Health

Promoting health is of utmost importance in our school. A healthy child learns better. We encourage healthy diet choices, plenty of exercise and adequate sleep. Jeanne Gulnick, RN, is our school nurse. Parents can contact Nurse Jeanne by calling the office or emailing gulnij@portlandschools.org.  

If your child is ill or injured at school, she/he will be sent to the nurse for evaluation.  If your child is too sick to participate in school, the nurse will call to make arrangements for your child to be picked up. Students cannot be dismissed from school without an adult.  If the nurse is not in the building, our  secretary will notify you if your child is sick.

Allergies

If your child has any allergies to insect stings, foods or other substances, please notify the school nurse IMMEDIATELY. The nurse, your family and your physician will work together to provide an emergency plan, including possible life saving medication.   

The nurse will send notices home explaining when items, such as nuts, need to be kept out of a classroom because of allergies.  Many students have a variety of allergies, so please check with your child’s teacher and/or school nurse before sending any food to be shared in the classroom.

Health Screening

Vision and hearing screenings are performed in pre-K, kindergarten, first, third, and fifth grades by the school. The nurse will notify a parent by mail if his/her child’s results are not within the normal limits.

Immunizations

Keeping your child up to date with immunizations is the most effective way you can protect your child from dangerous illnesses. All students who enroll in Portland Public Schools are required by Maine law to present a certificate of immunization or evidence of immunization or immunity against poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox). The Superintendent shall exclude from school any non-immunized student when there is a clear danger to the health of others as provided by law.  Contact Nurse Jeanne if you are unsure about your child’s immunizations.

Guidelines for Sending Children to School

We follow the guidelines recommended by the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP).  Attending school each day is critical for children's successful academic and social growth!

Please avoid keeping children at home unless they are too sick to participate in regular activities. There are some normal conditions, which children may experience that do not  require staying home from school, including:

•  a mild cold with runny nose or occasional cough
•  a mild upset stomach with no other complications
•  a mild rash with no other symptoms
•  treated head lice
•  mild eye irritation or drainage without fever, pain or eyelid redness

Additional guidelines for symptoms from the MAAP  are in the table below:

Symptom	Stay Home or Seek Medical Care?	Return to School Guidelines
Fever	Stay home: fever of 100.4°F or higher Seek care: fever plus ear pain, sore throat, rash, stomachache, headache or tooth pain	no fever overnight without using fever-reducing medication, and feeling better
Vomiting and/or diarrhea	Stay home: vomited more than twice in 24 hours or watery stool/diarrhea Seek care: stomach cramps and fever, bloody or black stool, signs of dehydration (sleepy, dry mouth, not urinating normally)	did not vomit overnight able to drink liquids and eat without throwing up  diarrhea improved
Persistent cough or trouble breathing	Stay home: active persistent coughing, excess phlegm Seek care: difficulty breathing or catching breath, fever with cough (could be signs of flu or covid-19 and should be evaluated	feeling better, and if care sought, cleared by health care provider if asthma, make sure to secure permission to use breathing medication at school
Rash	Seek care: if rash has blisters that are draining, is painful, looks like bruises and/or fever develops	rash has healed and/or cleared to return by health care provider
Eye irritation	Seek care: if eyes are swollen, have pain, trouble seeing or eye injury is present	once feeling better
Sore throat	Seek care: if drooling, have trouble swallowing or a fever and/or rash	once feeling better; if prescribed an antibiotic by health care provider, student can return 12 hours after the first dose if no fever and feeling better

 

Covid:  If a student tests positive for Covid, please keep your child home and follow the protocols as listed on the PPS website. Always feel free to contact the school nurse if you have questions or concerns about your child’s health or need assistance finding a healthcare provider.

Wellness:  Portland Schools uses a coordinated approach to district wellness called the Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHP).  CSHP is an effective system designed to connect health with education.  This coordinated approach improves health and students’ capacity to learn through the support of families, communities, and schools working together. You will find much information on Portland schools nutrition and wellness policies.  Details of the policy can be found on the Portland Schools district website

Below are some highlights regarding nutrition:

• No soda is allowed at school
• Food offered during the school day shall meet nutritional standards (low fat, low sugar, low sodium)
• School and classroom celebrations are a part of our positive culture. We encourage both teachers and parents to celebrate through activities which do NOT include food. These celebrations will be more inclusive since there are so many allergies and other dietary concerns throughout our school community.