Health

The primary role of the school nurse is to support student learning. School nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development, promote health and safety, and intervene with actual and potential illness or injuries. The school nurse provides case management services while actively collaborating with the Ramaz faculty and staff to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy and learning.

PLEASE NOTE:

All health forms should be submitted online via Magnus Health. As this is a web-based system, you will have continuous access to your child's health record as well as the ability to make updates when needed. You will also have the option to access the account after your child graduates.

To access your Magnus Health SMR (Student Medical Record) Account:

Please visit the school website and click on the button titled "Magnus Health SMR Portal" and use your Ramaz Website Login and Password to enter your Magnus account, or use this link: https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/ss/453417/lo...

Instructions:

Please enter the health information required within your Magnus Health SMR account for each child attending Ramaz. For returning children you will only need to enter any requirements that Magnus has listed as incomplete or expired. Follow the directions and upload or fax (with fax cover sheet provided) all health forms directly to Magnus Health. You will also need to complete some information online, such as the Conditional Questions, Vital Health Record and Consent to Treat. Where appropriate, some requirements should be marked not-applicable. Timely submission of health information and other forms is vital so that preparations can be made prior to the first day of school. You will receive weekly reminders as long as there are outstanding requirements in your account, or requirements that have a "next action date" pending within a few weeks.

Questions or Problems?

If you are having difficulty navigating the Magnus system, entering data online, or downloading the hardcopy cover sheets and forms, or if you have any other questions, please contact customer support at Magnus Health SMR by phone at 877.461.6831 or by email at service@magnushealthportal.com.

Parents of students with severe allergies must complete the separate form, Protocol for Students with Life-Threatening Allergies, and return it to the Health Office prior to the start of school.

Information concerning your child’s allergy/asthma will help prevent a reaction and aid, if necessary, in prompt treatment. Epi-Pens are located strategically throughout the building, and faculty and staff are trained in their use. Please feel free to contact the school nurse regarding the Food Allergy Policy.

Students may not carry any medication with them; parents/guardians must bring the medication to the nurse directly.

The school nurse is allowed to administer over-the-counter (OTC) medications that are approved by the parents on each child’s medical form. The school supplies a number of OTC medications for administration by the school nurse in case of illness or injury at school. These medications include Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Tums (antacid), and Diphenhydramine/Antihistamine.

If needed for the course of an illness, cough drops or throat lozenges are available in the health office. If you send lozenges from home you must send along a note to the teachers and the nurse, to inform us that your child may self-administer the cough drops or lozenges at school.

If your child needs prescription medication or over-the-counter medication not available in the health office, a Medication Administration Form must be completed and signed by the medical provider and parent. (Form name above in bold should link right to the form)

• Medications to be given in school must be in the original container, labeled with the child’s name and the dosage of the medication. Most pharmacies are willing to prepare an extra bottle to be used at school.
• Any request of a medication change must be accompanied by a medical provider prescription.
• Send only medications which absolutely must be given during school hours. Try to space medication doses to avoid school hours whenever possible.
• Students who have a medical condition, such as asthma, diabetes, allergies, ect., that requires the use of an inhaler, insulin, or antihistamines should keep an extra supply of the medication in the nurse’s office in the original prescription container from the pharmacy.

Please check your child for signs of illness before sending him/her to school. To prevent the spread of germs, it is advisable to keep your child home from school if he/she shows any of the following symptoms:

• vomiting
• diarrhea
• unusual skin rash
• fever over 100 degrees
• persistent cough
• chills
• severe headache or migraine
• bad night sleep
• redness and discharge from eyes
• severe sore throat
• any unusual abdominal or other pain

A child who is ill will not be able to learn, may infect other children and will not be happy. It is within the nurses’ discretion to send a sick or injured child home.

Please do not send your child to the school nurse with a known illness or injury and request that the nurse examine him/her and prescribe treatment. Only a physician can diagnose and treat illness and injuries.

If your child is absent for three or more consecutive days you must turn in a doctor’s note. This is especially important if the child was diagnosed with a communicable disease. A doctor’s excuse is also needed if your child cannot participate in physical education class or any other required school activities due to injury or illness.

Moving forward the Ramaz School policy on Head Lice (pediculosis) will be as follows:

• Schoolwide lice checks will no longer be done at the beginning of the school year or following vacations.
• Communications will only be sent out if we have multiple confirmed documented cases within a class.
• Your school health offices will work with the individual family of any reported cases of lice. 
• Your school health office will do internal lice checks on any student that presents with symptoms of lice.  
• If a student is found to have nits or lice during the school day, the school nurse will contact the parent to discuss next steps.
• Treatment at home or at a lice center is required for return to school. Students should report to their health office the next morning to be given clearance to return to class. 

It is important to recognize that the only way to ensure that we can maintain control over this issue is through a partnership between the school and our families. Per the AAP, parents must check their children regularly when they have concerns that their child had close head-to-head contact with another child who has had lice.

We understand the anxiety that comes with the knowledge that there are lice at school and in your child’s class, and will continue to do what we can to keep lice out of school. Please remember to be sensitive to all dealing with lice and do your part to help maintain confidentiality within the parent population. Below you will find links to many helpful articles and references.

https://www.chop.edu/news/health-tip/head-lice-latest-treating-lice-and-stopping-their-spread

https://www.nasn.org/nasn-resources/professional-practice-documents/position-statements/ps-head-lice 

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/135/5/e1355/33653/Head-Lice?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/resources/pdf/HeadLiceFlyer.pdf

The nurse will notify parents if there is a student in a child's class with a communicable medical condition. Information describing the condition will be made available.

Health experts recommend getting to know your child’s school nurse, especially if your child has a chronic condition, such as asthma or diabetes. Even if your child doesn’t have a medical condition, it’s a good idea to drop by and introduce yourself.

• Keep your child up to date on her/his immunization schedule. Make sure your child has all the appropriate shots and boosters for her/his age, and give a copy of those records to the school nurse each year.
• Join forces with the nurse in promoting good health in the school by keeping your child home when he/she is sick. In addition, notify the nurse if your child develops a contagious medical condition such as pink eye or strep throat. Information describing the symptoms of the contagious condition will be made available to other parents.
• Keep her informed. Alert the school nurse to any health and medical issues your child has, such as allergies, vision or hearing problems, etc., and any accommodations that need to be made for him/her. If your child has an ongoing condition, it is a good idea to meet periodically to update medical information.
• Please notify the nurse if there is a change in the medical status of your child during the school year, e.g. an injury, a newly diagnosed condition, or specially prescribed medication. The student’s doctor should send a note of explanation with any recommendations to the nurse.