Health Services

Please encourage your child to practice good health habits that will contribute to growth, development, and well-being. These should include a balanced diet, adequate sleep, regular exercise and study. When there are signs of illness, your child should stay at home. A physician’s excuse is necessary after an absence of three (3) days.

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Public Health has aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recently updated Respiratory Virus Guidance regarding COVID-19 isolation. There is no longer an isolation period for COVID-19. Rather students and staff should stay home when sick. See a summary of CDC guidance below:

What to do When You’re Sick:  

When you have respiratory virus symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, please take the following steps to prevent its spread.  

Step 1:  Stay at home. You should stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after: 

• Your symptoms \ are getting better overall, and 
• You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). 
• If your symptoms improve and stay better for 24 hours, you are less likely to pass your infection to others. Then, you can start getting back to your daily routine and move on to step 2 

Step 2:  Resume normal activities and use added prevention strategies over the next five days, such as taking more steps to get cleaner air, enhancing your hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and getting tested for respiratory viruses.  

People who are at higher risk for severe illness and who start to feel sick should seek health care right away so that they can access testing and treatment.  

 

The Department of Health has regulations regarding immunizations. The regulations are intended to ensure that children attending school in the commonwealth are adequately protected against potential outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases.

A CHILD MUST HAVE REQUIRED VACCINES OR RISK EXCLUSION FROM SCHOOL

A child must have the required medically-appropriate vaccines or a plan to complete those vaccines or risk exclusion from school. A child may still obtain medical, religious or philosophical exemption from meeting the immunization requirements. Talk to your child's pediatrician about the vaccines your child needs to attend school.

On the first day of school, unless the child has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption, a child must have had at least one dose of the above vaccinations or risk exclusion. If a child does not have all the doses listed below, needs additional doses, and the next dose is medically appropriate, the child must receive that dose within the first five days of school or risk exclusion. If the next dose is not the final dose of the series, the child must also provide a medical plan (red and white card) within the first five days of school for obtaining the required immunizations or risk exclusion.

For more information on the vaccines your child needs to attend school, visit  dontwaitvaccinate.pa.gov or talk to your child's pediatrician.

Under the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, together with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the required immunizations are listed below.

Documentation of the required immunizations MUST be submitted in order for your child’s registration to be considered complete and for him/her to attend the first day of school. 

All students new to the school must also have a physical and dental examination on file.

This examination is valid within one year of the student’s entry into school and must be submitted to the School Nurse by October 15th.

Required Vaccinations

FOR ATTENDANCE IN ALL GRADES CHILDREN NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis* (1 dose on or after the 4th birthday)
• 4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given)**
•  2 doses of measles, mumps, rubella***
•  3 doses of hepatitis B
• 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) or evidence of immunity

Usually given as DTP or DTaP or if medically advisable, DT or Td *

A fourth dose is not necessary if the third dose was administered at age 4 years or older and at least 6 months after the previous dose **

Usually given as MMR ***

FOR ATTENDANCE IN 7TH GRADE

• 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) o the first day of 7TH grade
• 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day of 7TH grade

ON THE FIRST DAY OF 7^TH GRADE, unless the child has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption, a child must have had the above vaccines or risk exclusion.

FOR ATTENDANCE IN 12TH GRADE

• 1 dose of MCV on the first day of 12TH grade. If one dose was given at 16 years of age or older, that shall count as the twelfth grade dose.

ON THE FIRST DAY OF 12^TH GRADE, unless the child has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption, a child must have had the above vaccines or risk exclusion

EXEMPTIONS

These requirements allow for the following exemptions: medical reason, religious belief, or philosophical/strong moral or ethical conviction. Even if your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be excluded from school during an outbreak of vaccine preventable disease.

Pennsylvania's school immunization requirements can be found in 28 Pa.CODE CH.23 (School Immunization). Contact your healthcare Pennsylvania provider or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH for more information.

 

Medical care in the schools is limited to first aid for accidents and illness until the parent can be contacted to take the child home or to their personal health care provider or hospital. Emergency information completed by you will give us the information to locate you when needed. It is important to keep this information updated each school year. School nurses are permitted by law to perform only those services written on the Standing Orders of the consulting school physician. Do not expect the school nurse to diagnose or treat illnesses. This is the proper function of your family health care provider.

