School Nurse and Health Room Attendant

North Lake School is pleased to have Mrs. Heather Apel as our health room attendant for the 2023-24 school year.

Nurse Beth Gatzow is the North Lake School District Nurse since the 2020-21 school year.

The Health Room at North Lake School is staffed by a Certified Medical Assistant. The primary role of the Health Room Assistant is to promote student learning. This is accomplished by implementing strategies that promote student and staff health and safety.

WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME

Health room guidelines for keeping a child home sick and return to school after illness:

Students with a fever of 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit or greater should not attend school. They should be fever free for a minimum of 24 hours, without the aid of medications, before they return.
Students with vomiting or diarrhea should not attend school. They should be symptom free for a minimum of 24 hours before they return.
Students who are diagnosed by their physician and started on antibiotics for a contagious bacterial infection (strep throat, pink eye, etc.) should remain home until 24 hours after the antibiotics have been started.
Students with other symptoms or illnesses should remain out of school following medical providers and Wisconsin Department of Health Services Guidelines in consultation with the District Nurse.

Students attending school with these symptoms or who are at school while these symptoms develop will not be allowed to return to class and parents/guardians will be contacted to pick the student up. The only exception to these guidelines would be a written confirmation from the child’s physician stating the child is healthy enough to return. This not only protects the welfare of other students/staff, but also keeps your children who are ill, with an overworked immune system, from contracting a secondary infection.

Skipping breakfast can cause a student to feel poorly; encouraging your child to eat a healthy breakfast can not only prevent these symptoms, but increase school performance and establish a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

REPORTING AN ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS

You should call the school office no later than 7:30 am if your child will be absent. Also, we track infection rates at North Lake, so it is important to let the office know what symptoms your child is experiencing. For example, “runny nose and cough”, “diarrhea”, “vomiting”, and/or “fever”. Please include in your message if the illness is physician confirmed. Sometimes there is confusion if a student has a cold or the “flu”. The Flu, or Influenza, is a physician confirmed diagnosis, and mistakenly gets used to describe a variety of symptoms that range from vomiting and diarrhea to cough and upper respiratory. So, if an illness is not doctor confirmed, please only report the symptoms.

PARTICIPATION IN AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

If children leave school due to illness, they are not permitted to attend extra-curricular or after-school events.

MEDICATIONS

If over the counter medications are to be given to a student during the school day, a signed medication authorization form must be provided to the health room (see Medication Administration Authorization Form). Medications provided must be supplied in the ORIGINAL BOTTLE/BOX, to be stored in the health room, and distributed only to their children, with the aforementioned release.

The above guidelines also apply to prescription medications needing to be administered during the school day. However, prescription medications require a signed release by both a parent and a physician and must be brought in the ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE. If you need additional labels/labeled bottles, they can be requested at your pharmacy. Epi-pens must either be provided in the original box with a pharmacy label or the Epi-pen case itself must have a label on it.

REPORTABLE ILLNESS

According to state mandates, we are required by law to report Category I, II, and III illness to the Waukesha County Health Department. This reporting process allows us to assist the county in preventing the spread of contagious illness.

IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION

Summary of Changes to Wisconsin 2023-2024 School Immunization Requirements for Local Health Departments, Schools, and Health Care Providers

PEANUT-FREE

North Lake School has designated peanut-free tables in the lunch room for students who need them. If your child has a peanut allergy, we will work to accommodate in the child’s classrooms as well.

CONCUSSIONS

If your child has been diagnosed with a concussion, the school needs a signed note by his/her physician/practitioner stating the child has suffered a concussion and what limitations are to be followed. Notes from parents will not be accepted as excuses. Please provide physician notes upon return to school.

If your child has activity restrictions per their physician, a note from the physician will be required to return to normal activities.

COMMON CHILDHOOD DISEASE FACT SHEETS

Below is a listing of common childhood diseases and fact sheets published by the Wisconsin Division of Public Health and/or the Waukesha County Public Health Division. These are meant to be a reference for parents but should not be used in place of seeking medical care for your child.

FORMS

Medication Authorization Form

Student Immunization Record Form for Enrolled Students

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The practices and guidelines we follow are under the recommendation of the Waukesha County Health Division and the Centers for Disease Control. For more information on these agencies or questions regarding potential illnesses or practice guidelines, please see:

Waukesha County Public Health

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Epinephrine Auto Injector Plan

Please contact Peggy Schuldenberg, C.M.A., at 262-966-2033, ext. 118 or schpeg@northlakeschool.org with any additional questions.