Influenza

Dear Parent/Guardian,

If you suspect your student of having the flu virus, or if they're exhibiting flu-like symptoms, keep them home until they have been free of fever for 24 hours.  The following information is sent to families as notification when someone has reported influenza.  

Symptoms:  Fever, body aches, headache, stomachache, cough, sore throat, runny nose, chills

Transmission:  Airborne when infected person coughs or sneezes or by touching the secretions of an infected person.

Incubation Period:  1-4 days

Contagious Period:  Most contagious 24 hours before symptoms develop.  Can spread the illness up to 7 days after the illness begins.

Exclusion from School:  24 hours after fever is gone and until the child is able to participate in normal school activities.

Treatment:  Call your healthcare provider.  Since influenza is a virus there is no treatment for the illness.  There are medications that may shorten the duration of the illness (antiviral).  Treatment should be aimed at keeping the child comfortable and treating the symptoms.  DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN OR SALICYLATE CONTAINING MEDICATIONS TO ANYONE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE due to the risk of developing Reye syndrome.

Thank You,

Nancy Henkel, LPN                                                 

District School Nurse

Note: COVID-19 symptoms may be similar to influenza symptoms. If you suspect that you have either, stay home and consult with your healthcare provider to determine if medical evaluation is needed.

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Medication Administration

As a school, CCLS follows the Minnesota Guidelines for Medication Administration in Schools. These guidelines were created to increase safe administration of medication to students in schools.  Many children who have chronic and/or acute health conditions can attend school because of the effectiveness of their prescribed medications.  

Therefore, CCLS is unable to administer medications whether over-the-counter or prescription, to its students without a completed Medication Authorization form.

This includes TYLENOL®, ibuprofen, sunscreen, cough drops, and all over-the-counter medications.  

The school does not keep a supply of medications. If your child will need to take medication during the school day, please follow the instructions below:

  • Medications must be in original, labeled container.

  • A “Medication Authorization Form” must be filled out and signed.

  • Prescription medications require a physician and parent signature; Over-the-counter medications require a parent signature.

  • Medications should be transported by a parent.

If a student requires medication, a copy of this "Medication Authorization" form must be completed and brought back into the school office or you may email the completed form to the school office at [email protected].  

Please note, all medications must be in their original packaging and any prescription medications require both a parent/guardian and physician's signature.

Students are allowed to carry an inhaler and/or EpiPen®/AUVI-Q® when the following criteria have met: 

  1. The school receives annual written permission from the student's parent and health care provider to allow self-administration of the inhaler and/or epinephrine auto-injectable device.

  2. The inhaler is properly labeled for the student.

  3. Successful completion of an assessment of the student's knowledge and skills to safely use and possess an inhaler in the school setting done by the school nurse.

Sick Child

Students who are ill need to stay home to prevent the spread of infection and to encourage a speedy recovery. Your child should stay home with the following symptoms:

  • For a full 24 hours after fever over 100 degrees.

  • For a full 24 hours after last episode of vomiting or diarrhea.

  • For a full 24 hours after the start of antibiotics for a contagious illness (such as pink eye, strep throat, etc.)

  • For an undiagnosed rash.

Ill students will be sent home, so please have a plan in place. When a student in your child’s classroom becomes ill with a contagious illness, a letter will be sent home indicating what the illness is and symptoms to watch for.


Wellness Policy

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to assure a school environment that promotes and protects students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. 

GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY 

  1. The board recognizes that nutrition education and physical education are essential components of the educational process and that good health fosters student attendance and education.

  2. The school environment should promote and protect students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by encouraging healthy eating and physical activity.

  3. The school encourages the involvement of students, parents, teachers, food service staff, and other interested persons in implementing, monitoring, and reviewing school nutrition and physical activity policies.

  4. Children need access to healthy foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive.

  5. All students in grades PreK-8 will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.

  6. Qualified food service personnel will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; try to accommodate the ethnic, and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.


GUIDELINES 

Food & Beverages

All foods and beverages made available on campus during the school day will be consistent with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

Food Service Program/Personnel

  1. Food service personnel will take every measure to ensure that student access to foods and beverages meet or exceed all federal, state, and local laws and guidelines.

  2. Food service personnel shall adhere to all federal, state, and local food safety and security guidelines.

  3. The school will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals.

  4. The school will provide students access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks.

  5. The school will make every effort to provide students with sufficient time to eat after sitting down for school meals and will schedule meal periods at appropriate times during the school day.

  6. The school will discourage tutoring, club, or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities.

  7. The school will provide healthy and safe school meal programs that strictly comply with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations.

