Health Services

MN Dept. of Health COVID-19 Decision Tree for People in Schools, Youth, and Child Care Programs

Healthy students are successful students

Our school staff provide a variety of services that support a healthy learning community. We are committed to providing students with health conditions access to their education by facilitating their independence and creating a community of support by working collaboratively with the student, their family and district staff. School nurses promote optimal student health for optimal learning.

Establish healthy habits early to ensure your child’s success

Instilling healthy habits and routines (adequate sleep/nutrition) and consistent attendance ensures a student’s success in school even as early as kindergarten. We know that too many absences/tardies, for whatever reason, can cause children to fall behind both academically and socially.

To help ensure healthy habits consult with your health care provider regarding well-visits and immunizations, as well as maintain good hygiene. Also:

Get the appropriate vaccines.
Wash your hands frequently.
Practice physical distancing from members outside your household, when appropriate (staying more than 6 feet apart).
Stay home if you are sick (so you do not spread the illness to other people).
Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand and turn away from other people.
Use single-use tissues. Dispose of the tissue immediately.
Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or using tissues.
If working with children, have them play with hard surface toys that can be easily cleaned and disinfected.
Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands (viruses can enter your body from unwashed hands).
Do not share cups, glasses, dishes, cutlery, cigarettes or cellphones.
When recommended by public health authorities, wear a non-medical mask when in a public space and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

The school district will follow the guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health for recommended exclusion and notification for vaccine-preventable diseases including coronivirus, mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis, diphtheria, viral hepatitis, chickenpox and meningitis. Families will not be notified and students are not excluded for lice, pink eye or strep throat.

Community Clinics

We are fortunate to have two community health clinics in Dakota County to support children and families who are in need of minor and routine health care services. Please see the links below if you are looking for routine physicals, sports or camp physicals, initial mental health screenings, and other basic health care needs. All families welcome regardless of insurance status.

Diamondhead Clinic (Eagan, Burnsville and Savage)
Dakota Child and Family Clinic (Dakota County)

EHS Nurse: Nicole Palmer

651-683-6917

The health office is located in the attendance office area. The nurse’s office hours are 7am-3:00pm. The school nurse is available to coordinate and provide care for our students; Any student who is ill or in need of first aid should see the nurse.

• Students must have a pass from their teacher before reporting to the health office, unless it is an emergency. If a student wants to come to the health office between classes, he/she must obtain a pass from the teacher of the next hour’s class.

• Students may not leave school or arrange for their own ride home without first reporting to the nurse. The school nurse will assess the illness and call if necessary. If this procedure is not followed, the absence will be considered unexcused and the possibility of a disciplinary action may follow.

Please remember that when students are sick, they are required to report to the Health Office prior to being released from school. There is a student phone located there to facilitate timely communication with parents and the nurse. A parent or guardian MUST release a student by phone or in person, before the student can leave the building.

Health Information

Emergency Contact Information

Emergency contact information is to be filled out every year on each student you have enrolled in the building. The Emergency contact data can be easily accessed on the School View/Fee Pay system under "Student info". The link to this system is located on the EHS website. Please complete the required student information and remember to indicate if you are giving permission for your student to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen at school. Changes to your students health record can also be made this way, on this system. Please don’t forget to hit the "Submit request" button at the bottom of the page after you have made any changes or requests.

Please be aware of the medication permission section, as well as the school medication policy, noting the options and restrictions and then indicate what medication privileges your student may have. Without this section checked or the card signed, your student may not receive any non prescription medications at school.

Non Prescription Pain Medication

Non-prescription pain medication (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aleve) can be carried and self-administered by students if the emergency card is signed electronically by a parent/guardian and the student abides by the district’s policy. These medications must be carried in their original containers. NO baggies please.

Other Non-prescription medications (allergy, cold or migraine medication) must be brought to the Nurse’s office with a note from the parent instructing the nurse how and when to administer the medication to the student. They can be kept in the Nurse’s office for 1 school year. Students may not share medications with others.

Generic Tylenol and Ibuprofen are available from the Nurse when the student has a current, electronically signed emergency card on file with the school. This form can be filled out via School View Fee Pay. State regulations prohibit schools from dispensing any medication without written permission from the parent or legal guardian.

Prescription Medication

To ensure students receive needed medication and that it is not misused, the school district has developed rules for the administration of medication in school. Please note the following points:

All medication must be kept in the school nurse’s office and must be administered by the school nurse or other appropriate school personnel unless there is authorization on file with the health office.

Medical guidelines:

A completed Prescription Medication Authorization Form from a student’s parent or guardian and
Medication in a prescription bottle or original container is required before a school nurse will give a student prescription or non-prescription medication
Only FDA approved medications will be administered by school personnel
Parent consent for non-prescription medications is required

If medication is to be given for more than two weeks, a written order from a physician or dentist must be provided to the school.

If prescription medication remains in the nurse’s office after the end of a school year or when the student is no longer

attending the school, the nurse will contact the student’s parent or guardian to pick up the medication. If the

medication is not picked up within one month, it will be destroyed. With parent permission, epi pens, inhalers, and insulin can be sent home with the student at the end of the school year.

Required Immunizations

State law requires all students entering 9th grade to have at least 3 Tdap/DTap/Td with a Tetanus booster (given after age 10-11), 2nd MMR, 3 total polio vaccinations, 2 varicella (chicken pox) or a date (MM/YY) of when they had the disease and 3 Hepatitis B vaccinations. All 10th grade students must have at least 1 Meningitis/Meningococcal vaccine complete. Parents may file for medical exemption with either a signed statement from a health care provider or conscientious objection signed by the parent/guardian and notarized. State Law requires all students entering 12th grade to receive a booster dose of the Meningococcal vaccine by the first day of school.

Health Plans

If your student has a health condition that could result in an emergency ( for example, serious allergy with epi pen, diabetes, seizure disorder or asthma) or has a health condition requiring accommodations (for example, medication administration, treatments, or restrictions) contact the School Nurse before the school year starts or as soon as the condition develops. Our school and district websites have the necessary forms for you and your child’s physician to complete. http://www.district196.org/student-services/health services/

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