Dear Families,

We hope you have had a great and healthy start to the school year.

Below you will find information on the following:

• Our Health Staff
• Immunization Requirements and Exclusion
• Health Topics
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Breast Cancer (October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
• Stock Medications at Middle School and High School
• Illness Protocol
• Medications at School
• COVID Guidance

Thank you!

Nicole Wollert

District Nurse

nicole.wollert@westfieldpioneers.org

Every year schools are required to assess all students’ immunization records to determine compliance with the Wisconsin Student Immunization Law. Students have until the 30th school day to provide the appropriate documentation of immunization or a signed waiver. Starting on the 31st school day, non-compliant students may be excluded from school, in order to remain compliant with the law.

Wisconsin has updated its immunization requirements for child care and school entry. The changes for school entry go into effect for the 2024/2025 school year and are listed below.

• If you have a child entering our school district for the first time in the 2024/25 school year and your child does not need the varicella vaccine because they had chicken pox disease, you will need to have a healthcare provider (MD, PA, or NP) sign the verification of student immunization record form below.

• If your child will be in 7th grade for the 2024/2025 school year, our school district is collecting the date of their Meningitis vaccines, particularly the one containing ACWY antigens. This would be called MenQuadfi TN, Menveo®, or Menactra® on your child’s immunization record. You can write the information on the student immunization record form below or print off a copy of their immunization record from the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR).

• If your child will be in 12th grade during the 2024/2025 school year, we need to have dates of two ACWY containing meningitis vaccines, unless the first dose was given after your child was 16 years old.

Vaccination against meningitis B is not required, but you can supply us with those dates too if you wish.

The form below should be completed at the beginning of the school year for each student. This form is due by the 30th school day. Please complete the form and drop it off at your child's school office.

There has been an increase in pertussis this year. Here is some general information about Pertussis.

• Spread/Transmission: Through inhalation of respiratory droplets from an infected person.
• Typical Symptoms: Early symptoms are runny or congested nose, low-grade fever, and mild/occasional cough. A rapid/uncontrolled cough can develop later in the illness.
• Treatment: Antibiotics.
• Prevention: Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent pertussis. There are two vaccines that protect against pertussis and also against other diseases. They are DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis vaccine used for children younger than 7 years old) and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine used for older children and adults).
• Return to School Criteria: Students who have been diagnosed with pertussis would need to stay home from school until 5 days after they started antibiotics or if no antibiotic treatment, 21 days after cough onset.

For more information on Pertussis, please visit the WI DHS website https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/pertussis.htm or the CDC website https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/index.html

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers for women. According to the CDC, each year in the United States, about 270,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Here is some general information on breast cancer:

• Symptoms: there are different symptoms of breast cancer and sometimes there are no symptoms at all. Symptoms can include change in size or shape of the breast, pain in any area of the breast, a new lump in the breast or underarm.
• Risk Factors include being a woman, being 50 years or older, and having changes in your BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

• Men can also get breast cancer but it is not very common. About one out of every 100 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the United States is found in a man per the CDC.
• Detection: mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early.
  

Resource: CDC Website

As a courtesy, the School District of Westfield will offer stock (school supplied) Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen to middle school and high school students (ages 12 and over) while at school as needed during the current school year.

Parent/guardian consent is needed for students to receive these stock medications.

Stock medication will be administered as follows:

• Acetaminophen 500 mg tablet - One tablet every 6 hours for headache/pain
• Ibuprofen 200 mg tablet - One tablet every 6 hours for headache/pain

This consent covers occasional use only, and will be given at the discretion of the school nurse or designated school staff. Any student that requires any of the listed medications on a regular basis will be asked to provide their own supply of medication and will need a medication consent form filled out by the student's parent/guardian and physician. School supplied medications will not be given to students more than ten times during the school year. If your child reaches the tenth time, a letter will be sent home, alerting you that your child has depleted their doses for the school year.

School supplied medications will only be given to students during the school day; they will not be available on school sponsored trips, athletic events, or after school activities.

If your child has a fever over 100 degrees, is vomiting, or has diarrhea, your child should stay home from school. Your child may return to school when they have been free of fever/vomiting/diarrhea for at least 24 hours.

Your child should also stay home from school if he/she has an unidentified rash or live head lice.

If your child has a rash, your child may return to school when their doctor recommends. Please provide a note to your child's school office from their medical provider indicating when they may return.

If your child has live head lice, he/she may return to school after they are treated as long as there are no longer any live lice.

Your child should stay home if he/she has an eye infection and is unable to avoid touching their eyes.

If your child has a communicable disease, please refer to this chart for guidance on when they may return to school.

If your child needs medication at school, please fill out a medication consent form (see below) and drop off the medication (in its original packaging) at your child's school office.

If it is an over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol, etc, then only a parent/guardian signature is needed on the medication form.

If it is a prescription medication, then a medical provider's signature is also required.

A medical provider's signature would also be required if the dosage written on the form by the parent/guardian differs from the recommended therapeutic dose on the medication label.

We are not able to administer medications to students without a medication form completed. Students are not allowed to keep their own supply of medication in their lockers.

Exceptions to this are albuterol inhalers for students with asthma, glucagon for students with diabetes, and epinephrine for students with severe allergic reactions; a medication form still needs to be completed for these medications even if the student is carrying the medication themselves.

All other needed medication must be administered through the school office.

We are continuing to recommend families follow the CDC's guidance, which can be found here.

We are continuing to follow our illness protocol that we followed prior to COVID - if a student has a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, then they should stay home until they are free of fever/vomiting/diarrhea for at least 24 hours.

If a student has multiple COVID-like symptoms (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, new loss of taste or smell, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fever or chills), then they should contact their medical provider's office for guidance.

If a student tests positive for COVID or was in close contact with an individual who tested positive, the student should follow their doctor's guidance. Documentation from their doctor must be provided to the school office stating the student should be excused from school and their return date in order for the student's absence to be excused. Just as prior to COVID, student absences that occur without a doctor's note will be unexcused until proper documentation is provided.