Health Office - Frances Richmond Middle School

Welcome to the Frances C. Richmond Middle School Health Office!

Abigale Pelletier

Nurse, she/her/hers

Mission:
"Providing Family Centered Health Care In A Community Setting"

What do RMS nurses do in the health office?
Illness prevention, Immunization data and surveillance, student and staff flu clinics, evaluation of minor student injuries and illnesses, emergency first aid, referral to emergency services as needed, student health screenings including vision and hearing, case management of health 504’s, CPR and First Aid Instructors.

How & when do students access the health office?
Students may access the health office during school hours. If at all possible students are asked to visit between classes, snack, lunch or study hall time. This isn’t always possible for various reasons and students may need to leave class.

The nurses work closely with our school counselors to provide stress/crisis management.

Please feel free to contact us at any time if your child has any changes in their health status. We want to work with students, families, and the school staff to make sure your adolescent's health care needs are being met in the school setting.

Health Topics & Resources

IMMUNIZATION

NH Immunization Requirements

New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services - Bureau of Infectious Disease Control and Immunization has very clear requirements for children enrolled in public school.

NH School Immunization Requirements

Medical or religious exemptions have specific requirements. Additionally, if you are a Vermont resident and wish to keep your child's medical or religious exemption, you must complete the appropriate exemption form for the State of New Hampshire. You can find guidance on exemptions on the State's site. Please note that the Religious Exemption form must be notarized and returned to the health office.

Throughout the year we go through student charts to make sure all immunizations are up to date in accordance with NH requirements. It is our position that the closer we get to 100% compliance, the better our chances for keeping our entire school community healthy. Keeping that in mind, you may be hearing from us occasionally about out of date or missing vaccinations.

If you have any questions regarding immunizations please contact the health office.

CONCUSSIONS

HEAD LICE

HEALTH FORMS

INFLUENZA

The Frances C. Richmond School has a Free Student Influenza Clinic every year in October. The New Hampshire Department of Health provides the vaccine. We will notify all parents at the beginning of the school year as to the date and time of the clinic.

Parents will have to fill out a Vaccine Permission Form and return it electronically or in person to the Health office. We will call the students by grade over the loudspeaker to come for their vaccines. We expect them to come when called. If they do not come we inform the parents that the vaccine was not received. We will send out reminders to parents and students as the date approaches.

We strongly encourage you to consider enrolling your child in the vaccine clinic. Prevention for both staff and students is our aim.

Our Parent Vaccine Permission Form is posted only in the fall. It will be posted again Fall of 2020.

Flu Vaccination
Flu Prevention Steps

Flu Vaccination

While it is best to get the flu vaccine before flu activity begins in the community, it is not too late. A flu vaccine is the first step in preventing the flu. Flu vaccine benefits:

Can prevent you from getting sick from the flu.
Can reduce the risk of flu associated hospitalization.
Important for people with chronic health conditions.
Can lessen the symptoms if you contract the flu.

Flu Prevention Steps

The Flu: A Guide for Parents (CDC)

allergies

The Health Office keep an updated list of all of our students who have allergies requiring the administration of Benadryl (diphenhydramine), inhalers and/or epinephrine to manage any potentially life-threatening allergies. This list is shared with all RMS staff. Each fall the school nurses train the staff to recognize the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and how to administer an Epi-Pen. Nut-free signage is provided for students' classrooms, desks, and a table in Cafe' to protect our students with nut allergies.

Students who have been prescribed an Epinephrine Pen are expected to carry them in their backpacks or on their person at all times. The school nurse may ask individual students to demonstrate that they are carrying their Epi-Pens throughout the school year. Parents should supply the Health Office with an additional Epi-Pen, as well as any updates of the student's Allergy Action Plan.

Students with Asthma are encouraged to carry their own inhalers and use them as prescribed by their physicians. Please consider storing an extra inhaler in the Health Office as a safety measure.

MEDICATIONS IN SCHOOL - BOARD POLICY

FAQ

My Child is ill - when should I keep them home?

My Child is ill - when should I keep them home?

A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal or greater than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a thermometer signs of a fever may include chills, feeling very warm, flushed appearance or sweating.

Following a fever, children should not come to school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours. The fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin (Ibuprofen).

Children who have been vomiting or sick in the night should not come to school the next day.

Children with a strep throat infection should be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.