The Clinic welcomes you back to school. Remember, healthy children learn better!!

For those who do not know me, I am Ellen Deppe, John B. Dey’s registered nurse. I am here for the entire school day overseeing the health concerns of John B. Dey Elementary School students, faculty and staff. The clinic is equipped to provide care for illness, which occurs during the school day and first aid for school related injuries. It is neither equipped nor designed to care for out-of-school injuries/illnesses and is not intended to take the place of parent-directed medical care. I will follow doctor’s written instructions for treatment, which may need to be done during school.

Every month I will have Clinic Corner section in Ms Capwell’s letter home. Look there for health updates.

It is a Virginia Beach School Board regulation that any student required to take medication during the school hours must have a written order from a doctor and signed permission from the parent on the “Physician’s Request for Administration of Medication” form available from the clinic. No medication will be given without this permission and all portions of the form must be completed. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Medication must be brought directly to the clinic by the parent or guardian and must be in the original prescription bottle with the student’s name, medication name, time and dosage on it. Please know you can come any time to the clinic to give medication to your child.

If you have any questions about sending your child to school when they are not feeling well, please call me. The recommended criteria for keeping a child home are:

A) Fever of 100 degrees or greater

B) Vomiting or diarrhea

C) Sore throat not relieved with analgesics

D) Redness to the white part of the eyes with yellow discharge

E) Unexplained rash

A child should not return to school until 24 hours after the fever has broken. This can mean a child will miss a second day of school, but will be invaluable in their ultimate recovery and decrease the chance of exposing others to illness.

Another important role of mine is to oversee health entrance requirements and provide health screening. All children will be screened for height, weight, dental and hair status. Kindergarten, 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th and all students new to Virginia Beach will also have hearing and vision screening. Fifth graders will also be screened for scoliosis. I will screen 2^nd and 4^th grade students for hearing and vision with a teacher or parent request. If I find a reason for concern I will notify you by letter. Remember this is only a screening and determination of problems will need to be made by a physician.

Here’s to a healthy year, Ellen Deppe “The Nurse”