Illnesses and Health Concerns

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    Healthy children learn better!

    Parents often have many questions and concerns regarding health issues. If your child develops an illness, please notify the school office. If you have a question regarding your student's health or safety, a health technician or district nurse is available to answer questions and provide assistance.

    Emergency Information

    Parents must submit emergency information at the start of each school year and update phone numbers when they change!  In order to properly care for students and notify parents when a student is ill or injured, California Education Code 49403 requires that all parents submit emergency information with their home phone, work phone, and emergency contacts at the beginning of each school year. It is important to provide us with information about any health condition, including any medication. This information enables staff to care for students' health needs, and it is needed for any emergency personnel who may be called in to care for your student. Students' health information is confidential and will only be shared with staff on a "need to know basis".

    If a student is injured or ill, and the school does not have local emergency numbers that can be contacted, the school may be forced to call 911 for treatment at the parent's expense.

    Please list at least two or three local numbers of people who could care for your student if you are not available.  Students should be able to be picked up by the parent or designee within 15-30 minutes after receiving a call from the Health Office. If a parent is reached via phone, they may designate someone other than someone who is listed on the emergency contacts to pick up their student. An emergency contact cannot designate someone other than one on the list, to pick up the student.
     
    If the parent and emergency contact(s) cannot be reached, and it is a non-911 situation, school administrators will determine the appropriate action. This can include housing the student in the health office until a parent or emergency contact is reached, contacting 911 if the injury or illness needs immediate medical treatment, or referring the situation to the police department for the possible temporary care of the student if a parent (or designee) is unable to come within a reasonable amount of time.

    Ill or Injured Students

    Murrieta Valley Unified School District recognizes that students may become ill or injured at school.

    The following are guidelines as to when a student should be kept at home or picked up.  This list is not inclusive of all conditions or reasons a student may need to be sent home:

    • Fever of 100.4 degrees or greater.
    • Significant respiratory complaints (repeated coughing, wheezing or other upper respiratory symptoms).
    • Rash of unknown cause that is systemic in nature or accompanied by a fever.
    • Suspected conjunctivitis (red, itchy eyes with exudate or inflamed conjunctiva)
    • Contagious conditions such as untreated ringworm, head lice, impetigo, etc.
    • Vomiting and/or diarrhea when accompanied by malaise or fever, or experiencing more than one episode.
    • Any suspected fracture (unless a finger injury or other minor injury that the parent requests the student to remain in school).  Obvious displaced fractures or students who are in significant discomfort, must be picked up.
    • Head injury with any brief loss of consciousness, severe headache or visual disturbances (otherwise 911 will be called).
    • Cuts or gashes that are deep or large, underlying structures are visible or bleeding is not controlled within 5 minutes.

    Students who are ill or injured are not generally allowed to walk/drive home. This is for the student's safety (if they are too sick to stay in class, they generally would be considered too sick to walk/drive home). Parents are expected to pick the student up within 15-30 minutes or have a local contact who can come on their behalf.  If the student has an elevated fever or other concern that may require medical attention, the school may be forced to call 911, if no parent or emergency contact is able to be reached within a timely period and medical attention is needed.  School staff are not permitted to transport students.

    Icing injuries

    If a student is injured during the school day, they may come to the Health Office and, if appropriate, we will ice the injury.  If the injury is minor and it is determined they may stay at school, ice may be given to the student to take with them to class to reduce the amount of time they are out of class.  If the injury is ‘old’ (meaning it did not just occur that day), then the student may return during break or lunch to ice the injury in the Health Office.  Ice generally will not be given during class time for an old injury.  This policy is designed to keep students in class as much as possible and reduce the loss of academic time.
Last Modified on September 5, 2024