Nurse and Health Office
The school nurse provides a variety of health services to students. Among other things, the school nurse assists students who become ill or are injured at school, screens students for vision and hearing problems, scoliosis and blood pressure problems, and periodically records student height and weight. The nurse maintains medical records such as immunization histories for students and can assist families in obtaining health insurance for children.
In cases of emergency, the school nurse will first try to contact parents and advise them to contact their child's doctor. If the parents are not available, she will proceed with further emergency procedures.
Student Accident Insurance: Though not required to, Taconic Hills Central School District carries student accident insurance. This is not health insurance, but rather supplemental coverage.
Medication: Medical care given to students, beyond the basic first aid administered in school, remains the parent’s responsibility. Medication, regardless of whether it is prescription, must be brought to the school nurse. The nurse will dispense any prescribed medication per written order of a physician and a parent’s written request. Prescription medications must be provided to the nurse in original containers.
Non-prescription medications such as cough medicine or aspirin can only be given to students by written order of a physician and a parent’s request as well.
Students are not permitted to take any medication on their own during the school day. All medications must be given by the nurse.
Please notify the school nurse if your child is taking medication at home and your physician has recommended limited physical activity. A physician’s note is required for any exemption from physical education classes for any period of time beyond a few days.
Immunizations: The school cooperates with the Public Health Department in carrying out a complete immunization program in school. Parents are urged to keep updated records of their child’s immunizations. Unless these immunization records are complete, the school has the right and responsibility to exclude children from school.
Vaccinations
On June 13, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation removing non-medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements for children. The United States is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of measles in more than 25 years, with outbreaks in pockets of New York primarily driving the crisis. As a result of non-medical vaccination exemptions, many communities across New York have unacceptably low rates of vaccination, and those unvaccinated children can often attend school where they may spread the disease to other unvaccinated students, some of whom cannot receive vaccines due to medical conditions. This new law will help protect the public amid this ongoing outbreak.
What did the new law do?
As of June 13, 2019, there is no longer a religious exemption to the requirement that children be vaccinated against measles and other diseases to attend either:
public, private or parochial school (for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade), or
child day care settings.
For those children who had a religious exemption to vaccination, what are the deadlines for being vaccinated?
Children who are attending child day care or public, private or parochial school, and who had a religious exemption to required immunizations, must now receive the first age appropriate dose in each immunization series by June 28, 2019 to attend or remain in school or child day care. Also, by July 14, 2019 parents and guardians of such children must show that they have made appointments for all required follow-up doses. The deadlines for follow-up doses depend on the vaccine. The New York State Department of Health follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices catch-up immunization schedule and expects children to receive required doses consistent with Table 2 at the following link in order to continue to attend school or child day care: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-combined-schedule-bw.pdf
What is the deadline for first dose vaccinations if my child is not attending school until September?
Parents and guardians of all children who do not have their required immunizations are encouraged to have them receive the first dose as soon as possible. The deadline for obtaining first dose vaccinations for children attending school in the fall is 14 days from the first day of school. Within 30 days of the first day of school, parents and guardians of such children must show that they have made appointments for all required follow-up doses.
Immunization Laws and Regulations (NYS Website)
Felicia Chiera
Elementary Nurse
Phone: 518.325.2855
Fax: 518.325.2856
Jennifer Lackie-Shook
Jr/Sr High Nurse
Phone: 518.325.2857
Fax: 518.325.2858
Cory Leggett
District Wide LPN
Phone: 518.325.2857
Fax: 518.325.2858
Nurse's Hours 7:35 am - 3:30 pm