Greetings! Welcome to the Saranac Lake Middle
School Health Office web page, as the middle school nurse I would like to let
you know of some health requirements for middle school:
2019-2020 NYS Dept of Health BMI Survery
Our school has been selected to be part of the New York State Department of Health survey, we will be reporting to New York State Department of Health information about our students’ weight status groups. Only summary information is sent. No names and no information about individual students are sent. However, you may choose to have your child’s information excluded from this survey report. As part of a required school health examination, a student is weighed, and his/her height is measured. These numbers are used to figure out the student’s body mass index or ‘BMI’. The BMI helps the doctor or nurse know if the student’s weight is in a healthy range or is too high or too low. Recent changes to the New York State Education Law require that BMI and weight status group be included as part of the student’s school health examination.
The information sent to the New York State Department of Health will help health officials develop programs that make it easier for children to be healthier.
If you do not wish to have your child’s weight status group information included as part of the Health Department’s survey this year, please contact me at wrightkel@slcs.org or call 518-897-1663. Thank you.
Health Requirements:
6th Grade: Tdap
Immunization, required before entrance into 6th grade, or when
student turns 11.
7th Grade: MCV4
(Meningitis) Immunization, required before entrance into 7th
grade.
-Hearing screening, vision screening,
scoliosis screening (for 7th grade girls only) -This will take place in
school unless written medical record received prior to school screenings.
-Health exam/physical-is required for the
school year for every 7th grade student, any health exam/physical after
September 6, 2017 will meet this requirement. School provided physicals
will be offered throughout the year. A letter will go home with the option for
you to sign your child up for a school provided physical.
-Dental Health certificate-Please have your child’s dentist fill out the dental form in
the link below at your child’s regular visit to the dentist.
8th Grade:Health
exam/physical if playing a school sport-Any student wishing to play a sport
will need a current health exam/physical on file.
*Beginning 7/1/18 all New York State public
school students must have a health exam when they enter school as a new entrant
and in Pre-K or Kindergarten and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. These
examinations must be completed on the approved NYSED Student Health Examination
Form for School for the health exam.We understand that your medical
provider’s office may not yet be aware of the change, so if you have already
had a physical examination completed for the 2018-19 school year on a different
form, the school may accept the physical on that form. In 2019-2020 ONLY the
approved form will be accepted.
Requirements regarding medication to be taken in school:
*All medications must be in the current
prescription bottle, and label matching the doctor’s instructions.
*All prescription medications must be
accompanied by an authorization form, and signed both by parent and physician. This
is required before any medication will be given in school.This
process must be repeated at the beginning of each school year, thus last year’s
authorization does not carry over for this year. If your physician gives
you a different form for school, this is acceptable as long as it reads as a
doctor’s order for medication to be given during school hours, and I will
attach it to the parental authorization form you have signed. A prescription label on the bottle alone is
legally not accepted as a physician’s order.
* Non-prescription medication (OTCs) must
be accompanied by an authorization form, and be signed both by parent and physician. The
medication must be brought in in the original
labeled bottle or package.Students are not
allowed to carry medicines with them in school for self-administration, except
for inhalers and automatic epinephrine injectors. For these, please contact
me regarding authorization.
*Inhalers and Epipens must have a new
authorization every year, if you wish your child to carry their inhaler/Epipen
in school you must have the authorization form AND an
attestation filled out by both parent and physician. You may contact me for
the attestation form.
*Medications
must not be sent to school with students, since they could be lost, stolen, shared or
damaged. Parents are asked to bring them to school or to designate another
adult to do so.
Requirements for sports:
-A physical on file with the school within one year of the start of the sports season. Physicals will be offered at school before each sport season.
-An athletic health update and code of conduct must be completed for every sports season. The athletic health update must be signed by a school nurse before your child can participate in the sport.
I want to thank you for your help and
cooperation with these requirements. You can find the required forms to the left of the page. If you have any questions please feel free to
contact me at wrightkel@slcs.org or call me at 518-897-1663.
Forms can be returned by: mail to attn: Kelly
Wright, SLMS, 79 Canaras Ave, Saranac Lake, NY 12983, drop them off at the
middle school health office or have them faxed to 518-891-6615.