The Pennsylvania School Health Law requires all students on entry to Wissahickon School District, 6th and 11th grades have a physical examination.

Students entering Wissahickon School District as well as those entering the 3rd and 7th grades are also required to have a recent dental examination. Recent examinations means an exam done no earlier than one year prior to the school year it is required. We urge you to have these examinations performed by your child’s own health care provider.

Dental Private Report

Physical Private Report 

 If necessary, you can also contact your school nurse to secure these forms. The completed forms must be returned to the school nurse by October 15th or no later than two months after your child enters the Wissahickon School District.

Each child will have state mandated screening which includes growth (body mass index), and vision. Hearing is tested in kindergarten, grades 1,2,3,7 and 11 and those in special ungraded classes. We will report deficiencies to you in these tests. These reports should be rechecked by your family health care provider and returned to the school nurse when problems are corrected.

To eliminate any confusion that might exist in the minds of parents and health care providers with respect to attendance restrictions related to communicable diseases, the Wissahickon School District has set the following policies that we believe to be in the best interest of our students. These regulations are based on PA Code, Title 28, Chapter 27, Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases, Subchapter C Quarantine and Isolation, amended 1/25/02.

1.  All persons having communicable diseases such as diphtheria, poliomyelitis, typhoid fever, small pox, meningitis, tuberculosis, etc., are assumed to be strictly quarantined for the full quarantine period as defined by State Law and may not attend school during this period. No child from the same household may attend school until released by the attending health care provider, who shall certify to three (3) days treatment and negative cultures.
2. Incubation Periods: All persons exposed to a communicable disease who have not previously had the disease or been immunized against a particular disease, should be aware of the Incubation Periods (the time from exposure to disease to the onset of that disease in the exposed person.) If any symptoms of an illness occur during this time period, please seek medical attention as soon as possible and exclude that person from school until a diagnosis is reached and that person has met the required exclusion period.

Disease	Incubation Period
Chickenpox	7 - 21 days
German Measles	10 - 21 days
Measles	9 - 14 days
Whooping Cough	2 - 21 days
Streptococcal Infections (Including Scarlet Fever)	2 - 5 days
Influenza and Viral Upper Respiratory Infections (colds)	1 – 3 days
COVID-19	2 – 5 days

3. A child suffering from any of the following communicable diseases shall be excluded from school for the following periods: (This does not apply to other members of the same household.)

Chickenpox	5 days from 1st appearance or when vesicles are crusted over, whichever is sooner.
Measles	4 days from the onset of rash
Mumps	9 days from onset or until swelling has completely subsided
Rubella	4 days from onset of rash
Whooping Cough	3 weeks from onset or 5 days from start of treatment
Respiratory Streptococcal Infections	24 hours after start of treatment (includes Scarlet Fever)
Influenza and Viral Upper	1 day after temperature returns to normal without fever medication
Respiratory Infections (Colds)	24 hours  after temperature returns to normal without fever medication
Tuberculosis	2 weeks after treatment, 3 consecutive negative morning sputum smears and a note from the attending physician that the student is non-communicable
COVID-19	1 day after temperature returns to normal without fever medication and symptoms are improving (it is recommended to stay home for 5 days from the start of symptoms)

4.      Any pupil suffering from impetigo or scabies shall be excluded from school and not re- admitted until a note is presented from the family health care provider stating that the pupil is under his/her care with his/her permission to re-enter.

5.      Any pupil suspected of having a communicable disease and excluded from school shall not be reinstated within the prescribed interval unless a health care provider certifies that the pupil was not suffering from the suspected contagious disease.

The Wissahickon School District will continue to follow the guidance of the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (MCOPH) and the Center of Disease Control (CDC).

More information about COVID-19 guidance from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health 

HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN - BOARD APPROVED June 5, 2023

At the public Board meeting on June 5, 2023, the WSD School Board approved the revised District Health and Safety Plan to reflect the revised COVID-19 mitigation procedures and protocols. 

