School Nurse

School Nurses are present on the Whitehaven and MacArthur Campuses from 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.

Accidents during the school day are treated with simple first aid procedures when appropriate. In cases of severe injury or illness, 911 will be called immediately and the parent notified. Staff at St. Patrick’s are not permitted to transport any child for medical care. All decisions about emergency treatment of the child will be left up to the 911 response team and the emergency room physician.

Conditions requiring exclusion from school include, but are not limited to: 

• Fever (temperature 100.4°F and above), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. The child may return to school after being symptom-free without medication for a full 24 hours. 
• Strep throat. The child may return to school after being on antibiotics for a full 24 hours. 
• Pink eye. The child may return to school after being on antibiotics for a full 24 hours. 
• Head lice. The child must be examined by the School Nurse, who will determine if treatment has been effective, and live lice have been removed.
• Infectious disease, illnesses, or conditions that are deemed contagious according to the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics and the District of Columbia (i.e. chicken pox, shingles, measles, mumps).

St. Patrick’s requires that all students maintain age-appropriate vaccinations, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and as required by District of Columbia law. Students shall not be permitted to attend school unless St. Patrick’s has on file the appropriate documents demonstrating that they are fully immunized in accordance with the law or that they are subject to an exemption from immunization. The full statement of St. Patrick’s Immunization Policy is available from the Health Office. Each child must have on file a valid, physician-signed DC HEALTH Universal Health Certificate and immunization record based on an annual physical examination. Student physicals are valid for 365 days from the date of the actual physical exam noted on Part II of the DC HEALTH Universal Health Certificate and not the date the physician has signed at the bottom of the form. Also required at specified grade levels and for new students is a completed DC HEALTH Oral Health Assessment Form.

District of Columbia law requires that these forms be completed and on file prior to the start of school. Therefore, no child may attend school at St. Patrick’s without completed forms on file. Every child must also have on file an Authorization for Child’s Emergency Medical Treatment.

St. Patrick’s uses an electronic student health records management system, Magnus Health. All student health records must be submitted directly to Magnus—and can be accessed by parents—through the Magnus Health Portal available on the St. Patrick’s website. Parents can access Magnus through the Parent Zone or by the Parent Portal using their username and password. Established confidentiality standards (HIPAA) will require you to log in again once you have clicked on the Magnus Health Portal. Parents must access and submit the required forms via the Magnus Health Portal in a manner that is consistent with the requirements above. If any information changes during the school year—especially emergency contact information— parents are responsible for making those changes promptly in both the Parent Portal and the Magnus Health Portal.

Food allergies remain a serious concern. The partnership that St. Patrick’s seeks to foster in all areas among students, parents, and faculty and staff is of particular importance in promoting the safety of our students with life-threatening food allergies. 

St. Patrick’s is an “allergy-aware” community that strives to help students learn to manage their allergies in developmentally appropriate ways. This approach means that our youngest students may be in classes that have more significant food restrictions than our older students. By taking this approach, we encourage students with food allergies to develop a sense of security knowing that schoolwide guidelines are in place to protect their physical and emotional well-being. St. Patrick’s guidelines regarding children’s allergies are based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). 

The Health Office assists parents with the management of children’s life-threatening allergies while they are at school by providing faculty and staff training; distributing the parent provided Food Allergy Action Plan to teachers; working closely with the provider of the School lunch program and with other food vendors, including those on off-campus field trips; storing and/or administering medication; and providing other necessary care to children with food allergies. 

Parents of children with food allergies must provide the Health Office with a yearly Food Allergy Action Plan (located on the Magnus Health Portal) for their child and prescribed medication for anaphylaxis treatment (such as an Epi-Pen). Parents should contact the Health Office if they have any concerns about their children’s participation in the School lunch program. The Health Office is available to parents as a resource for ingredient lists for school lunches and snacks. Parents of children with food restrictions should note those restrictions in Magnus. 

Students with food allergies will only be allowed to eat store bought goods with legible ingredient lists that do not contain the allergen in question or foods specifically approved by their parents. If parents of children with food allergies choose to do so, they may provide a container of nonperishable special treats for the homeroom teacher to have on hand. We encourage parents of children both with and without food allergies to rely on the Health Office as a vital resource as we work together in partnership to protect all of our children—in this instance, ensuring that food items entering classrooms and other spaces are safe for all students in the group for which the food items are intended. Parents of children with food restrictions should note those restrictions in Magnus. 

Birthdays and other seasonal/holiday celebrations are special times for children, but they can be difficult for children with food allergies. In order to ensure that our classroom celebrations are both safe and inclusive, parents and other caregivers may not bring in any items to share with other members of the class that may contain or are made in a facility that processes peanuts or tree nuts. Other food allergies are managed individually. 

At the beginning of the school year, we ask that parents of children with food allergies provide the Health Office and homeroom teachers with a list of child-specific allergy-friendly treats that can guide the selection of birthday and other celebration treats that the entire class can enjoy. Teachers will share these lists with parents at Back-to-School Nights. In PK3/PK4, Kindergarten, and Grade 1, the Day School provides allergy-friendly treats from an approved vendor for specified seasonal/holiday celebrations. We move away from that arrangement in Grade 2 and beyond, consistent with our commitment to a developmental approach.

Students are checked for head lice periodically during the school year. Regular surveillance at home can help prevent the spread of cases of head lice. If your child contracts head lice, please notify the School Nurse so that other students may be monitored, as indicated. St. Patrick’s does not exclude students with nits from the classroom. However, students may not remain in school with an active head lice infestation. Following appropriate treatment, including the removal of head lice, students may return to school after being cleared by the School Nurse. The School Nurse is available to help educate parents and other caregivers about evidence-based treatment options and to assist in monitoring students for signs of re-infestation.

School Counselors are available to support students and  families on matters ranging from day-to-day problems  to more serious concerns related to school and/or home.  Parents are encouraged to make use of this service as  the need arises. School Counselors also conduct periodic parent education and support programs. We encourage all parents to attend these programs. 

The school may, at appropriate times, recommend that a  family or child (with parents’ knowledge) use the services  of a School Counselor. Parents may also reach out to seek  consultation or support for their child. School Counselors  do not provide long-term ongoing therapy within the  school setting but work closely with families to find outside  services when needed. School Counselors may also meet  with groups of students to help resolve friendship or social  issues or consult with teachers regarding ways to strengthen  the classroom community. School Counselors work closely  with parents, faculty, and administration to support students’ social-emotional needs.