Health Screening Information| Immunization Requirements| Medication Forms| When to Keep Your Child at Home/Illness | Body Mass Index Notifications| Child Abuse Hotline
Health Screening Information
New York State requires a health examination for all students entering the school district for the first time and when entering:
- Pre-K or kindergarten
- Grade 1
- Grade 3
- Grade 5
- Grade 7
- Grade 9
- Grade 11
School health examinations must be completed by a New York state licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner.
A copy of the health examination form must be provided to the school within 30 days of the student’s start date at school and at the start of the above grades. Access the district’s physical exam form.
School-based health screening
District health services will provide physicals for students who do not have a physician when entering these grades and for students wishing to play sports or acquire working papers.
Health physicals and screenings performed by school personnel provide a baseline measure of a student’s health and wellness. These evaluations are not equal in scope to those performed at a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic.
Dental screenings/exams
A dental certificate that states your child has been seen by a dentist or dental hygienist is also required at these times. Access the district’s dental examination form.
Families will be contacted by the district if health and dental examination certifications are not provided within 30 days of the start of school. Please notify the Health Office if your child has an appointment for an exam for the school year that is after the first 30 days of school.
Please make a copy of the completed forms for your own records before sending them to the school health office. Forms may also be faxed or emailed.
Accessing affordable health and dental services
If needed, please contact your child’s school for a list of health providers and dentists/registered dental hygienists who offer health and dental services for a free or reduced cost.
Immunization Requirements
All children must be age-appropriately immunized to attend school in New York State.
Access the New York State Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance.
Medication Forms
Parents and guardians of students must submit a prescription order from their healthcare provider and a parent permission form to the school nurse for any medication to be taken on school grounds.
For ongoing prescriptions, a new order form must be signed and dated after the end of the previous school year.
Parents and guardians of students must submit any new prescription order from their healthcare provider with the parent permission form to the school nurse when the new prescription is ordered.
Self-Carry
When “self-carry” is ordered by the health care provider, the student can keep their rescue medication in their locker, backpack or personal bag.
Access the district’s Permission to Administer Medication at School form.
Access the district’s Independent Use and Carry form.
When to keep your child at home due to illness
It can be hard to know when to send children to school if they say they do not feel well. Usually, the best place for them is in school, but there are times when keeping them home is recommended.
Please keep your child home for symptoms or complaints of:
- Fever greater than 100.4°F (taken by mouth) in the last 24 hours
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea within the last 24 hours
- Severe sore throat along with fever and/or feeling ill for more than 24 hours, or after exposure to strep throat infection
- Honey-crusted sores around the nose or mouth, or an unknown rash on other body parts
- Severe congestion in their nose, with face pain or headache
- Severe ear pain or fluid coming from the ear
- Severe headache, especially with fever
- Incessant cough that would interrupt the school day
If your child has a fever, it is not a good idea to give them medicine like Tylenol or Advil and send them to school. As soon as the medicine wears off, the fever may return, and you may be called to pick up your child. Please keep children home for 24 hours after the fever ends.
If your child will be absent from school for any reason, including illness, please contact us before the start of school by calling the main office or emailing esattendance@voorheesville.org.
If you find your child frequently asking to stay home from school, falling behind, is anxious about school or if there are no apparent physical symptoms, contact your school nurse and your health care provider to discuss your concerns.
Body Mass Index (BMI) Notifications
New York state requires schools to track each student’s body mass index (BMI) and weight status category as part of school health examinations. Every year, the New York State Department of Health surveys some schools for the number of students in each weight status category. If Voorheesville Central School District is surveyed by the state, the district will share summary group data only and will not share summary group calculations. In order to opt out of the sharing of this data, parents must contact your child’s school nurse.
Child Abuse Hotline
If you suspect a child is being abused or maltreated (neglected), report it by calling 1-800-342-3720, a toll-free 24-hour hotline operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call TDD/TTY at 1-800-638-5163 or have your video relay system provider call 1-800-342-3720. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department. Information about reporting child abuse and maltreatment (neglect) is available online at http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/cps/.