CCA Parent Handbook

Minuteman School Nurses are available during high school hour (7:40-2:30, Monday-Friday) to consult or provide medical care when deemed necessary by the CCA staff. 

By Massachusetts State Law, every child must have a yearly physical exam and a list of immunization(s) completed by a physician on file here at school. 

You will be notified of any accident involving your child, even if it is minor. You will be informed by the CCA staff and/or Minuteman school nurse explaining the injury, how it happened, and what treatment was needed. 

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Dismissal

When a student is deemed unfit for any of these reasons below they must be picked up ASAP. Per CCA procedures, students need to be picked-up within 45 minutes.

Minuteman Staff, please let us know if you are not going to be in the building

Reasons for Dismissal:

• Temperature over 100°F
• Disruptive cough or cough with fever greater than 100°F
• Suspected infection of eye, ears, nose, throat, skin, scalp
• Severe abdominal pain or headache
• Suspected communicable disease, including COVID-19
• Untreated pediculosis (head lice)
• Suspected fractures or any severe or disabling injury including burns
• Questionable need for sutures
• Vomiting or diarrhea/loose stool**
• Head injury or suspected concussion
• Inability to participate in play due to symptoms**

**Nursing staff may be consulted to determine severity

We do not have the facilities or staff to care for sick children for an entire school day.

Therefore, we must ask that you do not send your child to school if they have:

• Fever over 100°F
• Severe cold, cough, sore throat
• Vomiting, diarrhea/loose stool, upset stomach
• Any other apparent infection/illness or is too sick to play

If your child is sick the night before but appears fine in the morning, please contact the CCA to discuss before sending your child to school. Please do not send your child to school until you hear from us. 

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Guidelines for Returning to School

• Children should not return to school after an illness accompanied by fever until their temperature has been within normal limits for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.
• Diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, fever of 100 degrees (or higher) can return after being clear of symptoms for 24 hours and may return the following school day. 
• COVID-19 guidelines need to be followed in accordance with CDC, DPH, and DESE protocols.
• Children who are taking antibiotics due to illness may return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment if they are well enough to participate in school activities.
• If a child requires medication during school hours, parent/guardian must follow the medication protocol of the CCA.
• For more serious, highly contagious illnesses such as chicken pox, conjunctivitis, strep throat, etc., we require a doctor’s note for readmission.
• The CCA staff can require a doctor’s note for readmission at their discretion.

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Medication Protocol

There may be times during the year that your child may need to receive medication during the school day. The Minuteman school nurses will review all prescription and nonprescription medication orders with the CCA Director and determine administration person and location of medication storage.

The Minuteman health office has standing order for Tylenol, Ibuprofen, calamine lotion, insect repellent, sunscreen, Vaseline. If it is necessary for a student to take a prescription medication during the school day, or have emergency medication available (EpiPen, inhaler, insulin), the following are required:

• CCA Medication permission form filled out by the child’s doctor and parent/guardian.
• Medication must be supplied in a prescription bottle or original container, properly labeled (name of child, medication, and instructions) and given to the CCA staff.
• Scheduled medications may be given up to 1 hour before or after scheduled administration time.
• The above will not apply if the parent/guardian visits the school and administers the medication themselves. Parents/guardians are expected to inform CCA staff of any medications administered before or during school hours.
• Antibiotics can be given after the child has been confined to home for 24 hours (usually the time considered necessary for the medication to begin to work).
• Non-Prescription Topical Medications - You may sign an Authorization to Administer Topical Medication for the duration of the school year. Nonprescription topical medications are petroleum jelly, diaper rash ointments, antibacterial soap, etc.