Medication and Health Policies
Current policies regarding student health, medication, screenings, and more are contained in each campus’s Family Handbook.
Required Immunizations
The State of Texas requires that every child in the state be immunized against preventable diseases caused by infectious agents in order to be enrolled in school. Records of up-to-date immunizations must be provided to the School Nurse. The current schedule of required vaccinations can be found at this link. For full details on immunization requirements and our policies, please see our Family Handbooks.
2021-2022 Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements For Students K-12
The State of Texas allows families to apply for exemptions to immunization requirements due to religious or other objections. For more information on qualifying exemptions, please visit the website of the Texas Department of State Health Services. Families requesting a vaccine exemption for reasons of conscience will need to document their objection in their child’s student records by requesting an affidavit, having it notarized by a Notary Public, and delivering the affidavit to the School Nurse.
Affidavit Request for Exemption from Immunizations for Reasons of Conscience
Health Screenings
As noted in our Family Handbooks, there are a number of State-mandated health screenings we are required to conduct for students throughout the school year. These include:
- Hearing and vision screenings for all students new to Great Hearts Irving (including all Kindergarteners),
- Annual hearing and vision screenings for all 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders,
- Annual Acanthosis nigricans screenings for all 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders, and
- Spinal screenings for all 5th grade girls.
Student Medication
Parents of children who have prescribed/over-the-counter medications that need to be administered during the school day must complete the appropriate Request for Medication Administration form below and drop it off at the front desk for our School Nurse. All medication will be stored in a locked container or cabinet in the Nurse’s Clinic. Students have any form of medication, including vitamins, in their possession while at school.
Request for Medication Administration Form (Over the Counter Medication)
Request for Medication Administration Form (Prescription Medication)
Severe Food Allergies
Parents of children with histories of severe allergic reactions and risk of anaphylaxis are asked to complete a Food Allergen and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan form. If your child’s doctor has prescribed an EpiPen, Auvi-Q, or other epinephrine auto-injector, you will also need to complete the appropriate Request for Medication Administration form above as well.
Food Allergen and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care PLan Form
Update on Nebulizer Policy
Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the CDC recommends that schools do not use nebulizers during this time to limit the spread of contagions into the air. Both Great Hearts Irving Upper and Lower Schools will be nebulizer-free campuses until further notice. You will need to request:
- An updated written Asthma Action Plan,
- A quick-relief inhaler dedicated for school use only,
- A spacer or valved holding chamber dedicated for school use only, and
- A peak flow meter dedicated for school use only.
If your Upper School student will be self-carrying his/her inhaler this year, it is required that he/she have the necessary paperwork filed with the clinic. An Asthma Contract must be signed by the student, parent/guardian, and a medical doctor.
Lower School students are not permitted to self-carry inhalers.
Asthma Action Plan and Contract
Head Lice
Anyone can get head lice. Head lice spreads mainly through direct head-to-head contact, but also from sharing hats, brushes, and other personal items. Great Hearts Irving observes a No Nit/Lice Policy. “No Nit” is defined as no live nits. Live nits will be within 1/4 inch of the scalp on the hair shaft. If no nymphs or adults are seen, and the only nits are more than 1/4 inch from the scalp, then the infestation is probable old and no longer active, and does not need to be treated (CDC). Students found to have live lice and/or live nits are sent home and are permitted to return only once treatment for live lice has been completed and nits have been removed. This is confirmed by the school nurse when the child returns.
If a case of lice is confirmed in your child’s classroom, the State of Texas requires us to notify you within five school days. If you receive a notification, it does not mean that your child has necessarily been exposed to lice. We will however ask you to do your part to prevent the spread of this communicable condition by checking your children daily for the next few weeks following the email. Lice infestation is much easier to treat if caught early.
If you should discover a case of head lice or nits in your household, please notify your child’s teacher as well as the school nurse as soon as possible. This is the best way to help your family and community. Your child’s privacy will be strictly protected at all times. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your campus’s nurse any time. For further information regarding head lice and its treatment, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at cdc.gov/lice or the National Pediculosis Association at headlice.org.