School Nurse

Mrs. Meghan Dugan

(201) 391-2900, ext. 3505
Fax: (201) 391-1330
mdugan@montvalek8.org

Welcome to the Montvale Public School Medical Information page. The school nurses in the Montvale Public Schools, work in collaboration with Dr. Mark Mandel, the school physician.

If your child will be absent, please contact the nurse before 9:00 AM on the day of absence (contact information is above).

Each day your child is attending school in person, complete the COVID screening questionnaire in RealTime. If you answer ‘yes’ to any question, please contact your school nurse.

RealTime for parents can be found at the following link; https://www.montvalek8.org/quick-links/realtime

Individual

While operating in the “High” activity level, individuals with COVID-19 symptoms and their close contacts will be excluded from school for 14 days from date of last contact or until the ill individual with the symptom(s) receives a negative COVID-19 test. The negative COVID test will “clean the slate” for everyone involved in a particular exposure where symptoms are present. An alternate diagnosis for the ill individual is no longer acceptable while operating in the “High” activity level.

It is now more important than ever to carefully monitor the health of your child and identify any possible COVID symptoms your child is displaying. If your child is displaying a COVID symptom, please keep him/her home from school and consult your health professional. A negative COVID-19 test result from your child’s health professional will be required in order to return to school.

Siblings

Siblings of a student that has COVID symptoms will be excluded from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the sibling will have to quarantine. An alternate diagnosis is no longer acceptable while operating in the “High” activity level.

Parents

It is equally important for each parent to monitor his/her own health and, if a parent is displaying a symptom, keep your child home and consult your health professional. If your child lives in your household he/she is considered a close contact of yours. Close contacts of an individual with COVID symptoms will be excluded from school until the parent tests negative for COVID-19. An alternate diagnosis is no longer acceptable while operating in the “High” activity level.

Close Contact

A close contact is defined as within 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes or more during a 24 hour period. We continue to encourage the practice of physically distancing from one another, using face coverings, washing hands, and staying home when sick or presenting with COVID symptoms.

COVID Symptoms

Fever, Chills, Cough, Shortness of Breath, Difficulty Breathing, Fatigue, Muscle or Body Aches, Headache, New Loss of Taste or Smell, Sore Throat, Congestion, Runny Nose, Nausea, Vomiting, or Diarrhea

Awaiting a Test

If someone in your household is being tested for COVID-19 due to illness, members of that household should remain home until the test results are received.

On behalf of your child and family, we urge you to communicate information about symptoms, testing or illness to your child’s school nurse immediately.

****Updates to the quarantine time frame for illness and travel will be made as the local risk level changes. *******

Attendance

In addition to reporting illness, please notify the nurses’ office for the following reasons:

If your child is scheduled to attend school in person and you choose to have him/her participate remotely.
If you are traveling and will be subsequently quarantining as per the published advisories

More information regarding COVID-19, health office guidelines, procedures, and important medical forms can be found below.

Health Office Information

Guidelines and Procedures

Policies & Procedures

Attendance
Please contact the nurse at 201-391-9000 (Fieldstone) or 201-391-2900 (Memorial) before 9:00AM. Phone messages can be left 24 hours/day on the nurse's answering machine. Please state the reason for the absence. In the event of planned absences, a letter should be sent to the school office prior to the absence. A written statement of the reason for absence must be provided upon the student's return to school. If your child was seen by their doctor, provide a doctor's note to clear them to return. Students who arrive after 8:40 AM will be considered tardy.

Medications
ALL medications, including over the counter medicines, such as Tylenol, Motrin, cough syrup require a written order from a licensed physician. Parental permission is also required. The above mentioned form has a place for both required signatures. All medication must be delivered to school by an adult in the original prescription bottle, labeled by the pharmacy or manufacturer.

Illness
If your child has symptoms during the previous night, consider making arrangements for your child to remain at home. Extra rest and attention early will often shorten the illness and cut down the spread of germs at school. Sending a child who is not in optimal health to school, not only endangers the health of all others but also increases their susceptibility to whatever illnesses to which they are exposed.

Guidelines to Consider for Keeping Your Child Home from School
1) Temperature of 100.0 or higher. Your child must be fever free for 24 hours before returning.
2) Vomiting and diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
3) Unexplained rashes, sores, and crusty, inflamed eyes or other signs of contagious illness.
4) Persistent coughing that could be distracting to your child and disruptive to the class.
5) Cold or runny nose if nasal discharge is excessive and/or not clear.
6) If you are awaiting results of a strep culture, please keep your child home from school until results have been received. Positive results must be on antibiotics a full 24 hours before return to school.

