Home > School Nurse
The Nurses’ Office is open and staffed every school day from 7:45am- 2:45pm.
Our direct dial phone is 651-262-2889.
Our usual schedule:
Mrs. Vatsaas : Mondays & Wednesdays
Mrs. Czaplewski : Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays
SICK DAYS: Healthy kids are better learners! Please keep your student home if they have had vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours; a fever of 100.0 degrees or more within the last 24 hours; or signs of contagious diseases (strep throat, pink eye, impetigo, ringworm, etc.) until 24 hours after starting medication. If your child is diagnosed with a contagious disease, please notify the nurse.
NURSE VISITS: We are here to help your child if s/he becomes ill or is injured during the school day. If your child has a fever (100.0 or greater), is vomiting, or is ill enough to need to go home, we will call you to come pick them up. We will also notify you if your child is seen repeatedly in our office or if we have any concerns about their health. You may get a phone call or note sent home regarding a single office visit that is notable.
HEALTH CONCERNS: Notify the nurses’ office if your child has any ongoing health concerns (asthma, diabetes, food/other allergies, frequent illnesses,etc). We’ll work together to figure out the best way to handle any health needs at school, and to notify teachers and other appropriate support staff (phy ed, kitchen, etc.).
A nurse is present every school day from 7:45am-2:45pm. Please don’t hesitate to call us or drop by to discuss any concerns.
Severe Food Allergies and other Severe Allergies
If you child has a severe allergy, be sure to let the nurse know so we can help plan for a healthy school year:
For children who have Epipens:
–Be sure to bring an Epipen in to school, and to contact the school nurse about its use.
–We need a new set of doctor’s orders for each school year. Please ask your doctor/health care provider to complete orders over the summer so you are all set for the start of school.
–A copy of your child’s emergency care plan will be kept with their Epipen. (In many cases this document also functions as the doctor’s order. In other cases, it is a separate document written by the school nurse, with your input.) If your child currently has an Epipen at school, we will send a copy of this document copy home at the end of the school year. You may want to give a copy to your doctor to use as a guideline for writing next year’s orders
–Most of our food-allergic students use the “Food Allergy Action Plan” as their emergency care plan/doctor’s order form. A copy of that plan is posted below
-Your child’s Epipen will be sent with his teacher (or you, if you are chaperoning) on any field trips.
–Make note of Epipen expiration dates; most students will need a new Epipen over the summer, or during the next school year. We will notify you when your child’s Epipen is about to expire; however, with about 30 Epipens, it can be hard to keep track of them all in a timely manner, so we appreciate your help with this!
Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns about your child’s allergies or other aspects of their health.
Welcome to Faithful Shepherd! We look forward to meeting you and your student , and to helping them stay healthy and feeling their best at school. Please let us know if your child has any chronic/ongoing health conditions. And feel free to call us or drop by with any concerns about your child’s health.
Here you will find information on health requirements for your new kindergartener, and for other newly enrolling students. More detailed information on immunization requirements can be found on the immunizations section.
Kindergarten Entrance Information
New Student Forms (grades 1–8)
We ask parents to take a proactive approach to prevention and treatment of head lice so our focus at school can remain on teaching and learning. It is safe to assume that one or more students may have head lice at any given time during the year.
Head lice are not an infectious disease but are a tremendous nuisance. The links below provide access to updated information about preventing, detecting and treating head lice. We encourage all parents to read and familiarize themselves with this information so they know how to detect and treat head lice on their own children.
It is parents’ responsibility to check their children regularly for head lice whether or not symptoms are present. It is very time-consuming for our school nurse to check students for head lice and excludes students from valuable classroom time. If a teacher believes a student is showing symptoms of having head lice, the teacher will send the student to the school nurse to be checked. If the student has lice, a parent will be contacted to pick up their child and the child will remain at home until treatment is complete. When feasible, we may check children who have had lice before they return to class. However, a check by the nurse does not decrease the importance of regular checks at home.
There are many places children can be exposed to head lice. School is one of the least likely places for that to happen. Play dates, sleepovers, and the sharing of brushes, combs, helmets and hats are all common ways head lice are spread. Direct head-to-head contact is almost always necessary for the spread of lice to happen.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Does My Child Need Shots for School?
If your child is entering KINDERGARTEN or 7TH GRADE, the answer is probably yes. These links include websites for helping you find out which shots your child needs, and forms for documenting those shots. In most cases, a form from your doctor’s office or any reliable listing of immunizations dates is also acceptable. Note: A doctor’s notation is required if your child is exempt from varicella (chicken pox) vaccines because s/he has had chicken pox disease. Minnesota state law requires all students to be up-to-date with all immunizations prior to the first day of starting school, or within 30 days of enrollment for new students. If your child has not received a vaccine/s due to a medical contraindication or conscientiously held objection, please contact the nurses’ office for information on required documentation.
NEW FOR FALL 2014- For students entering 7th grade, the following vaccines are now required: Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) booster, 2nd varicella (chicken pox) vaccine [or doctor’s note indicating immunity], and Meningococcal vaccine (aka Menactra, Menamune)
Is H1N1 Still Around?
The H1N1 influenza strain that hit Minnesota and the nation in 2009 and 2010 is again expected to be one of the types of influenza we see during this year’s ‘flu season. This year’s flu vaccine protects against H1N1 and two other strains. If you or your child has not yet been vaccinated against influenza, call your health care provider or check the links at right to find a flu shot clinic.
ILI/Influenza Information Links
Medications at SchoolIf your student needs medication during the school day, the school nurse will administer the medication and keep it in the nurses’ office.
Written parent authorization is required for all medication given during school hours. You may send a note or use the form below.
A licensed prescriber’s signature is also required for any medication given for longer than two weeks, and for all doses of medication in certain categories (controlled medications); see form below. A signed document from your doctor’s office providing the same information is also acceptable.
Medication must be sent to school in a current, labeled prescription bottle or in the original over-the-counter container. Ask your pharmacist for an extra prescription bottle for school.
Questions about inhalers, Epipens and insulin should be directed to the school nurses.
Your school nurses provide yearly vision and hearing screening, in accordance with MDH (Minnesota Department of Health) guidelines, for the following grades:
Vision Screening: Grades 1,3,5 and 7 (per MDH guidelines)
Kindergarten (not required, but typically screened.)
Hearing Screening: Kindergarten and Grades 2 and 4.
In addition to scheduled screenings, we are happy to screen any student when a concern about a possible vision or hearing problem is raised. If you have concerns about your child’s vision or hearing, or would like to have them screened, contact the nurse.
Contact: fscsnurse@fscsmn.org