physical examination by the school doctor.

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