Gym Excuses
A parent may request in writing a gym excuse for up to 3 days for a student that has a medical problem that does not appear to require a physician's care. After 3 missed gym classes, a physician's note is required for further excuse.

Injuries
If your child is returning to school with an injury, obtain a doctor's note for the absence. The doctor's note must include the date your child will be cleared to return to activity. CRUTCHES: A physician's note is required for the student who needs crutches. The note must clearly state that the student is allowed to use crutches in school and/or on the bus. CASTS, SLINGS & SPLINTS: A physician's note is needed. It must state the nature of the injury, any limitations or restrictions and the dates the student is excused from physical education and recess.

Communicable Diseases
Wearing of masks will be required for the 2020-2021 school year. The importance of hand washing cannot be overemphasized. Hand washing is the single most effective means of staying healthy and preventing the spread of germs. Please reinforce this extremely important habit at home. Remind your child to wash with soap and water and scrub all parts of their hands for at least 20 seconds. For the health of all our students and staff, please alert the school nurse whenever your child has been diagnosed with any communicable disease. Examples of these include head lice, strep throat, pink eye, chicken pox, impetigo and ringworm. Be assured this information will be kept confidential.

Head Lice
It's a nuisance all schools have. It is the parent's responsibility to check their child's hair and treat, if necessary. At school, periodic checks may be conducted and communication made to parents as necessary. If you suspect head lice, please call me immediately. Regular communication between school and home helps to keep this pest to a minimum.

Authorization for Medications

State law requires written authorization from you and your child’s physician to administer any medication to your child while in school. This includes Tylenol, cold/flu tablets, antacids, eye drops and cough medicine. The school nurse or parent/ guardian is the only one permitted to administer medication in the school.

Note of exception: Under certain circumstances, students with life threatening conditions who have authorization from a parent/guardian and physician, may self-medicate.

FOR NURSE ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION

If your child is to receive ANY medication from the school nurse,

A physician and a parent/guardian must complete the Permission Form for Medication (see below)

FOR INHALERS, INSULIN AND EPI-PEN

If you child needs an inhaler, insulin or has life threatening allergies to food, bee sting, or other allergens, and must keep Epi-pen in the Health Office or carry it, please contact the school nurse for the appropriate forms

All medication must be in the originally labeled pharmacy container. This container will remain in school. Please ask the pharmacist for a separate properly labeled medication supply for home usage.

Please review and print form below:

Authorization for Medication

Health Plans

COVID-19 Information

Below are helpful websites regarding COVID. Please contact your school nurse if you have any questions about this information.

Where can I get tested?

https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing#test-sites

City MD: https://www.citymd.com/news/covid-19-testing-update

Contact your healthcare provider
PM Pediatrics: https://pmpediatrics.com/directory/
https://www.urgentcaremontvalenj.com/

What is a close contact?

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/appendix.html#contact

When to quarantine:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html

When to isolate:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/isolation.html

When to end isolation/quarantine:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/end-home-isolation.html

NJ Travel advisory

https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-and-transportation/which-states-are-on-the-travel-advisory-list-are-there-travel-restrictions-to-or-from-new-jersey

International Travel advisory

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html

Information regarding testing

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/coronavirus-disease-2019-testing-basics

Harvard Health information - COVID-19 tests:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/if-youve-been-exposed-to-the-coronavirus#:~:text=PCR%20tests%20and%20antigen%20tests,two%20types%20of%20tests.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Vaccine types

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html

Facts about the COVID-19 vaccine

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits/facts.html#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20there,accurate%20vaccine%20information%20is%20critical.

mRNA vaccines (messenger RNA)

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/hcp/mrna-vaccine-basics.html

mRNA can most easily be described as instructions for the cell on how to make a piece of the “spike protein” that is unique to SARS-CoV-2. After the piece of the spike protein is made, the cell breaks down the mRNA strand and disposes of them using enzymes in the cell. Once displayed on the cell surface, the protein or antigen causes the immune system to begin producing antibodies and activating T-cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. These antibodies are specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which means the immune system is primed to protect against future infection.