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Health Office

Home > Student Life > Health Office

The goal of the school nurse is to help students stay in school and minimize absences whenever possible.

Student health is a team effort between students, parents/guardians and the health office. The nurse looks forward to caring for all our students’ healthcare needs both big and small. The nurse is at TA Monday-Thursday. Please don’t hesitate to call or email.

Resiliency

Students and parents/guardians recently science has shown that improving resiliency helps decrease anxiety and increases success in school. One helpful way to learn about resiliency is a helpful Australian app which provides a resiliency program for families, https://www.smilingmind.com.au/resilient-families-program. This app also includes tools to help students manage: anxiety, sleep issues, and helps with mindfulness.

Student Illness

What to do when your student is ill:

  • If your student is sick, please let the Main Office or School Nurse know what symptoms they are having when you call in. If your child has: a fever over 100.0 degrees, vomiting, headache, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, significant congestion (that’s not allergies), communicable rash (scarlet fever, impetigo) they must stay home.
  • If there is a concern that a student might have Covid, please contact the School Nurse and follow the Covid exposure procedure outlined below.
  • If your child is ill or injured and not able to attend school, please contact the School Nurse.
  • Take home Covid test kits and N95 masks are available in the Health Office and TA’s Main Office.

Medications and Health Conditions

Prescription medications:

  • Must be kept in the Health Office.
  • Parents/guardians must get a current medication order to the School Nurse before medication can be given at school.
  • The student’s provider must send in permission (to the Health Office) to self-carry an inhaler or epi-pen.

Over-the-counter medications:

  • A student needs written parent/guardian approval to take over-the-counter medications at school; students can bring a written note or have parents email permission to the School Nurse.
  • Approved over-the-counter medications will be administered in the Health Office or in the Main Office (in the event that the School Nurse is unavailable).

Field Trips and Sports:

  • Parents please remember that you are responsible for making sure your student has their medication (rescue inhaler/epi-pen etc.) when going on a school-sponsored field trip or athletic event.
  • Students, please remember you are asked to get the medicine to your teacher or coach at the start of the field trip or game.

Covid Information for Families

When a student has Covid:

You can go back to your normal activities after at least one day (24 hours) if:

  • Your symptoms are getting better overall and
  • You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours (and are not using fever-reducing medicines).

After returning to normal activities, take extra prevention steps for the next 5 days. 

Any of these prevention steps can help limit the spread of respiratory viruses. The more steps you take, the lower your risk of getting others sick.

  • Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, cover your coughs and sneezes, and clean and disinfect surfaces as much as possible.
  • Keep physical distance with other people as much as possible.
  • Improve air quality. Take additional steps for cleaner air such as bringing in fresh outside air, using an air filter, or gathering outdoors.
  • Wear a mask. Look for a well-fitting, high-quality mask, or a disposable mask under a cloth mask.

When a student is exposed to Covid:

  • If they have fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, sore throat or headache consider testing for Covid.

Covid Testing:

  • In-school Covid testing and at-home Covid tests are available from the Health Office.
Gnaedinger, Ellen

Ellen Gnaedinger

School Nurse

802-785-4805 x226

Important Links

2023-2024 Health Card

Covid-19 Vaccine Clinics: Vermont Dept Health

Prescription Medication Order & Permission Form

Religious Immunization Exemption Form

Recent Health Office News

  • Happy Thanksgiving Illnesses at TA Please be careful around older relatives during Thanksgiving if family members are sick. We have many illnesses circulating in the Upper Valley right now. PNEUMONIA • Pneumonia is still circulating in the community, if your student has a cough and a fever please call their......

    26 November, 2024

  • Illnesses at TA Teachers, please be aware some students are out several days with pneumonia or they are recovering from one illness and pick up a second illness. Please allow flexibility/forgiveness with making up work. PNEUMONIA • Pneumonia is still circulating in the community, we had another new case this week......

    21 November, 2024

  • Immunizations I am reviewing immunizations this month. If you usually exempt your child please use this form. Please complete it and return it to the health office by November 20th. Thank you to those of you who’ve sent those in. No  Ronald McDonald Dental Van this fall: • The dental van will unfortunately not be coming......

    14 November, 2024

  • Clothing Swap at Thetford Elementary School Saturday, Nov. 9th from 9AM to 1PM Immunizations I am reviewing immunizations this month. If you usually exempt your child please use this form. Please complete it and return it to the health office by November 14th. No  Ronald McDonald Dental Van this fall: • The......

    07 November, 2024

  • No fall dental van • The Ronald McDonald dental van will unfortunately not be coming to Thetford Academy this fall due to staffing shortages. I’m working with the Vermont Department of Health on other possibilities and let you know if we come up with another solution.  Dentists that take Dr. Dynasaur:  • Archer......

    24 October, 2024

  • Health Update October 18th, 2024 • If you missed the flu clinic and would still like your student to receive a flu shot your student can get an appointment for a flu shot at Upper Valley Pediatrics. Illnesses PNEUMONIA • Pneumonia is still circulating, TA had another case this week, – if your......

    18 October, 2024

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