Please review the following information about one of the major challenges that we face in caring for students: Spread of infection.

• With a fever (temp over 100). Children should be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• With vomiting, or severe diarrhea. They may return to school after 12 hours with no symptoms.
• With any severe cough or breathing difficulty.
• With known chicken pox, ringworm or impetigo, until released by a physician for school attendance.
• Children with head lice must be treated and checked by the school nurse before returning to school.
• With irritated, red, itchy eyes with mucus discharge (crusting on lashes).
• With unusual rash, or rash associated with a fever.
• With any new complaint which requires a physician's evaluation.

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year!

My name is Charmanique Gingles, School Nurse for York Suburban Middle School and Yorkshire Elementary School. I am a certified school nurse. I look forward to working with students and families to promote healthy lifestyle choices! Since I rotate to 2 schools, Mrs. Colleen Stanley, RN, will be covering both YSMS and Yorkshire when I am at the other school. My schedule for the 2017-18 school year is as follows:  Days 1, 2, and 3 - Yorkshire. Days 4, 5, and 6 - YSMS. Please feel free to contact either Mrs. Stanley or me with any questions or concerns regarding your child's health at school.

Please review the following information about one of the major challenges that we face in caring for students: Spread of infection.

Because parents know their children best, you will need to decide when your child is too ill to be in school. Here are some guidelines to follow:

Students should not come to school:

• With a fever (temp over 100). Children should be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• With vomiting, or severe diarrhea. They may return to school after 12 hours with no symptoms.
• With any severe cough or breathing difficulty.
• With known chicken pox, ringworm or impetigo, until released by a physician for school attendance.
• Children with head lice must be treated and checked by the school nurse before returning to school.
• With irritated, red, itchy eyes with mucus discharge (crusting on lashes).
• With unusual rash, or rash associated with a fever.
• With any new complaint which requires a physician's evaluation.

***IMPORTANT: PLEASE HELP US PREVENT THE SPREAD OF ILLNESSES AND INFECTIONS AT YSMS. SOME CHILDREN HAVE IMMUNE SYSTEM CONDITIONS AND ARE VERY PRONE TO DEVELOP LIFE THREATENING INFECTIONS. IF YOUR CHILD HAS A FEVER, PLEASE DO NOT SEND THEM TO SCHOOL. CHILDREN MUST BE FEVER FREE FOR 24 HOURS (WITHOUT THE USE OF FEVER REDUCING MEDICATIONS) BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL. CHILDREN WHO DEVELOP FEVERS OR OTHER SIGNS OF INFECTION AT SCHOOL WILL BE SENT HOME PROMPTLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN KEEPING ALL STUDENTS HEALTHY AND READY TO LEARN!

Announcements:

All 6th-grade students are required to return a completed physical exam form.

All 7th-grade students are required to return a completed dental exam form.

If your child does not have a completed physical or dental form returned by December 21, they will be scheduled with our school doctor and/or school dentist for the exam.

FOR PARENTS OF NEW STUDENTS:

All new students must have a record of immunizations, completed health history, physical form, and dental form. Immunization records may be obtained from your healthcare provider. Other forms may be downloaded from the "Health Forms" section or by clicking on the links above.

If your child is transferring from a school in Pennsylvania, we will receive their record from their previous school which may contain the required physical and dental forms. Students transferring from another state will need to provide a new physical and dental form or a copy of a recently completed exam report. Thank you for your cooperation! We look forward to working with your student at YSMS!

School Nurse

Amy Kitner RN

Health Room Assistant

Tammy Daugherty LPN

Phone:  717-885-1270 x8010

Fax:  717-885-1271

High school provides many challenges for your child. Please talk to your child to see how s/he is coping. Communication is a powerful tool for parents and school staff to support the children as they deal with the demands of high school.

In an effort to support parental decisions, if you decide to send your child to school, I will encourage him/her to remain in school - unless there are observable or measurable signs of illness.

The incidence of Pertussis (whooping cough) has increased markedly in the past 30 years. There have been 74 cases in York County since January 2010 - predominantly in the 5-18 year age group. Talk to your child's doctor about their level of immunity. If their last pertussis vaccine was 6 or more years ago, they could be at risk for the disease. Parents are also at risk for pertussis - talk to your own doctor about getting a Tdap vaccine!

Attention: Parents of 11th-grade students

All 11th-grade students are required by the state to have a current Physical Exam (PE) form on file with their school nurse (10th-grade Physical Exam reports are acceptable).

Please return your child’s Physical Exam report (or a copy of their sports physical) to the school nurse by the first day of school of their junior year.  Physical Exam forms are available in the HS Office or on the district website.

In Addition:

Please be aware that The Pennsylvania Department of Health requires all students entering 12th grade to have a second meningococcal vaccination.

Proof of this immunization must be submitted by all incoming seniors before the start of school their senior year.

This immunization is typically given at the 16-year-old physical.  Please contact your child's doctor to see if they already received the shot or to schedule an appointment for them to receive the shot it.

Please provide the school with a copy of your child’s immunization record from the doctor’s office confirming they have had this immunization before the end of school their junior year if possible.

Please contact the nurse with any questions at AKitner@yssd.org.

WHAT IS BMI?

The Pennsylvania Department of Health requires that each student in Grades K-12 have a Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement calculated. This screening tool, the BMI, uses a child’s weight relative to his/her height. The purpose of this measurement is to screen children for possible weight concerns. The school nurse’s goal is to identify those children who may be at risk for being overweight or underweight and to focus on promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors.   Please be assured that your child will be weighed and measured as in the past, with shoes and any heavy outer clothing removed and that all measurements are kept confidential and are not shared with classmates.