Wissahickon School District Health and Safety Plan, Board-approved June 5, 2023

The Wissahickon School District recognizes that parents have the primary responsibility for the health of their children. Although the District strongly recommends that medication when necessary should be given at home, it realizes that the health of some children requires that they receive medication / treatment while in school. Parents should confer with the child’s primary care provider to arrange medication / treatment time intervals to avoid school hours whenever possible. When medication / treatment absolutely must be given during school hours, certain procedures must be followed:

• Any medication to be given during school hours must be delivered directly to the School Nurse. The medication must be brought to school in the original pharmaceutical dispensed and properly labeled container. All controlled medications must be delivered to the School Nurse by an adult, counted and recorded on the student’s medication log. As per the PA Controlled Substances Act, no more than a thirty school day supply for any one medication should be stored at school.
• All Medication / Treatments must be accompanied by authorization in writing on the WSD “Prescription Medication Dispensing Form,” by a board-certified prescribing provider (i.e., physician, advanced practice nurse, psychiatrist, or dentist). The WSD “Prescription Medication Dispensing Form” can be obtained from the school health office or by downloading the link below.

Print the Prescription Medication Dispensing Form

• This form must contain the following information:

a.      Student name and grade
b.      Name of medication to be given
c.      Reason for medication/treatment
d.      Dosage (amount to be given may not exceed manufacturer’s recommended dosage); total dosage within 24 hours
e.      Route of medication/treatment
f.       Exact time medication/treatment is to be given
g.      Possible side effects and treatment of possible side-effects

• The “Prescription Medication Dispensing Form” must also be signed by a parent/guardian for ALL medications/treatments. (Note: this form is renewed annually.)
•  No emails or telephone requests will be accepted.
• Students in grades 6 through 12 will be responsible for reporting to the Nurse at the time the medication / treatment is to be given. In grades K through 5, individualized plans will be made for the administration by the School Nurse.

1. Prescription medications, including inhalers and Epi-pens/Auvi-Q, must be brought to school with the pharmaceutical label on the container that includes the student and prescribing health care provider names. The prescribing health care provider may fax written orders to the School.
2. In order for a student to carry an inhaler or Epi-Pen/Auvi-Q for self-administration, a form requesting such must be signed by the physician and parent/guardian stating the student has been given instruction regarding the medication and direction to report to the School Nurse if self-administered as per Policy 210.1. (Obtain form from the School Nurse.) The appropriate form can be found on the WSD website.

Epi Pen Permission to Carry M6 Form

Inhaler Permission to Carry M5 Form 

3.  If there is a change in medication or dosage, a new form must be completed by the physician and signed by the parent.

1. Over–the-counter (OTC) medications must be provided by the parent/guardian and accompanied by a written note with the information outlined above. No OTC medication will be administered without a written note. No homeopathic or herbal product will be administered without a primary care provider order.

Parent/Guardian Request for Administration of Over-the-Counter Medication During School Hours Form

2.   The Wissahickon School District Consulting Physician allows for administration of certain OTC medications including acetaminophen, ibuprofen and caladryl lotion. In the event of an unexpected allergic reaction in your child, liquid diphenhydramine and Epi-Pens/Auvi-Q are also available. The parent/guardian must continue to provide Epi-Pens/Auvi-Q for children with known severe allergic responses.

3.  The School Nurse reserves the right to withhold administration of an OTC medication within the first two hours and the last one hour of the school day to protect the student from excessive medication ingestion.

All medication, both prescription and OTC, must be kept in the Nurse’s Office other than medication covered under Policy 210.1.

The Pennsylvania Public School Code, Section 1414.2 (g) allows parents/guardians to request an exemption to the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector for their student. In order to request this exemption, contact the school nurse to make an appointment to discuss this decision, review and sign the opt-out form.

Please be aware that students who self-carry any emergency medications (for example: inhalers, epi pens and diabetes supplies), will need to have the “Permission to Carry Emergency Medication” form completed by BOTH parent/guardian AND prescribing medical provider.

In addition, they will need to demonstrate proficiency in using and storing these medications. They will meet with the school nurse and review the skills checklist for that particular medication/supply. These forms are all available on the district website, under Health Services.

Please plan accordingly and have your child’s medical provider complete the form (view under "Forms" list) as soon as possible to be ready for the upcoming school year.