Believe it or not, spring will soon be here. The health office would like to take this opportunity to remind you of some very important issues. This article is loaded with a lot of critical information so please read it carefully!
If you plan on having your 6th grade student attend Lake Harriet in the fall, he/she will need updated immunizations on file for 7th grade. There are new changes to the immunization law for fall (See Lake Harriet’s Health Service’s website). Letters will be coming home soon in your 6th grader’s backpack with what he/she needs. Please look for this important form. Also, if your student plans on playing sports, a sports qualifying physical exam form is needed on file. This form is good for 3 years once filed and can be found on Lake Harriet’s Health Services website.
Since all Emergency Health Plans and medications are renewed in the spring before the upcoming school year and because allergy and asthma season is around the corner, this is a great time to bring your student in for an allergy and asthma check. If you want medication of any kind to be given in school, a doctor’s order is needed and your signature in BOTH boxes on the consent form found on Lake Harriet’s website under “About our School” in the Health Services tab.
If your child has any medication here in school such as an inhaler, Epi-pen, etc., or if he/she has an Emergency Health Plan, a medication renewal form and Emergency Health Plan (EHP) will be coming to your e-mail inbox soon. Please print, sign and return ONLY the medication renewal form as soon as possible. It can be faxed to the doctor’s office from here OR you can obtain the physician renewal signature and bring in the signed form to the health office. These are due before May 15th.
Please review your student’s Emergency Health Plan carefully making sure that your plan is current with correct phone numbers and contact information. If there are no changes to the EHP, indicate such in your e-mail response to me and it will be good for next year. All forms must be renewed prior to May 15th.
Medications are kept over the summer unless they are due to expire in which case they will be sent home during the last week of school. If you need your child’s asthma inhaler or Epi-pen over the summer, please communicate this in your e-mail response with your forms. (It is our preference NOT to send these meds home in June unless necessary.)
We need current, updated contact information for your student in our software program. Contact information includes parent e-mail addresses and home, work and cell phone numbers of parents and emergency contacts. The school secretaries update this in their computer programs. The health office needs current e-mail information so that we can continue with classroom communicable disease notifications. If you change your e-mail, be sure to contact the school secretary and the health office. Providing your child’s teacher with your contact information does NOT negate the need to update the school secretaries.
To all parents of 7th and 8th graders, please know that once your student has reached this age, he/she can self-carry over the counter medications like Tylenol, Motrin, and cold medication with your signed consent. The self-medication consent form can be found on Lake Harriet’s website under “About our School” in the Health Services tab. Students must NEVER share their medications with other students however.
Although it is hard to believe, before you know it students will be coming to school in flip flops. We STRONGLY discourage wearing them in school. Injuries occur DAILY with flip flop use. Many students are not aware of other people’s toes. Schools, classroom furniture and playgrounds are contraindicated with flip flops. Many toenails have been painfully sacrificed for this cause. Engineers with mops and buckets are on standby status for the flip flop wearers.
One last reminder- regarding fever, diarrhea or vomiting, MPLS has a strict 24 hour rule regarding this. Your child must be fever, diarrhea and vomit free for 24 hours (without the help of medication) before returning to school. This is a public health requirement. We operate under the authority (and policies) of Hennepin County and Minnesota Departments of Health.