Health Services
Please remember to update your child’s phone contacts if there are any changes during the year. Our health offices need to be able to reach parents in the case of emergency or illness.
Please help us to teach your children about the importance of hand washing, covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze and keeping all wounds covered with a bandage.
When your child is ill…
It is imperative that parents/guardians screen each student for any symptoms of illness before boarding a bus or attending school. If your child is not well enough to learn, please keep them home until symptoms improve. If your absence is COVID-19 related, please refer to the Communicable diseases (COVID, flu, etc) page for more information.
Health Forms
Health exam form for grade K-12 and sports – HA1/HPE5 (BOE7512F) required for students entering certain grades and all new students (the same form is used for secondary students interested in participating in sports)
Permission to administer medication in school – HM2 (BOE7513F) State Regulation prohibits the administration of any medication without a physician’s order and parent’s written permission. ALL medications must be in the original container
Permission to carry medication to school – HM2B (BOE7513F.2) Please be advised that if your child is going to be carrying their medication to school you must complete this form and send it to your child’s nurse.
Dental Health Certificates (BOE7512F.1) In accordance with NYS Public Health Amendment A00581 to State Law 2903 effective 9/1/08 students enrolling in certain grades are requested to present a dental health certificate. Such dental health certificate must contain a report of a comprehensive dental examination performed on the student. If you have questions about the above request please call Student Services at 881-0600, ext. 68302.
Permission for use of Sunscreen HM2A (BOE 7513F.1) NYS has changed the requirements for sunscreen use in schools. Prior to this school year, sunscreen required a written doctor’s order for use in school. As of this year, students who are self-directed (can apply sunscreen themselves, know why they need sunscreen & understand that they cannot share it with others) are now allowed to carry and use sunscreen with written parent permission on file in the Health Office at school. The doctor’s order requirement remains for those students who are considered non self-directed (who do not meet the above criteria.)
Public Notifications
What is the NEW Meningococcal Vaccine School Requirement? Information from NYSDOH
Each year, there are different notifications promote safety and public health in relation to a variety of viruses or infections (i.e. staph, flu, etc.). These general health notifications will be posted on this page.
Seasonal Flu, Flu Pdf, Parents: Fight Flu at Home and School in English, Spanish, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, and Russian
State Mandated Screenings & Reporting
Vision and Hearing Screening
New York State mandates screening of vision and hearing during your student’s school year. All new students are screened for distance vision, near vision, color perception, and hearing within 6 months of entering school. In addition, each year all first, third, fifth, seventh and eleventh graders are screened for distance, near vision and hearing. Even if students don’t need glasses, it is recommended they receive an eye exam for their first year of life and every year after they start kindergarten due to the large amount of undetected congenital eye diseases and inherited diseases.
You will only receive notification/referral if your child requires follow up with a specialist after the screening
Scoliosis Screening
Scoliosis screening is mandated for all girls in grades 5 and 7 and boys in ninth grade. Private scoliosis screening is acceptable but must be done no earlier than July 1 of the current year and must be documented by the doctor.
You will only receive notification/referral if your child requires follow up with a specialist after the screening
Physical Exams
New York State also requires that physical examinations be done on all students new to the district and all students in kindergarten, first grade, third grade, fifth grade, seventh grade, ninth grade and eleventh grade. These must be done no earlier than September 1 of the prior school year. Students also are able to get a free examination in school if needed. Forms are available on this website.
Mandated Reporting
New York State also mandates biannual reporting of aggregate weight status categories for each school building and in addition, any health related conditions, such as asthma, hypertension or hyperlipidemia. If you do not wish your student’s information included in this report, please notify your school’s Health Office.
Immunization Requirements
New York State law requires immunization records to be complete on all students upon entry to school.
- School Immunization Requirements
- NEW – What is the NEW Meningococcal Vaccine School Requirement? Information from NYSDOH
- New York State Public Health Law §2164 has been amended to eliminate the exemption for children whose parents hold religious beliefs opposed to immunizations. A statement jointly issued by the Department of Health, the Education Department, and the Office of Children and Family Services explaining the timeline for families to comply with the immunization requirements in order for their children to attend school next school year can be found at this link – https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2170/docs/new_legislation_joint_statement.pdf
Communicable Diseases
- Staphylococcus Aureus (S. Aureus) us a bacteria normally found on the skin or in the nose of 20-30% of healthy individuals. When S. aureus is present without causing symptoms, it is called colonization. If symptoms are present, it is called an infection.
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a strain of S. Aureus that is resistant to methicillin, an antibiotic in the same class as penicillin. It is traditionally seen in people who have recently been hospitalized or who have been treated at a health care facility.
- Community-associated MRSA infections are MRSA infections in health people who have not been hospitalized or have had a medical procedure within the past year. Anyone can get CA-MRSA, however outbreaks have been seen among athletes, prisoners, military recruits, daycare attendees, and other groups of people who live in crowded settings and/or routinely share contaminated items. Poor hygiene habits, such as a lack of handwashing, may spread the bacteria more easily.
School Physician
Shenendehowa appoints a chief school physician annually with the following duties:
- Performs examinations of school children, as needed
- Serves as a member on the Committee on Special Education and 504 if requested
- Develops the program and provides information about school health services
- Coordinates with school nurses in scheduling for physical examinations of all students participating in interscholastic athletics
- Provides final medical clearance for a return to physical activity for all students suspected of a mild traumatic brain injury
- Determines response to potentially contagious diseases identified in conjunction with Public Health
- Serves as the Emergency Healthcare Provider concerning the District’s Automated External Defibrillation (AED) Program
- Provides consultation on any other medical issue in which the District needs medical expertise
- Attends athletic contests as needed.
Athletic Trainer
Shenendehowa employees a full-time, certified athletic trainer to ensure that students receive appropriate care while participating in interscholastic athletics. Duties of the Athletic Trainer include:
- Prevention of athletic injuries, including assessment of an athlete’s physical readiness to participate
- Reconditioning to minimize the risk of reinjury and to return the athlete to activity as soon as possible, excluding the reconditioning of neurological injuries, conditions or disease
- Immediate care of athletic injury
- Concussion Management
- Health care administration, including medical record keeping, documentation and reporting of injuries and referral of injured athletes to appropriate authorized health care professionals when indicated
- Education and counseling of coaches, parents and athletes
The Athletic Trainers are Rick Knizek and Shannon Kane and they are located at High School East, phone at 881-0600 extension 61588 and 61553.
