HEALTH
SERVICES PROGRAM
Good
health is essential to effective living
and learning. The school health program
endeavors to promote health, which is defined
by the World Health Organization as "...a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity."
Physical, emotional, mental and
social health problems affect a
student’s
ability to learn. A comprehensive school health program has a
positive impact on the learning process by reducing health-related
barriers to learning. Furthermore, a comprehensive school health
program enables students to be knowledgeable about healthy lifestyles,
and encourages them to utilize the health care system to promote
health and well-being.
Parents or guardians have the primary responsibility for
the health of students. The school health program supplements
and
reinforces parents' or guardians’ efforts
by encouraging students to use existing private and/or public
health resources within the community to enhance their health
status. Cooperation and collaboration among school, community,
and home are essential for successful school health programs.
SCHOOL
HEALTH TEAM
The
majority of decisions related to health services
in the school require a combination of both administrative
judgment and clinical judgment. An interdisciplinary
school health team promotes joint planning, problem
solving, and sound decision-making. The team membership
may vary according to the issues of the school
and/or a specific student on the team agenda, but
should include the principal or designee, the public
health nurse, guidance staff, and others as appropriate.
ELEMENTS
OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAM
A
coordinated school health program has eight elements,
touching all aspects of the school experience and
having potential to have a significant impact on
students' health knowledge, attitudes, and values.
Leadership for each of these elements is provided
by several departments within the school system
and by the health department. The health department
acts in a consultant role to support the services
provided by the divisions within the schools.
1. Health Education provides
a sequential Pre K-12th grade instructional program addressing the
physical, mental, emotional, and social dimensions of health.
2. Physical Education serves
as a means for students to develop strength, coordination, and cardiovascular
and respiratory efficiency, as well as for social development, stress
reduction, and movement appreciation.
3. Health Services promotes
the health of students and school staff members through prevention,
early intervention, and remediation of specific health problems.
4. Counseling provides
broad-based prevention and intervention programs to promote the physical
and psychological health of students and faculty.
5. School Environment creates
and maintains facilities that enhance the physical and psychological
well being of students. It also provides school clinics to manage
injuries and illnesses of students and staff members.
6. School
Nutrition promotes good nutritional practices both within and outside the school settings
(breakfast and lunch programs and nutrition
education in the classroom).
7. Employee Assistance Program- (Staff
Wellness) provides school staff members with the opportunity to take active roles in maintaining
and achieving optimal physical and psychological health.
8. School and Community Agencies integrates
health and education professionals in the school and community to
provide and support improved school health programs.
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STUDENT
HEALTH SERVICES
CONTROL
AND MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
It is important to preserve the health of students
and staff members by preventing transmission of communicable
diseases. Identification and control of communicable
diseases in the school setting are multi-disciplinary
responsibilities.
Each particular disease, depending on the nature
of transmission and the severity of risk and illness,
dictates the course of action taken.
SCHOOL ENTRANCE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
An
entrance physical assessment identifies physical,
mental, and emotional health problems that may interfere
with
optimal learning. See current version of Fairfax
County Public Schools (FCPS) Regulation 2101, Physical
Examinations,
Immunizations of Students, and Tuberculosis Screening
Requirements.
IMMUNIZATIONS
To ensure that vaccine-preventable diseases do not interfere with learning,
before attending FCPS, all students, including preschool, FECEP/Head
Start, and summer school, must provide proof of immunizations against
communicable disease as outlined in the current version of FCPS Regulation
2101, Physical Examinations, Immunizations of Students, and Tuberculosis
Screening Requirements.
The principal will exclude those students who have not complied with
the required immunizations.
HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND HEALTH
INFORMATION FORM
To assess student health status annually in order to develop health
plans as needed, at the start of each school year or when a new student
is
enrolled into FCPS, the parent or guardian provides the school with
information about any health condition that may impact the student
in the school
setting. The parent or guardian should also share information when
a health condition changes. The Health Information form can be found
at: http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/forms/se71.pdf .
