The Nurse's Corner
Welcome
Hi! My name is Meg Egan and I am the School Nurse. My hours are from 9-2:30 every day. If a child becomes ill, the parents will be called, so please keep phone numbers current with the school office.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's health issues, please call me directly at (847) 425-5816 or send me an email. You can also review the Baker Parent Handbook for more information on Baker health service policies. I look forward to working with you and helping our students live and stay healthy!
When Should a Child Stay Home
- contagious disease (let the school office know)
- unexplained rash
- fever (temperature of 100 degrees or above)
- red eye(s) with discharge and/or crusting on lashes and burning pain
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- obvious signs that your child cannot comfortably participate in class activities (even without a fever)
When Should a Child Return to School
- Once the child is fever-free for 24 hours, without the use of medication
- Once the child does not have recurrent diarrhea lasting more than 8 hours
- Once vomiting has subsided for approximately 24 hours, but if the child still does not feel well they should not come to school.
Medical Forms
All medical forms should be filled out and sent in by the first day of the school year. Dental forms for Kindergarten, 2nd and 6th grades are due now. If your child needs any over-the-counter or prescription medications at school, please fill out and have your doctor sign the Medication Authorization Form. Parents of visiting children should talk with the school nurse if allergies or other health issues exist.
- Annual Health Services Survey (PDF)
- Asthma Questionnaire (PDF)
- Certificate of Child Health Examination (PDF)
- Emergency Health Care Plan (PDF)
- Dental Exam Requirement (PDF)
- Medication Authorization (PDF)
- Eye Examination Report (PDF)
The School Health Index
During the next month, Baker will complete the School Health Index (SHI), a self-assessment and planning guide. The SHI was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a tool to help schools assess and improve physical activity, healthy eating, tobacco-use prevention, safety, and asthma policies and programs.
The SHI will enable Baker to:
1. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of school policies and programs for promoting health and safety
2. Develop an action plan for improving student health and safety
The SHI is divided into eight self-assessment modules. When all the questions are answered (confidentially) on-line, a score card will be provided to show areas of competency and areas for improvement. This assessment will help improve the school's health promotion policies and practices.
Hand Washing
The single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others is to wash our hands (Florence Nightingale). Regardless, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) survey reported "two-thirds of American adults don't wash hands after coughing or sneezing."
At Baker the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and regular hand washings are emphasized throughout the day especially at lunch time. This is very important because germs enter the body through the mouth when kids eat. To learn more, an article by Bill Nye the Science Guy explains the values of antibacterial soap vs. regular soap vs. hand sanitizers.
Related Articles:
Mayo Clinic Hand Washing: A simple way to prevent infection
American Society for Microbiology