Student Well-Being

An Allergy Action Plan is established in collaboration with the student’s parent, physician, and school nurse for students with potentially life threatening allergies.  Parents are asked to contact their school nurse to discuss the health and safety procedures for their child at the beginning and as needed throughout the school year.  For more information, visit the Health Services section at

www.mtlsd.org

The Child Protective Services Law in Pennsylvania requires all school employees to report suspected child abuse.  When a mandated reporter, which includes all district personnel, receives information about potential abuse or neglect they must notify Childline and Abuse Registry and Allegheny County Children and Youth Services.  It is also District practice to notify the Mt. Lebanon Police Department. It is not the responsibility of mandated reporters or school officials to determine if there has been abuse or neglect.  The principal may permit authorized personnel from the Department of Public Welfare or Child Protective Services to interview the student at school without prior parental consent if the suspected abuser is unknown or may be the parents.  If the student has suffered injuries so severe that immediate medical attention is needed, the principal will call the police and/or paramedics to take the child to the hospital. The police will investigate the matter if the suspected child abuse involves law violations under the Crimes Code.

In each building, teams of professional school personnel are trained and available to provide short-term counseling and support to students, parents, and school staff in the event of a crisis.

The Health Office maintains an Emergency /Release Information Sheet for each student.  This information facilitates the care of the ill or injured student.  Only those persons indicated will be contacted and can give permission for the student to leave the building. It is essential that parents keep this information current.  If a parent’s routine is permanently or temporarily changed, be sure that the child and school office has accurate information as to where the parent can be contacted.  Facilities are available for temporary care only.  Parents should develop a plan that would allow their child to be picked up from school within a half hour of notification of an illness or an injury.  The Emergency/Release information can be found under the parents tab on Dashboard.  This sheet must be reviewed and updated at least annually and/or anytime there is a change in information.

All cases of head lice should be reported to the health office so that the required examination procedures may begin.  The student is not permitted to return to the classroom until the proper treatment has been completed and the student has been checked by a member of the health office staff and deemed to be nit free.  Any student found to have nits after treatment will be excluded from school until found to be nit free.  The positive action of incidence of head lice cannot be overstated.  Parents who treat their child for lice, yet do not report it to the health office, risk the infestation of others and/or the re-infestation of their own child.  All reports are kept confidential and when classes are checked by the health office staff, no student is singled out.

First Aid care is available in the nurse’s office for any illness or injury sustained during school hours.  The nurse cannot address injuries that occur outside of the school day.  By law, a nurse is not permitted to make a diagnosis or prescribe treatment.

If the nurse determines that further treatment is necessary or that the student should leave school due to illness/injury, the nurse contacts a parent or other authorized contact, as previously provided in Dashboard, under Emergency Contact/Medical, to make arrangements for the student to leave school.  Facilities are available for temporary care only.  Parents should develop a plan that would allow their child to be picked up from school within a half hour notification of illness/injury.
Under no circumstances are students to make their own decision to call a parent or leave school because he/she feels ill or is injured.

 Children may be sent home for the following reasons: (including but not limited to):

●       Elevated temperature - 100 degrees or above

●       Vomiting

●       Diarrhea

●       Undiagnosed Rash

●       Communicable Disease

Children are required to be home:

●       24 hours fever free without the use of fever reducing medication

●       24 hours symptom free to help prevent the spread of any illness

●       24 hours after the start of an antibiotic

 

The School District adheres to the Allegheny County Health Department Guidelines for Schools.  The District is not equipped to provide advanced emergency care.  Children needing emergency medical attention will be transported to an emergency care facility by an Ambulance Service.  

 

Please notify your child’s school nurse’s office of any health concerns your child may have.

 

The District maintains a policy of Universal or Standard Precautions (procedures that are designed to reduce the risk of transmission of blood-borne pathogens regardless of the presumed infection status of the individual) to insure the health, safety, and welfare of our students and staff.  Students and faculty/staff are taught about possible disease transmission through exposure to blood/body fluids.  Students and faculty/staff are to report any blood or body fluid spill to a teacher and are never to touch or clean-up another person’s blood/body fluid.

