School Health

WELCOME

Welcome to Yarmouth School Health. We have a full time Certified School Nurse in every school building. School nurses case manage medical 504 plans, as well as coordinate asthma and allergy action plans. Our goal is to keep your students healthy and ready to learn! Please don’t hesitate to contact your school nurse with any questions or concerns.

YARMOUTH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT NURSES

Melanie Lord, BSN, RN, NCSN,Yarmouth High School - 207-846-5535

Kristina Truesdale, MS, RN, Harrison Middle School - 207-846-2499

Alison Thomson, RN, Yarmouth Elementary School - 207-846-3391

Pamela Christensen, RN, William H. Rowe School - 207-846-3771

IMMUNIZATIONS

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS:

THE STATE OF MAINE REQUIRES THAT PARENTS PROVIDE A RECORD OF THE FOLLOWING IMMUNIZATIONS FROM A PHYSICIAN’S OFFICE WITH THE CHILD’S NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH. EACH IMMUNIZATION ENTRY MUST INCLUDE THE VACCINE TYPE, DATE ADMINISTERED, AND THE NAME OF THE PROVIDER.

THE REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS FOR STUDENTS ENTERING KINDERGARTEN OR TRANSFERRING K-6 ARE:

  • 5 DOSES OF DTP/DT/DTAP (4 DOSES IF THE FOURTH DOSE IS GIVEN AFTER THE 4TH BIRTHDAY)

  • 4 DOSES OF OPV/IPV (3 DOSES IF THE THIRD DOSE IS GIVEN AFTER THE 3RD BIRTHDAY)

  • 2 DOSES OF MMR

  • 2 DOSES OF VARICELLA OR PROOF OF IMMUNITY (HISTORY OF CHICKENPOX)

THE REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS FOR ENTERING 7TH GRADE ARE ALL OF THE ABOVE IMMUNIZATIONS AND:

  • 1 ADDITIONAL DOSE OF DTP/TDAP

  • 1 DOSE OF MCV4

THE REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS FOR ENTERING 12TH GRADE ARE ALL OF THE ABOVE IMMUNIZATIONS AND:

  • A SECOND DOSE OF MCV4 (ONLY ONE DOSE IS REQUIRED IF THE FIRST DOSE IS GIVEN AFTER THE 16TH BIRTHDAY)

SPORTS PHYSICAL REQUIRED

  • PROOF OF A MEDICAL EXAM IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL SPORTS FOR GRADES 6-12 EVERY TWO YEAR.

SCREENING

The school nurses screen for vision and hearing throughout the year for grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 and as needed. Parents will be notified if a student fails a hearing or vision screening.

GUIDELINES FOR KEEPING SICK CHILDREN HOME FROM SCHOOL

As a parent, there are times when you may be unsure whether or not to send your child to school. In accordance with the Maine Department of Education and the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, a child should not attend school if they exhibits one or more of the following symptoms or infections:

Fever: A fever is defined as a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher. Students must stay home from school for 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

Vomiting and/or Diarrhea: Students should stay home and return to school after being symptom-free for 24 hours.

Rash: Students with an unexplained rash with fever or behavior change. Students may return to school if a physician has determined the illness is not contagious and the fever is gone.

Strep Throat/Impetigo: Students must stay home from school until 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has been started.

Please contact your school nurse with any questions, or if your child has been diagnosed with a contagious illness.

Illness Notification:

Please make every effort to contact the school as soon as possible when you have decided to keep your child home from school. When calling to report your child absent, it is helpful for the school to know what type of illness your child is experiencing. This information helps the school nurses with monitoring cases of infectious diseases in the school setting.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

Please update emergency contact information and your student’s health history annually in Powerschool.

FLU CLINICS

Our annual flu clinics, held in October, provide state-supplied vaccines and are voluntary. If you would like your student to receive the flu vaccination, please complete the permission form. No student will receive immunization without permission.