The mission of School Health Services is to support the academic achievement of the children and adolescents of the Needham Public Schools.
School Health Services foster the growth, development, and academic achievement of students by promoting their health and well being while maintaining a healthy and safe school environment. School Nurses help to identify and address the health and safety needs of students, build collaborative partnerships, and provide quality health services that are culturally proficient and responsive to the changing health and safety needs of students and the school community.
The School Nurse provides the following services:
- Individualized health care planning and case management for students with special health care needs
- Health and wellness promotion
- Illness and injury prevention, assessment, and intervention
- Medication administration and nursing procedures
- Communicable disease prevention and control
- Mandated health screenings:
Vision (grades K-5, 7 and 10)
Hearing (grades K-3, 7, and 10)
Postural (grades 5-9)
Height, Weight and BMI (grades 1,4,7,10)
Screening Brief Intervention Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) (grades 7,9)
- Environmental health and safety
- Access to health care services and insurance
- Management of confidential student health records
- Emergency preparedness and medical response
- Communication and collaboration with students, parents/guardians, school faculty/staff, and community providers of health care and support services
Your child must stay home from school when he/she is experiencing:
- A diagnosis of a communicable disease
- Fever greater than 100ºF within the last 24 hours off of fever reducing medication
- If diagnosed with a strep and/or bacterial infection, a student should stay home until a full 24 hours of antibiotic treatment has been completed
- Vomiting/diarrhea within the last 24 hours; students should be able to consume and tolerate their "typical" diet before returning to school
- Acute pain that requires relief by narcotic medications
- An upper respiratory illness with persistent coughing and/or unmanageable nasal discharge
- An undiagnosed rash
Head Injuries and Concussions
A concussion is a type of Traumatic Brain Injury that changes the way the brain normally works. A concussion may result from a direct blow or indirect blow to the head or a jolt of the head from a fall or blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. The potential for a concussion is greatest during activities where collisions may occur: during sports activities, physical education class, or playground time. Concussions may be life-altering or life-threatening if not treated correctly or aggressively. The Needham Public Schools (NPS) seeks to prevent concussions and provide a safe return to academics, physical activity, and athletics, for all students after a head injury.
Concussion Information for Parents and Guardians
Life-Threatening Food Allergy
The Needham Public Schools (NPS) recognizes the increasing prevalence of student food allergies and the life- threatening nature of allergies for many students and adheres to the Life-Threatening Food Allergy Policy. The Administration of the NPS shall ensure compliance with the policy and implementation of procedures that minimize the risk of exposure to allergens that pose a threat to students, educate all members of the school community, and plan for the individual needs of students with life-threatening food allergies. Furthermore, policy and procedures aim to assist students with assuming more individual responsibility for their health and safety as they grow older, and to ensure full participation in their educational programs and school sponsored activities.
*Please see the Health Forms and Policies page to view the Concussion and Life Threatening Food Allergy Policies and the post-concussion Return to Academics Plan; all are contained in the Policies and Procedures Folder.
**Please note that all grade 12 students will receive their health records at the last graduation rehearsal. Students will receive the only copy of their health record held at Needham Public Schools, and this is the district's method of health record disposal.