Health Services
Health Services
At Johnson Elementary, we want to keep your children healthy, so that they can get the most out of
their school experience. We have a full-time school nurse, Kari Kiely, who will work directly with
JES students and staff. She will provide services such as first aid/emergency care, administering
medications, health screenings, nutrition/dental education, and health education. The school nurse is a
resource that will work with students, families, parents/guardians, and staff to make sure that health
needs/goals are being met. She will work as a liaison between school and the medical/dental home. She
is committed to follow guidance and regulations coming from the Vermont Department of Health, The
Vermont Agency of Education, and the Centers for Disease Control for all infectious diseases.
Student Illness or Injury during the School Day
If a student is injured or ill, they should inform their teacher and ask permission to see the school nurse.
If the nurse deems it necessary for the student to leave school, the parent/guardian or emergency
contact will be notified. The school nurse is authorized to administer emergency first aid. In the event of
a serious injury or illness, the parent/guardian will be notified and transportation to home or the
hospital will be arranged. It is imperative that we have the correct contact information for
parents/guardians, in addition to emergency contacts, in the event the parent/guardian cannot be
reached. Please try to be timely in picking up your student, or have a back-up plan for student who may
need to leave school early.
When to Keep a Student with Illness at Home
It can be really challenging to know when to keep children home from school. School is usually the best
place for them, however there will be times that rest and a visit to your child’s medical home are
necessary and recommended. You may always call the school nurse once school is underway, to consult.
Please try to avoid bringing in sick children, as this exposes other students and staff unnecessarily.
Please understand that if your child is absent from school due to illness, they will not attend after-school
or evening activities.
Your child should not attend school if any of the following apply:
-A temperature greater than 100.4 (degrees F). The student must be fever-free for 24 hours without the
use of fever reducing medications (Advil, Tylenol, Motrin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen) before returning
to school. Please do not give children fever-reducers and send them to school, as they are still
contagious.
-Shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, and/or muscle aches/fatigue. Please contact your child’s
healthcare provider.
-Vomiting and/or diarrhea within the last 24 hours. Must be 24 hours since the last episode before the
student returns to school.
-Severe sore throat for more than 48 hours and/or exposure to strep throat. Please contact your child’s
healthcare provider.
-Honey crusted sores around the nose and mouth. Please contact your child’s healthcare provider.
-Unidentified rash on any area of the body. Please contact your child’s healthcare provider.
Parents/Guardians are asked to continue to remind their children to throw away used tissues, cover
mouths with their elbow when they sneeze, keep hands away from face, and to wash hands often with
soap and water. These simple measures will keep everyone healthier. If you have concerns that your
child has repeated absences from school due to illness or do not appear to have physical symptoms,
please contact the school nurse or your child’s healthcare provider.
Covid-19 Illness
The following is adopted from the Vermont Agency of Education and Department of Health
memorandum published in August 2022:
- If a student or staff member is presenting with mild Covid-19 symptoms during the school day,
the decision to test will be made by the school nurse based on their clinical decision-making.
Mild respiratory disease symptoms include runny nose or nasal congestion, minimal cough, and
absence of fever in an individual with no current or recent exposure to Covid-19. Students will
not be tested without consent from parents/guardians.
- If a student or staff member is not well enough to participate in school, regardless of whether
they are tested for Covid-19, they will be sent home from school. A student who is being sent
home due to illness, may be required to wear a mask while awaiting pick-up.
- If a student or staff have confirmed Covid-19, they should follow the Vermont Department of
Health isolation guidance. Currently this is 5 days, followed by 5 days of masking.
- Students and staff may return to school once their symptoms have improved and they meet
school criteria for their illness.
- Students and staff are permitted to exercise their own or their family’s decision–making to wear
a mask at school.
- Staying current with vaccinations and frequent hand-washing will be encouraged throughout
the school year.
- Please contact the school nurse for any questions/concerns regarding Covid-19.
Allergies/Asthma
If your child has any serious allergy to things such as bees, nuts, or latex, it is the responsibility of the
parent/guardian to document this on your child’s student record and to send a note from your student’s
healthcare provider. In the event that your child is prescribed an epi-pen for an allergic reaction, an
“Allergy Action Plan,” will be created to ensure your student’s safety while at school. Please see below
section for medication details.
Students with asthma that will require inhalers or medications at school, will be started on an “Asthma
Action Plan.” This is a written plan from the student’s doctor or pulmonologist. It is important that the
document/plan is updated each school year.
Medications
If a student needs to take any prescription or non-prescription medications during the school day, there
are some steps that will need to be taken. You will need to obtain a medication authorization form from
the school nurse. A copy of this is attached. This form must be completed and signed by the
parent/guardian and healthcare provider. The form will be returned to the school nurse with the
medication and a healthcare provider’s order. The medication must be in its original packaging with
student’s name and DOB. Parents/guardians must deliver and pick up any medication. There are special
circumstances in which students are given permission to self-carry medications to use as needed.
Approval from the school nurse and written prescription are required for self-carry.
Screening and Immunizations
Vision and hearing screening will occur for students in grades Pre-K, K, 1, 3, 5, as well for students with
an IEP or 504 plan. JES complies with Vermont State law regarding immunizations. Our school nurse will
contact any parent/guardians whose child may be missing a required immunization.
Johnson Elementary School Nurse contact info:
Nurse Kari Kiely - kkiely@lnsd.org - phone 802-888-6732 - fax 802-635-7663
Johnson Elementary School
PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION AND ORDER AND PERMISSION FORM
● The school nurse must have this completed form before medication will be given at school.
● The school nurse must approve and administer the first dose of any medication given at school.
● The school nurse may delegate administration of subsequent doses to another school staff
member.
● A parent/guardian/adult must bring the medication to school in an appropriately labeled
pharmacy container.
● All medicine must be kept in the school health office, unless the health care provider, parent,
and administrator have given permission for the student to keep the medication for self-
administration
Name of Child Date-of-birth Grade Date
____________________________________ ____________ __________ ___________
Medication Order:
Medication: ___________________________________________ Strength: _________
Dose: __________ Route: ____________ Time to be given at school: _________________
Start Date: __________________________ End Date: ________________________
Reason for Medication: _______________________________________________________
Healthcare Provider Signature: _________________________________________________
I give permission for _____________________________________ to share information with
Healthcare Provider
Johnson Elementary School Health Office Staff, concerning my child’s medication(s).
I give permission for the medication prescribed above to be given to my child at school by the
school nurse or nurse’s designee.
Parent or Guardian Signature _______________________________________
Printable JES PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION AND ORDER AND PERMISSION FORM Link: HealthForm20222023JES.pdf