Health Office & Guidelines

Determining if your child is too ill to attend school:

• If a student has a fever of 100 degrees or more, that student must stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal without any fever-reducing medication.
• If a student has vomited or had diarrhea, that student must stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
• If a student has a rash of any kind, please check with your family physician before sending the child to school. If you send your child to school with a rash, the school must have written note from a physician stating that the rash is not contagious.
• If a student has conjunctivitis (pink eye), that student must stay home until the eyes are clear and without drainage or have a doctor’s note stating that he/she is no longer contagious and may return to school.
• If you would not want your child exposed to the symptoms you see, don’t send him/her to school.

Hennepin County maintains an excellent manual regarding infectious diseases in school settings.  There are fact sheets for many diseases that can be a great resource for families if they have questions regarding a particular illness.

http://www.hennepin.us/residents/health-medical/infectious-diseases#Sec6

Parents are advised that, if possible, medication should be given at home and on a schedule other than school hours.  When it becomes necessary for school personnel to administer medication to a student,  these procedures must be followed:

• The school must have a written request from a parent/guardian in the office for the administration of any medication that needs to be taken by a student in school.
• The school must have a written order from a licensed prescribing practitioner for all medications.
• All prescription medications must be sent to the school in the correct pharmacy-labeled container. When filling a prescription the pharmacy should dispense medication in 2 containers: one for home and one for school upon request.
• All non-prescription medication must be sent to the school in the unopened tamper proof packaging in which it was purchased labeled with the student’s name.
• While in school, students must not carry any medication on their person or in book bags. All medication will be stored in a locked cabinet in the health office. Any procedures other than those outlined above will be considered unauthorized use and will have consequences administered as per the Beacon Academy Discipline Policy.  Permission to self-carry and self-administer asthma rescue inhalers or Epipens will be assessed on an individual basis.
• Medication must be taken in the presence of the appropriate school personnel.
• All medication must be dropped off at school by a parent/guardian and may not be sent to school with a student.
• Medications not picked up by the last day of school will be discarded as pharmaceutical waste.

Authorization for Medications in School

Minnesota Statute 121A.15 states that all public school students are required to provide proof of immunization or appropriate documentation exempting the student from such immunizations prior to enrollment in school. Beacon Academy is a public school and therefore, students will not be allowed to attend—or continue attending—school until this documentation has been received.

Immunizations are started during infancy. Several immunizations are given after a child’s 4th birthday, prior to the start of kindergarten and another cluster of immunizations are given prior to the start of 7th grade. For detailed information, see the immunization requirements here.

Download Immunization Form

All students are expected to participate in recess and gym class as scheduled.  If a student has an illness or injury that requires him/her to refrain from participation in such activities, we require a letter from the child’s physician, stating the type and duration of the activity restriction.  If the length of activity restriction is open ended, with no end date stated, we will need a second letter from the physician stating that the student has been cleared for full activity in gym and/or recess.