 

If your child does not have health insurance, free or low cost coverage is available through Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, (CHIP).  CHIP is administered by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and the coverage is for quality medical services through regular health insurance companies.  Applications for CHIP are available in all the school health offices or you may call 1-800-986-KIDS.

The health office is adjacent to the principal’s office and is staffed by a certified school nurse or health aide (that is either a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse).    The certified school nurse responsible for each building is on call during school hours.

When lengthy illness (more than 10 days) prevents a student from attending school, homebound instruction may be requested by the parent.  The parent must obtain a written statement from a physician describing the need for homebound instruction.  When approved, the school arranges for certified teachers to instruct a student at home or in the hospital for up to five (5) hours per week.  During homebound instruction, the student is considered present in school for attendance purposes.  Forms to request instruction are available in the principal’s office.  Homebound instruction is intended for short term absences of a month or less.

 

Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Health Departments as per 28 Pa. Code, Chapter 23, Subchapter C, require that all children show proof of immunization before they can attend any public, private, charter or home school in the Commonwealth.  Your child will not be permitted to attend school until you have submitted documentation of the required immunizations.
 
Students who are in Grades K – 12 are required to have the following properly spaced vaccines:
●    4 doses of tetanus* (1 dose on or after the 4th birthday); 3 doses, if series started after 7 years of age
●    4 doses of diphtheria* (1 dose on or after the 4th birthday); 3 doses, if series started after 7 years of age
●    3 doses of polio
●    2 doses of measles**
●    2 doses of mumps**
●    1 dose of rubella (German measles)**
●    3 doses of hepatitis B
●    2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
        or written statement from MD indicating month/year of disease
        or proof of immunity by blood test
*  Usually given as DTP or DTaP or DT or TD
** Usually given as MMR
 
Students entering Kindergarten need to submit proof of the following - in addition to above:
Lead testing

Students who are entering GRADES 7 – 12 are required to have the following vaccines in addition to the above vaccines:
 
1 dose of tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap)
1 dose of meningitis (MCV4)

Students who are entering Grade 12 are required to have the following vaccine:
2nd dose of meningococcal (MCV4 #2)

Exemptions
Medical exemptions:  If the physical condition of your child is such that immunization would endanger life or health, a medical exemption must be submitted.  Only licensed medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy and designated Health Department personnel may waive immunization requirements.  Chiropractors' certifications for medical exemptions are not acceptable by law.  If a medical exemption is for a specific antigen(s) this should be indicated in the statement of exemption.  All other immunizations will still be required.  These statements of exemption must be written by the appropriate medical personnel and submitted to the school nurse.
 
Religious exemption:  This includes a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.  The school nurse must be notified by the parent or guardian in writing of the reasons for this exemption.
 
If a child is exempt from immunizations and a vaccine preventable disease outbreak occurs, he/she may be excluded from school per the direction from the Allegheny County Health Department.

Entering from Outside our District
Students entering the district from other countries, states or districts, may be enrolled provisionally if evidence is provided that the child has received at least one (1) dose of each vaccine and a plan is provided to complete the remaining doses within the timeframe mandated by the state.  The exception to this rule is for the Tdap and Meningitis vaccine - both MUST be completed prior to a student entering the mandated grades for these.  If requirements are not met within the mandated time frame, exclusion procedures will be taken.
 
Allegheny County Health Department (412 578-8060) will provide school required vaccines, free of charge, to children if they are uninsured, have Medicaid,  or are an American Indian or Alaskan Native.

 

The Mt. Lebanon School District provides an academic intervention model that is a success-oriented process that identifies students experiencing academic and/or life skills difficulties in the school setting.  The team, consisting of school staff and parent(s), identifies problems, establishes goals, implements intervention strategies, and monitors student performance within the regular education program.

Students must meet eligibility requirements.  The program is not a tutoring service to support the regular curriculum; instead it is a research-based intervention program that teaches the skills necessary to attain proficiency in academic skills.  Progress monitoring and diagnostic assessments will be administered by the intervention specialists throughout the year.