If needed, a school health care plan may be developed by the school
public health nurse as a preventive or responsive measure to a specific
student health need. Download: Parents’ and
Guardians’ Guide on Student Health
Care Plans
SCREENING
Vision, hearing, speech, and fine and gross motor screenings
provide for early identification of students with disabling
conditions. Additionally,
the public health nurse can do individual health screenings such as
height, weight, blood pressure, and scoliosis as requested
by parents or guardians or
school staff members. Download: scoliosis
fact sheet for parents or guardians
MEDICATIONS
Although medication should be taken at home whenever possible, there
are cases in which medication must be taken during school hours in
order to meet student health needs. Students who require medication
during
the school day must comply with FCPS Regulation
2102, First Aid, Emergency
Treatment, Health Plans, and Administration of Medication for Students.
CARE OF SICK AND INJURED
Temporary care is provided to sick and injured students and staff members.
Guidelines for care are based on those developed jointly by the Virginia
Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Health. Teachers,
administrators, clerical staff members, and/or clinic room aides provide
first responder care; thus, care is limited in scope and nature and
is provided only until the parent or guardian can assume the responsibility.
See current version of FCPS Regulation
2102, First Aid, Emergency Treatment,
Health Plans, and Administration of Medication for Students.
STUDENTS WITH INDIVIDUAL HEALTH
NEEDS
In order to provide the least restrictive learning environment for
students with individual health needs in a medically safe setting with
an educationally
sound program, specific health care procedures prescribed by a physician
to be provided during school hours are reviewed and approved for the
school setting as long as they can be safely provided by FCPS staff
members. The Specific Health Care Procedures Authorization form is
available at http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/forms/se180.pdf and
should be completed by the parent or guardian and physician. Some students
may be eligible for provisions under Section 504 of the rehabilitation
Act of 1973. See current version of FCPS Regulation 1454, Declaration
of Nondiscrimination--Students with Disabilities, and current version
of FCPS Regulation 2104, Health Services-School Health Related Needs.
STUDENTS
WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
To provide a safe educational environment for a student with severe food
allergies, schools, parents/guardians, physicians, and the student must
work together. The school public health nurse will work with the family
and physician to develop an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP) for the
student. Annual training is required for school staff. Parents or guardians
enrolling a student with severe allergies should contact the school principal
as early as possible so that a safe plan can be instituted.
The following links provide information regarding FCPS policies and procedures,
as well as additional resources.
-
FCPS
Regulation 2102: Health and Welfare: First
Aid, Emergency Treatment,
and Administration of Medication for Students (See Attachment EpiPen
Authorization Form SS/SE - 64, page 13-14)
-
FCPS
Regulation 2104: Health and Welfare: Health
Services—School Health-Related Needs (See Health Information Form SS/SE 71)
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HEAD
LICE (PEDICULOSIS) INFORMATION
Outbreaks of head lice are common among children in schools and day care,
affecting all social and economic groups. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), current evidence does not support
classroom or school-wide screening for head lice to reduce the number
of head lice infestations among school children. Excluding children from
school because of head lice is not recommended. Students diagnosed with
live head lice should be treated and then be allowed to return to class.
“No-nits” policies that require a student to be free of nits before they
can return to school are not recommended.
To
provide information about head lice to parents and
school staff members, Fairfax County Public Schools
and the Fairfax County Health Department have developed
the following information:
- FCPS
Prevention of Head Lice Responsibility Checklists
- Head
Lice Treatment – What Parent’s Need to Know
Brochure
RECORDING
AND REPORTING FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ISSUES
To preserve the safety and well being of students by reporting suspicions
of child abuse or neglect to the appropriate protective services division
for further evaluation, any teacher, school staff member, or public health
nurse who has reason to suspect that a student is a victim of child abuse
or neglect is obligated to report those suspicions. See current version
of FCPS Regulation
2115, Procedures for Reporting Cases of Suspected
Child Abuse.
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