  8. The school shall designate an appropriate person to be responsible for the school’s food service program, whose duties shall include the creation of nutrition guidelines and procedures for the selection of foods and beverages made available on campus to ensure food and beverage choices are consistent with current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Nutrition Education and Promotion
As part of the school’s responsibility to operate a food service program, the school district will provide continuing professional development for all food service personnel in schools.

  1. The school will encourage and support healthy eating by students and engage in nutrition promotion that is:
    a. offered as part of a comprehensive program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
    b. part of health education classes as well as classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects, where appropriate; and

  2. enjoyable, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and includes participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, and field trips.

  3. The school will encourage all students to make age appropriate, healthy selections of foods and beverages, including those sold individually outside the reimbursable school meal programs, such as through a la carte lines, vending machines, fundraising events, concession stands, and student stores.


Physical Activity 

  1. Students need opportunities for physical activity and to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior. Toward that end, health education will reinforce the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce sedentary activities such as watching television;

  2. Opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons, where appropriate; and

  3. Classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.

Communications with Parents

  1. The school district recognizes that parents and guardians have a primary and fundamental role in promoting and protecting their children’s health and well-being.

  2. The school will support parents’ efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children.

  3. The school encourages parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks and refrain from including beverages and foods without nutritional value.

  4. The school will provide information about physical education and other school-based physical activity opportunities and will support parents’ efforts to provide their children with opportunities to be physically active outside of school.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

  1. After approval by the board, the wellness policy will be implemented throughout the school district.

  2. School food service staff, at the school will ensure compliance within the school’s food service areas and will report to the principal.


Authority for Policy: 
Board of Directors: Christ Community Lutheran School

Adopted/Revised/Reviewed:
Adopted: Sept. 2006

Legal References: 
42 U.S.C. § 1751 et seq. (Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act) 42 U.S.C. § 1771 et seq. (Child Nutrition Act of 1966) P.L. 108-265 (2004) § 204 (Local Wellness Policy) 7 U.S.C. § 5341 (Establishment of Dietary Guidelines) 
7 C.F.R. § 210.10 (School Lunch Program Regulations) 7 C.F.R. § 220.8 (School Breakfast Program Regulations) 

Local Resources: 
Minnesota Department of Education, www.education.state.mn.us

Minnesota Department of Health, www.health.state.mn.us
County Health Departments Action for Healthy Kids Minnesota

Christ Community Lutheran School encourages families to review the Wellness Policy and provide input regarding the policy to the CCLS Board of Directors.


New School Policy

by The National Association of School Nurses

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The National Association of School Nurses no longer advocates sending students home if they’re suspected of infestation. Students are allowed to remain in class and participate in school activities.  Protocol requires that parents have the option of taking their child home early, with an excused absence.  If opting for their student to remain, they should be advised to avoid head-to-head contact with other students until appropriate treatment is completed.  Notifications of classroom outbreaks will no longer be distributed.  Instead, routine reminders should be sent to families electronically.

It is best to be educated and prepared.  Head lice are most common in children, especially with elementary and middle school aged students.  Periodically checking along the hairline at the base of the neck and behind the ears is good surveillance.  There are evidence-based treatment options that can be effective with one to two treatments, if instructions are closely followed.

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Simple action to clear your environment of any lice are washing your bedding, clothing, coats, hats, and scarves in hot water (above 130° F) and drying them in a hot dryer.  Combs and brushes should be heated for at least 10 minutes in 130° F water.  Floors, carpeting, and furniture should be thoroughly vacuumed.  The use of insecticide sprays is not recommended.  These cleaning efforts should happen on the day of first treatment and whenever live lice are found.  The best prevention is early detection.  Do not depend on someone else to check your child’s head as this may delay treatment. 

Click here to open a tab with information from the Minnesota Department of Health about head lice.


Early Dismissals and School Cancellations 

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Emergency school cancellations or closings are announced over the radio on the WCCO 830 AM and television. Christ Community Lutheran School follows the cancellation decisions of the Watertown-Mayer school district. Due to inclement weather, it sometimes becomes necessary to dismiss early.

If your child cannot be brought home at an unscheduled hour, please arrange a place where they can be left in case of an emergency dismissal, and inform your child and the school office about such an arrangement. Parents who make arrangements for someone else to pick up a child should also inform the school office. Children will not be released to unauthorized persons.

WCCO 830 AM Radio

WCCO TV Channel 4

WCCO School Closings Website

…for your information about late starts and school closings. CCLS follows the Watertown-Mayer school district with regards to weather-related closures.