 

Pennsylvania law mandates the following screenings:
●    Vision – Grades K to 12 annually
●    Hearing – Grades K to 3, 7, 11.  Also parent or teacher referrals and students who have known hearing loss.
●    Height and Weight and BMI % - Grades K to 12 annually

Pennsylvania law mandates the following examinations:
●    Physical – Grades 1, 6, 11
●    Dental – Grades 1, 3, 7
●    Scoliosis – Grades 6, 7

New Students are required to provide proof of being up to date on their Pennsylvania school mandates.

Parents are encouraged to have the physical/dental examinations performed by their child’s health care provider, since he/she is aware of their child’s health history and status.  These examinations are to be submitted on Form 435 (Private Physician Report of Physical Exam) and Form 412 (Family Dental Report) which can be obtained from the health office or downloaded from the web page at www.mtlsd.org.  These exams are at the parent’s expense.  If you prefer, the school doctor or dentist will complete these examinations during the school year at the expense of the district.  If you choose this option, a parent/guardian will be required to sign for his/her child to have the needed examinations completed at school.

 

The administration of student medication, both prescription and non prescription, during school hours is strongly discouraged as there are safety concerns about students forgetting to take the medication, having a reaction to the medication or other students taking the medication.  If a physician deems it medically necessary for a student to take a FDA approved medication, either prescription or non-prescription during the school day, the following information needs to be completed and turned into the health office prior to the medication being given:

●       Authorization for Medications and Authorization for Release of Medical Information Form (Form 440) signed by the parent and completed by the physician on or after July 1st.

●       The medication must be in a pharmacy labeled container or unopened original over the counter container and brought to the nurse’s office by a parent/adult/guardian. 

A new medication form is required for each medication change, dose change, time change and for each school year.  It is the responsibility of the student to report to the health office for his/her medication. Please remember your child may not receive his/her medication if these procedures are not followed. These procedures apply to all medications, including inhalers for Asthma, Epinephrine Auto Injectors, Diabetic medications and over-the-counter medication.  

 

Please be aware it is a violation of the district’s drug and alcohol policy to self-carry any medication with the only exceptions being: Rescue Inhalers, Epinephrine Auto Injectors and insulin pumps/pens. In order for students to self- carry the above mentioned emergency medications the following must be submitted:

      1.  A health care provider’s written order and permission, (form #440)

      2.  A parent/guardian signed Permission to Self-Carry, (form 440-F) and

      3.  The Certified School Nurse’s completed assessment of the student’s ability to carry and use the medication in a safe manner.  

Medication must be on the person at all times if self carrying.   

 

Mt. Lebanon School District reserves the right to withdraw permission to self-carry and administer said medication, if at any time, the student is unable to demonstrate responsible behavior in carrying and/or taking the medication.

 

The Authorization for Medication Form, #440, and the Permission to Self-Carry and Administer, Form, #440-F can be obtained from the health office or downloaded from the district website: www.mtlsd.org  under the Health Services link.

Students may not participate in gym or recess while they are under medical supervision that requires stitches, crutches, slings, casts, etc.  A medical release is required for students to resume restricted physical activities.

School counseling describes a comprehensive, developmental and systemic program of services based on the American School Counseling Association’s (ASCA) National Standards for Students offered to all children in Mt. Lebanon’s elementary schools.  Elementary school counselors are professional educators who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today’s diverse student population. Elementary school counselors don’t work in isolation; rather they are integral to the total educational program. School counseling services focus on academic, social/emotional, and behavioral concerns related to academic success and are an integral component of the District’s total educational system.

The Elementary School Counseling program includes the following delivery methods to support all students in our district while meeting the expectations of the Mt. Lebanon School District policies and procedures.

Guidance Curriculum (ASCA)
School-wide Activities
Classroom Guidance Lessons
Small Group Lessons
Individual Student Support and Intervention
Individual Student Planning (ASCA) – School counselors coordinate ongoing systematic activities designed to assist students individually in establishing personal goals and developing future plans.

●    Responsive Services (ASCA) – Responsive services consist of activities that meet individual students’ immediate needs. These needs may require counseling consultation, referral and/or additional medical/mental health related information.
●    Systems Support (ASCA) – Like any organized activity, a School Counseling program requires administration to establish, maintain, and enhance programming for students. This component provides support for the preceding delivery methods.