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Phone: 860-693-7792 and Fax 860-693-5838
Office Location: Canton Intermediate School, 39 Dyer Ave
Canton, CT 06019
Nursing Supervisor: Ryan Townsley MSN, RN rtownsley@cantonschools.org
Health Policies and Procedures
Food Allergies:
Please notify the school nurse if your child has a food allergy. Outside/shared food is allowed for pre-planned classroom parties only. Food should not be brought in outside of that (ex: cupcakes for birthdays).
Medications:
Medication Authorization Form signed by the doctor or APRN and guardian must be on file before medication can be given. Medications must be FDA approved for specific use.
All prescription medication must be in the original container, with the students name, medication name and dosage on the bottle.
Emergency medications(inhalers, epi pens, etc.) will accompany children on field trips with a trained staff member.
Illness:
Children with illness symptoms will be assessed by the school nurse and sent home as needed. Please ensure you have a plan in place to pick up your child within the hour.
When to stay home:
Ill students should remain at home until they are fever-free (less than 100.4 degrees) without fever reducing medication for a 24 hour period before returning to school.
While it is important for your child to be in school in order to learn, it is equally important that when your child is ill, she/he should stay home. Please review the following guidelines for when to keep your child home. If you have any questions, please feel free to call your school nurse for advice or guidance.
Exclusion decisions will be made by the school nurse in collaboration with the nursing supervisor and medical director.
The following are guidelines for keeping your child home when ill. The information has been taken from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools, published 2023
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC have determined 3 key criteria for keeping your child home from school. Most illnesses do NOT require your child to stay home from school.
The 3 key criteria to keep your child home:
Your child cannot participate comfortably in activities as determined by school nurse or designated staff member
Your child’s illness results in care that is greater than staff members can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children.
Your child’s risk of spread of harmful disease to others on the list of specific exclusion conditions below. A health professional may determine the child’s condition does not require your child to remain home.
You should plan to keep your child home if you child:
Looks severely ill. This would include a lack of responsiveness, lethargy, irritability, persistent crying, difficulty breathing, or a quickly spreading rash.
Has a fever (temperature of 100.4 degrees that is accompanied by behavior change or other signs and symptoms (that may include a sore throat, rash, vomiting, diarrhea)
Has diarrhea. Defined by stool that is occurring more frequently or is less formed in consistency than usual. Exclusion is required for all diapered children whose stool is not contained in the diaper and toilet-trained children if the diarrhea is causing “accidents.” Do not send your child to school whose stool frequency exceeds 2 stools above normal per 24 hours.
Is vomiting, 2 or more times in the previous 24 hours, unless the vomiting is determined to be caused by a non-communicable or noninfectious condition and the child is not in danger of dehydration.
Has abdominal pain that continues for more than 2 hours or intermittent abdominal pain associated with fever or other signs and symptoms.
Has mouth sores with drooling that the child cannot control unless he child’s primary health care provider or local health department authority states the child is noninfectious.
Has a rash with fever or behavioral changes, until a primary care provider has determined the illness is not a communicable disease.
Has skin sores that are weeping fluid and are on an exposed body surface that cannot be covered with a waterproof dressing
Has other conditions with specific diagnoses as follows:
Strep throat: do not send to school until an appropriate course of an antibiotic has begun. Exclude from school until the child has received an appropriate antibiotic for 12 hours.
Head Lice, do not send to school if the child has not been treated after family has been notified at the end of the prior day. Exclusion is not necessary before the end of the school day.
Scabies, do not send to school if the child has not been treated after being notified at the end of the prior day. (Note: Exclusion is not necessary before the end of the school day.)
Ringworm, do not send to school if the child has not been treated after being notified at the end of the prior day. (Note: Exclusion is not necessary before the end of the school day.)
Impetigo, do not send to school if the child has not been treated after being notified at the end of the prior day. (Note: Exclusion is not necessary before the end of the school day as long as lesions are covered.)
Chickenpox, (varicella) all lesions must be dried or crusted (usually 6 days after onset of rash) and no new lesions have showed for at least 24 hours.
The guidelines are from the American Academy of Pediatrics- Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools, published 2023.
Please check the following links for information on common childhood illnesses:
Lice: https://www.npr.org/2024/08/28/nx-s1-5090917/head-lice-schools-cdc-guidance
Entrance in to School:
Students entering kindergarten:
State law requires complete primary immunizations and a health assessment by a legally qualified practitioner of medicine prior to school entrance in Connecticut. School administrative assistants will provide a checklist of required documents before the start of kindergarten.
New students entering the school system during the school year will need to fill out this additional form:
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