Health Information

Accidents/Illness at School 

When children become seriously ill or injured at school, parents are contacted immediately. Our health room has a bed where a sick child can wait for a short period of time until parents arrive. Please be sure you have emergency contacts with phone numbers of nearby friends or relatives that could come for your child quickly if you cannot be reached.

Medications

Parents should make every attempt to give their children any necessary medication, whether prescription or over the counter at home whenever possible. If your child must be given any type of medication at school, the following conditions must be met:

1. All medications, including over the counter medications, such as; Aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, cough syrup or cough drops, etc. must be authorized by a Physician. A Medical Authorization Form (MAF) must be signed by the parent/guardian and physician and must be on file in the school clinic. Forms are available online at Quick Links on Health Services page.  
2. The medication must be in the original bottle with the student’s name, the name of the medication and the directions for administering it on the bottle. All medication will be kept in the clinic in a locked cabinet. Students may not carry any medication on their person or their backpacks except in certain circumstances where life may be threatened and a physician has specified that the medication must be with the student at all times.

All medication will be kept in the clinic in a locked cabinet.  Students may not carry any medication on their person or their backpacks except in certain circumstances where life may be threatened and a physician has specified that the medication must be with the student at all times.

Students found carrying either prescription or over the counter medication at school may be disciplined. Any student distributing any medication at school will be immediately suspended or expelled.

School Nurse

The nurse is in the clinic a couple of days each week, please call the office to get the most current schedule. Please contact the nurse with any questions regarding your child’s health or if your child’s health condition changes. Also, it is critical to keep the office updated with current emergency telephone numbers or name changes.

When to Keep Your Child Home From School

Highline Public Schools works with King County Department of Public Health to help protect children from spreading communicable diseases. Keeping children home when they are too sick for school protects other students and staff from potential illness. 

Symptoms that child is too sick for school: If you child has any of the following symptoms, please keep him/her home, or make appropriate child care arrangements. It will be necessary to pick your student up from school as soon as possible if he/she shows any of the following symptoms at school:

• Fever: Temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Child must not have a fever for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.
• Vomiting: Child should not return to school for 24 hours following the last episode of vomiting.
• Lice, scabies: Children may not return to school until they have been treated and are free of lice and nits (eggs). Children with scabies can be admitted after treatment.
• Diarrhea: More than one watery stool in a 24 hour period, especially if the child acts or looks ill.
• Chronic cough and/or runny nose: Continual coughing and greenish nose discharge. Conditions may be contagious and may require treatment from your health care provider.
• Sore throat: Especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck.
• Rash: Body rash, especially with fever or itching.
• Ear infection: With fever must stay home. Without fever can attend school, but the child may need medical treatment and follow-up. Untreated ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss.
• Eye infection: Pink eye (conjunctivitis) or thick mucus or pus draining from eye.
• Unusual appearance, behavior: Abnormally tired, pale, lack of appetite, difficult to wake, confused or irritable. This is sufficient reason to exclude a child from school.

Allergies

If your student has allergies of any kind, please report that information to our school nurse on or before the first day of school. If your child has dietary restrictions, please also communicate that information to your student’s teacher as there are several classroom parties and events through out the year where snacks are provided and shared with all students.

Lice at School

If a student is found to have lice at school, their parent/guardian will be notified. The student will finish out the day at school. The student will be unable to return to school until being treated.