Health & Nursing
Welcome to the Health Office
| Michele Mercado, MSN, BSN, RN | |
| Certified School Nurse | |
| mmercado@htsd.us |
Please explore the dropdowns below for important health information & requirements
- Illness Requirements
- Medication Administration
- Asthma Action Plan
- Epi-Pen/Allergy Information
- New Student Entry Physical
- Pre K Requirements
- Kindergarten Requirements
- Head Lice Information
Illness Requirements
Is your child too sick for school?
Children of all ages work hard during the school day, but for an ill child, the energy required to complete the day is often not there. Sending your child to school sick puts your child at rick for prolonged illness AND puts the children around him or her at greater risk for becoming ill. The following guidelines will assist you in determining when your child is too sick to come to school.
Keep your child home if he or she has...
- Fever of 100.0 degrees or higher. Children should be fever free (less than 100.0 degrees) without the use of medication, for 24 hours before returning to school.
- Vomiting or diarrhea. Children should be free of vomiting or diarrhea before returning to school.
- Inability to sleep most of the night because they don't feel well.
- A rash of unknown origin. Children should be examined by a doctor to make sure the rash is not contagious. A doctor's note needs to be provided to the school.
Medication Administration
It is important that I am aware of any health changes of conditions of your child so that I may treat and care for them safely and effectively. Please notify me of any new illnesses, injuries, or treatments.
If medication MUST be given to your child during school hours, the requirements are as follows:
- Medication MUST be brought in by an adult
- Medication must be in properly labeled, original bottles
- A doctor's note/order AND parental consent must be given to the nurse
Please have your child's doctor fill out the form below. Please make sure the parent or legal guardian signs in order to give consent for the medication administration.
Please note: This form MUST be filled out annually. The orders are good for current school year only.
Please see the District's Medication Policy:
Asthma Action Plan
If your child requires an inhaler or nebulizer medication to be kept at school, please have your child's doctor fill out the Asthma Action Plan Form
**Please make sure the parent/legal guardian signs the form in order to give consent to administer the medication.**
Epi-Pen/Allergy Information
I strive to keep all of our students safe while at school and allergies are taken very seriously. Lunch time can be a worry for a parent and child with food allergies. We have safe seating options available for students. We will work on a plan together to meet your child's needs.
Please have your child's doctor complete the order form below for an epinephrine auto-injector (Epi-Pen) for use in the event of anaphylaxis. Also have them include a the dosage of Benedryl if they would like your child to receive that as well. Please make sure the parent/legal guardian signs the form in order to give consent to administer the medication.
New Student Entry Physical
According to New Jersey law (N.J.A.C. 6A:16 2.2), each student entering the school district must have a physical examination no more than 365 days prior to entry.
In addition, students entering from specific countries are required to have a Mantoux (tuberculin) test unless there is one documented in the 6 months prior to entry (N.J.A.C. 6A:16 2.3).
Please have your child's doctor fill out the Physical Form if enrolling in Pre-K or Kindergarten OR transferring to Haddon Township from another school district.
Pre K Requirements
Listed Below are the requirements for Pre-K for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year:
- Haddon Township Resident
- 3rd birthday on or before October 1, 2024
- Physical Exam completed by physician and PE form handed into school nurse
- Completely toilet trained
- The following immunizations are required by state law:
- DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) 4
- Polio- oral or injection 3
- MMR (measles, mumps, & rubella) 1 (1st dose given on/after 1st birthday)
- Hepatitis B series 3 shots in the series
- HIB 1 (after 1st birthday)
- Varicella 1 (after 1st birthday)
- Pneumonia (PCV) 1 (after 1st birthday)
- Influenza 1 (between 9/1/24 and 12/31/24)
Registration form are available on-line at www.haddontwpschools.com, at your neighborhood school, or at the BOE office. Enrollment packets must be completed and turned in ASAP to ensure enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year.
Kindergarten Requirements
Listed below are the requirements for Kindergarten enrollment for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year:
- Haddon Township Resident
- 5th birthday on or before October 1, 2024
- Physical Exam completed by physician and PE form handed into school nurse
- Completely toilet trained
- The following immunizations are required by state law:
- DPT (diptheria, pertussis, tetanus) 5 (1 dose give after 4th birthday)
- Polio- oral or injectable 4 (1 dose given after 4th birthday)
- MMR (measles, mumps, & rubella) 2 (1st dose given on/after 1st birthday)
- Hepatitis B series 3 shots in series
- HIB 1 (after 1st birthday)
- Varicella 1 (after 1st birthday)
- Pneumonia (PCV) 1 (after first birthday)
Head Lice Information
Head Lice Information
Head Lice is a common occurrence in children; 6-12 million school aged children will get head lice this year. Many parents have a lot of anxiety about head lice and fear there is a stigma attached. I wanted to provide the facts about head lice to try and decrease some of the stress for parents.
Fact: Head lice do not jump or fly. They are transmitted from head to head contact by crawling.
Fact: Head lice want to live in a clean environment so they live on clean people.
Fact: Head lice do not cause diseases, they are just a nuisance to you!
Fact: Head lice survive less than 1–2 days if they fall off a person and cannot feed; nits cannot hatch and usually die within a week if they are not kept at the same temperature as that found close to the scalp.
Fact: Live lice are very difficult to find on a child’s head. Nits are more visible. Nits are the eggs that lice lay. They take about a week to hatch. Most treatments do not kill nits. Nits need to physically be removed from the hair shaft.
Fact: Students will not be excluded from school for head lice. By the time a case is found, the student has had the head lice for 3-4 weeks.
Fact: Head lice do not live on animals, only humans.
The following are steps that can be taken to help prevent and control head lice:
- Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp).
- Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes.
- Do not share combs, brushes, or towels. Disinfect combs and brushes used by an infested person by soaking them in hot water (at least 130°F) for 5–10 minutes.
- Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets, or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with an infested person.
- Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
- Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay. However, spending too much time and money on house cleaning activities is not necessary to avoid transmission
- Do not use fumigant sprays or fogs; they are not necessary to control head lice and can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Head checks in school often cause a false sense of security. It may take 1-2 weeks for signs of head lice to be seen. Regular head checks at home are the best way to monitor head lice infestation. There are many treatment options so make sure you do research before treating your child.
Please feel free to call me with any questions. And remember, relax. Lice is a common problem, it can be treated, and it does not cause illness in your child.
KEEP CALM AND COMB! ☺