Clinic

Staff contact, student medication, illness procedures, and more

Clinic Welcome Letter

Date: March 9, 2022

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Greetings from your school health room! 

Our goal is to ensure that your student enjoys a healthful, safe school year.  Please read the following information carefully and, if you have any questions, feel free to call either your school health aide, Alexis Jones, during school hours at 703-506-7910, or  your school public health nurse, Liz Cunningham, at 571-328-4754.

Your school health room services include:

  1. Care of sick and injured students according to school guidelines.
  2. Hearing and vision screening (grades K, 3, 7, 10, new to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), and those students referred by teachers and parents).
  3. Administration of care for students with identified problems or conditions during the school day.
  4. Coordination of care for students with identified problems or conditions during the school day.

How can you help your school health room provide the best possible care?

  • Advise the health room aide of any special health concerns.
  • Immediately notify the physical education (PE) teacher if your child has any PE restrictions.
  • Provide current home, work, and alternate telephone numbers for the Emergency Care Information form.  Generally, a student may remain in the health room for 15 minutes.  After that, if he or she is still feeling ill, parents will be called to take the student home.
  • Keep sick children home.  It is difficult for students to concentrate or do school work when not feeling well.
  • Children who have fevers (temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher), vomiting, or diarrhea are not able to stay in school.  It is best for children to be at home for 24 hours after these conditions resolve.
  • When medication must be administered during the school day, please follow the guidelines established in the current version of FCPS Regulation 2102:
  1. Complete the FCPS Medication Authorization forms (available online at www.fcps.edu).
  2. Provide the school with properly labeled containers (your pharmacist will usually provide an extra container if you request it).
  3. Medications must be transported to and from school by a parent or guardian; except, with parent or guardian approval, a high school student may carry over-the-counter (OTC) medications to and from the school health room.
  4. Medications must be kept in the school health room or other school-approved location.
  5. OTC medications may be given up to ten consecutive school days with the parent’s or guardian’s signature on the FCPS Medication Authorization form before a physician’s authorization is required.
  6. OTC medications that are pain relievers may be given as needed throughout the school year with only the parent’s or guardian’s signature on part I of the FCPS Medication Authorization form.
  7. Cough drops and throat lozenges may be carried and used by students in kindergarten through grade 12 as needed throughout the school year, provided that they are in the original container or packaging.  Students must not share cough drops or throat lozenges under any circumstances.

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in helping to make this a safe and healthy school year for all FCPS students.

 

rev: 6/22/12

Clinic Phone Number

Hours

  • 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Staff

Student Health at Franklin Sherman ES 

Health Information Form

The Health Information Form is to be completed by the parent or guardian at the start of each school year. The completed form is to be returned to the school clinic.

Prescription Medications

Children who need to take medication during school hours must have a signed Medication Authorization, Release, and Indemnification Form. Prescription medications require the signature of both the parent and the physician. Inhalers and EpiPens require authorization forms.

Over-the-counter Medications

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are drugs that can be purchased without a doctor's prescription and are used for the relief of symptoms on a temporary basis. With parent and physician authorization, OTC medications may be given on an "as needed" basis throughout the school year. Parents may authorize limited use for 10 consecutive days with a completed Medication Authorization Form. Examples include antihistamines for allergic reactions.

With parent permission using the Medication Authorization Form, certain OTC medications may be given on an "as needed" basis throughout the school year only as a pain reliever for headaches, muscle aches, menstrual cramps, or orthodontic pain. The medication must be supplied by the parent in its original container. Examples include Tylenol, Advil, Pamprin, and aspirin.

Transport of Medications to and from School

Parents must transport medications to and from school. All medications must be kept in the clinic and taken under adult supervision. Middle school children are not permitted to carry medications, including OTC medications, except for prescription inhalers or EpiPens with the authorization of their parent(s) and physician.

Scheduling Medical Appointments

Please make every effort to schedule appointments outside of school hours. When this is not possible, please send a note to the school on the morning of the appointment stating the time the child will be picked up. Children should bring appointment notes to the attendance secretary before homeroom. The student's name will then be shown on an early dismissal list so teachers will know the student is not cutting class. For safety reasons, parents must sign out children in the office.

Release of Student from School

Only those individuals designated on the Emergency Care Information form will be contacted either to excuse or take your student home. If the clinic contacts you to excuse your student from school, the clinic must have voice contact with the responsible adult to dismiss the student from school grounds. In an emergency, 911 will be called prior to contacting the parent.