School Aged-Screenings:
The State of Rhode Island Special Education Regulation 4.2.1.2 requires a screening program for school-aged children shall include vision, hearing, health, and speech in accordance with the Joint Regulations of the Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Rhode Island Director of Health on School Health Programs. It shall also include screening for other disabilities for children entering a school district for the first time.
Medical Records:
As part of the school registration process, families must provide appropriate medical records including any information about health issues such as allergies, medications, or other health conditions that may impact their child while at school. Families must update these records as any circumstances change during the school year.
Families must provide contact information for as many emergency contacts as may be required to ensure there is always an adult available to contact for medical or other emergencies. Student health information is kept confidential, however, certain information such as allergies, asthma, or diabetes are shared with necessary staff to ensure the health and safety of students.
According to RI state law, students entering school in RI for the first time must have a complete immunization record and physical examination. Students in grades K through 5 also must have annual dental examinations.
Reporting Illnesses, Communicable Diseases or Conditions:
For the health and safety of all children, the school nurse must be informed if your child has any communicable diseases or conditions. Examples include fever, head lice, chicken pox, ringworm, and pink eye. Additionally, for the health and safety of all children, a child who has a fever or vomiting should not return to school until after 24 hours without a fever, vomiting, and/or the use of fever-reducing medications.
Students who report an illness or injury will be sent to the school nurse for an assessment. The school nurse determines if the student requires medical attention. Families will be contacted if any serious illnesses or injuries are determined. All medication must be transported to and from school by the parent/guardian or another adult in the original labeled container.
Student Birthday and Holiday Celebrations:
Captain Isaac Paine recognizes that birthdays and holidays are special days for our students. Paine must ensure that these types of celebrations neither disrupt the learning process nor go against current Wellness policies. Paine adheres to a Wellness Policy that recognizes the importance of wellness, good nutrition and an active lifestyle in the overall health of our students. Faculty and staff are responsible for positively influencing student beliefs and habits in these areas. Frequent birthday and holiday celebrations with cookies, cupcakes, candy and other sweets are not in alignment with these learning goals. In addition; a growing number of students throughout our school have health concerns related to food, including allergies, diabetes, and other diseases causing this to become a safety issue as well.
Therefore, on birthdays and holidays, in which treats, candy and/or snacks could be brought to school, such edible items are not permissible. If parents would like to recognize their child on such a special day, there are a number of non-food options available, such as: sending in pencils, erasers, fidgets, and/or stickers for every child. Other suggestions include, the child donating a book to his/her class library or an educational game to his/her classroom. The building principal may also decide what non-food related form of recognition is appropriate for the school. ***In short, no edible items are permissible to be passed out, by all stakeholders, during school hours.
Medication:
Students are not allowed to transport medication to and from school. This includes prescription and non-prescription medicines such as; cough syrup, cough drops, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. Only the certified school nurse-teacher is authorized to dispense medication to students within the school building when: a) requested in writing by the child’s attending physician and b) the parent or legal guardian of the student c) as well as received by the school nurse-teacher in the original labeled container from the pharmacy. In no instance can a parent or legal guardian delegate another person to administer medication; this includes prescription and non-prescription medicines. All medications must be handed off directly to the school nurse-teacher.
As students get older and are more aware and responsible, they may be deemed independent enough to self monitor/carry certain types of medication. These cases are considered on a case-by-base basis and with authorization from the parent, physician and school nurse teacher.