Health & Wellness

School nursing begins with the premise that healthy students learn better. Health regulations from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Sedgwick County Health Department form the foundation for a healthy school environment. Please feel free to contact our school nurse with any questions or concern about your child's health.

Contact Information

Sarah Purcell RN, BSN
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Phone: 316-722-5171
Fax: 316-722-0492

Medication at School Policy

All students medication, including over the counter medications, must be administered through the nurses office.
Parents are encouraged to arrange for medication to be given outside school hours. When it is necessary that medication be given at school, Diocesan policy requires a written request signed by both the parent and a doctor, dentist, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. Annual renewal is required. The medication must come in the original container marked with the student's name. A form for this purpose is available with the complete guidelines listed. You can download the form from the school's main webpage (resources-forms). The policy applies to both prescription and over the counter medications. Parents are allowed to come to school and give the medication themselves if that is their preference.

Physical Exams

Physical exams are required for preschool and kindergarten students as well as out of state transfer students eight years old and younger. Physicals are obtained from the family's health care provider.
Physical exams required for sports participation are the responsibility of the athletic department.

Immunizations

All students must present proof that they have received or are in the process of receiving all immunizations required by the State of Kansas. If appropriate, medical exemptions can be obtained from the family doctor but must be renewed each year. Non-compliance with immunization guidelines will result in exclusion from class.

Communicable Disease Regulations

Students must be fever free for 24 hours, without the use of fever reducing medicines, before returning to school.

Students should remain out of school until 24 hours after a vomiting or diarrhea illness.

Chicken Pox - Symptoms: slight fever, skin rash that starts as a red bumps, develops blisters then scabs. Excluded from school: until lesions are fully encrusted or until the 6th day onset of the rash, whichever comes first.
Head Lice - Symptoms: itching and presence of nits (lice eggs) on hair shafts. Excluded from school until treated with a parasitic drug (lice killing shampoo or cream rinse).
Mononucleosis (mono) - Symptoms: fever, tiredness, sore throat, and enlarged glands in the neck. Students with mono who have been fever free for 24 hours may return to school.
Pink-eye (bacterial conjunctivitis) - Symptoms: the eye is red, the child will complain of itching or burning, the eye lid is swollen and there is a discharge from the eye, frequently this is in the form of pus. Excluded from school until 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has begun.
Ringworm - Symptoms: a flat, spreading ring-shaped lesion. School attendance is allowed if the student is receiving treatment, but they should not participate in skin to skin contact (i.e. wrestling) until skin lesions are completely healed.
Scabies (itch mite) - Symptoms: skin eruption accompanied by intense itching. Excluded from school until appropriate treatment has begun.
Staphylococcal Infections (such as impetigo, abscesses and infected lacerations) are excluded from school until receiving medical treatment.
Strep Throat - Symptoms: fever, sore throat and swollen glands in the neck. Excluded from school until 24 hours after treatment with an antibiotic has begun and the fever is no longer present.

Screenings

Hearing screenings are given to students in grades Preschool, Kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and all students who are new to St. Francis. Parents or teachers may request hearing screening for students in other grades on an individual basis.
Vision screenings are given to students in grades Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and all students who are new to St. Francis. Parents or teachers may request vision screening for students in other grades on an individual basis.
Dental Screening will be offered to all students. This will be a screen without X-ray or other equipment. Parents will opt in or out during online registration.

Wellness

We are committed to providing environments that promote and protect your child's health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating, nutrition education, physical activity, and integrated school based wellness. For more information, please see the Elementary Wellness Policies document link provided below.

If you are interested in being a part of our Wellness team, please contact Sandi Baalman at (316) 722-4404.