Health Corner

Getting Ready for the School Year: Immunizations

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) collects unidentifiable immunization data every year from every school, statewide. Per Senate SB20-163, DPS is required to share your school’s MMR immunization data and the requirements and exemption rules for the upcoming year. Please click on the letters below to learn more.

SKCEE has a dedicated health aide, Linda Guess, five days a week, Mondays through Fridays (all day). We have a new school nurse joining us this year who will be on campus three days a week. Our Health Room is located next to the Main Office. When a Nurse is not available, the office personnel take care of any sick children or emergencies.

Our Health Staff is responsible for the maintenance of the following:

Health Records
Routine Health Checks
Parental contact concerning health problems
Care of minor injuries
Hearing and vision screening
Training staff for protocol regarding high-medical need students

COVID-19 Guidance

Can I Go to School Today?

Parents/guardians are responsible for making sure that their students are safe and healthy before arriving at school. Students and parents/guardians should screen their students for symptoms before they arrive in-person and temperatures should be taken at home if possible. At-home screening can be completed by a student and/or parent/guardian at home using paper instructions from CDPHE. To find out Denver’s current COVID-19 status.

At-home symptom screening for parents

Parents and guardians can use these symptom checklists to determine when to keep their child at home based on the level of COVID-19 transmission in their community (e.g. Is the community in Protect Your Neighbor or Safer at Home or Stay at Home). School staff can also use this tool to determine if they need to stay at home.

These lists refer only to new symptoms or a change in usual symptoms. A student/ staff should not be kept home for usual symptoms they experience due to a chronic condition unless they are worse than usual. These guidelines are in addition to your regular school guidance (for example, a child with vomiting should also not attend school based on usual school guidance).

If your child is/ you are experiencing any potentially life-threatening symptoms please call 911.

Low Community Transmission (Protect Your Neighbors):

If any of the following symptoms are present, keep the child at home/ stay at home, inform the school of symptoms, and reach out to a health care provider about COVID-19 testing and next steps for treatment.

Feeling feverish, having chills, or temperature 100.4℉ or higher.
New or unexplained persistent cough.
Shortness of breath.
Difficulty breathing.
Loss of taste or smell.

Sustained Community Transmission (Safer at Home or Stay at Home):

Feeling feverish, having chills, or temperature 100.4℉ or higher.
New or unexplained persistent cough.
Shortness of breath.
Difficulty breathing.
Loss of taste or smell.
Fatigue.
Muscle aches.
Headache.
Sore throat.
Nausea or vomiting.
Diarrhea.
Runny nose or congestion.

Communicable Diseases

Please call the school immediately if your child is absent from school due to a communicable disease. Precautions may need to be taken to protect other children.

Head Lice

DPS follows the Center for Disease Control (CDC) policies and Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) guidelines for school settings regarding Head Lice. Resources:

Visit the CDC website for the latest information on Head Lice, including treatment and prevention.

Immunizations

At the time of admission, parent/guardian(s) must provide documentation of immunization status or exemption as required by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environmental (CDPHE). Immunizations must be updated and recorded as specified on the certificate of immunization or alternate certificate of immunization as supplied and approved by the CDPHE. Colorado law requires proof of immunization prior to or on the first day of admission.

Below are the vaccines required for students attending Colorado licensed child cares and schools. More information is available here: Child Care | School.

Vaccines required to enter Preschool

Hepatitis B.
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTap).
Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib).
Inactivated poliovirus (IPV).
Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13) or polysaccharide (PPSV23).
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR).
Varicella (chicken pox).

Vaccines required to enter school (K-12)

Hepatitis B.
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTap).*
Inactivated poliovirus (IPV).*
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR).*
Varicella (chicken pox).
*Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap).*

*Students 4 through 6 years of age are required to have their final doses of DTaP, IPV, MMR and Varicella prior to kindergarten entry.

General Health Appraisals

This form is to be completed by a health care provider who has seen the child in the last twelve months. The statement must include when the next visit is required by the health care provider. If a child’s parent is a licensed physician, M.D. or O.D., it is legally acceptable for that parent to sign his or her own child’s form.

If the child has been seen within the last 12 months all that is necessary is for the parent or guardian to have the form filled out and signed by the provider; it is not necessary for the child to have another exam before starting ECE.
If the child has not been seen by a doctor within the last 12 months, the family must make an appointment for a physical to get the form completed. Should the appointment be set more than 30 days after admission, the parent or guardian must provide a written notice of the appointment date and return the signed form immediately after the appointment.

Children who have not met this requirement may not attend school until the form is completed or, if no appointment is made within 10 days of notification the student can be withdrawn and replaced with a child from our school’s wait list.

Medications

If a student needs to take medications at school, the following requirements must be met:

The medication must be a prescription.
The medication must be in the original unopened container.
The medication must be readable, including a clear identification of the name and type of medication.
Medication must have a prescription label with the child’s name, drug identification, dosage instructions, doctor’s name and current prescription date.
A Permission to Take Medication form must be signed by the parent/guardian for all medications.
The nurse, health paraprofessional or office staff will administer medications.
NOTE: Due to liability factors, over the counter medications, including but not limited to cough medicine, cough drops and aspirin cannot be administered at school.