Health Services

• Asthma Forms
• Authorization for Students to Carry Emergency Medication 
• Food/Insect Allergy Forms 
• Individualized Health Care Plan
• Request for Administration of Medication 
• Seizure Forms

 

To provide safe and effective care, Forsyth County Schools may share information about chronic or special health conditions with school personnel responsible for your child’s care, supervision, or instruction.

In a life-threatening emergency, school personnel will take necessary medical action, call emergency services as needed, and make every effort to contact the parent or guardian immediately. Families are responsible for any related medical treatment or transportation costs.

Forsyth County Schools partners with District II Department of Public Health to support emergency treatment of life-threatening asthma attacks, severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) or opioid overdose. School clinics are equipped with Benadryl, epinephrine (EpiPen), nebulized bronchodilator (Albuterol), or naloxone (Narcan) to treat students, staff or visitors experiencing these emergencies.

FCS employees are trained to recognize symptoms and administer these medications safely. When epinephrine, Albuterol, or naloxone is administered, emergency services will be dispatched, and the individual should be transported to the nearest emergency room for further care.

1. When should I keep my child home from school due to illness?
   Please review the  Guidance Related to Viruses and Infections document.
2. What if my child has a health condition?
   In order to provide the best care possible, it is important to inform the school of your child’s health conditions. Depending on the health condition, FCS may request completion of a healthcare plan by your child’s healthcare provider. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to provide a health care plan and any required medications to the school nurse. You can find a list of FCS Health Forms above. Keeping the school informed and up-to-date helps ensure the safety and well-being of your child while at school.
3. Does FCS provide medications to students?
   No, FCS does not provide medications to students. Medications must be brought to the school clinic by a parent/guardian with a completed Request for Administration of Medication form. If necessary, an additional healthcare plan may also be required.
4. What if my child requires a medication daily during the school day?
   Medications should be administered at home whenever possible. However, if the medication is required to be administered during school hours, the parent or guardian would need to bring the medication to the school clinic along with a completed Request for Administration of Medication form. This ensures that the school is aware of the medication and can administer it safely and according to the healthcare provider’s order.  Once everything is in order, the medication dose will be scheduled for your child during their school day as prescribed. This process helps maintain student’s health and safety while at school.
5. What if my child may need a medication on an as-needed basis during the school day?
   A parent or guardian can bring the medication to the school clinic along with the completed Request for Administration of Medication form. This ensures that the school is aware of the medication and authorizes its administration as necessary.
6. Can my child just carry their own medication (either over the counter or prescription) and self-administer? (*Please see question #7 for an exception for emergency medications)
   No, all medications must be brought to the school clinic by the parent or guardian, and a Request for Administration of Medication form must be completed. This policy is in place for the health and safety of all students. By centralizing medication administration through the school clinic and requiring parental involvement, the school can better monitor and manage the administration of medication to ensure they are administered safely and appropriately.
   Any student possessing a prescription or OTC medication not in accordance with these guidelines will be considered in violation of FCS Board Policy JCDAC; Student Drug Use and shall be subject to the discipline set forth in FCS Code of Conduct.
7. My child has a health condition that requires an emergency medication. Are they allowed to carry their emergency medication and/or self-administer if needed?
   Yes, if your child has a health condition that requires an emergency medication, they are allowed to carry and/or self-administer with appropriate documentation.  The documentation required includes the appropriate healthcare plan, Request for Administration of Medication form and an Authorization for Student to Carry an Emergency Medication form. Please note an antihistamine is not classified as an emergency medication and should be stored in the clinic. It is important to note that self-carrying medication doesn’t imply a student’s ability to self-administer during an emergency situation.  Instead, with the required documentation in place, proper communication, and training of school employees, the student can be assisted with the administration of their emergency medication as needed. This ensures that students can receive timely and appropriate care in the event of an emergency while at school.
8. Are there any specific requirements regarding medications being brought to the school clinic for my child?
   Yes, all medications must be from a U.S. pharmacy or distributed by a U.S. manufacturer/lab and be FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved. All medications must be brought to the school by the parent/guardian and be in its original container with a legible, intact label. All prescription medications must have a labeled container with student’s name and match the Request for Administration of Medication form. Expired medications will not be administered. Adhering to these requirements helps ensure the safety of medications administration while at school.
9. What if my child has a change in medication, medication dosage or instruction for use?
   It is the parent/guardian responsibility to inform the school nurse promptly of any medication changes to ensure your child receives proper care at school.  If there is a change in medication, medication dosage or instruction for use, then an updated Request for Administration of Medication form will be required. Additionally, the prescription container label must match the updated medication form to avoid any discrepancies or errors in administration. Keeping the school nurse informed of any medication changes helps ensure the safety and well-being of your child at school.
10. What happens if my child has a medical emergency while at school?
    FCS priority is to provide the immediate care needed for your student, which may include calling Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for assistance. The school will notify the parent/guardian as soon as possible. FCS is equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED’s) and limited emergency medications to respond promptly and effectively to medical emergencies that may arise, prioritizing the health and safety of all students, staff, and visitors.
11. My child is going on a field trip and requires medications (or needs to have emergency medications available), what should I do?
    Communicate with the school nurse to ensure proper documentation is in place and arrange for medication to be brought to the school clinic (if medication is not already in place in the school clinic).  Medications must be received by the school nurse three school days prior to the scheduled field trip as this ensures proper communication and instruction for administration while on the field trip.  Students are only authorized to carry emergency medications with proper documentation. It is important to note that FCS cannot send its emergency supplies of epinephrine, albuterol sulfate or Narcan on field trips.
12. When should I expect to provide updated immunization records for my child?
    Once a student immunization form (GA 3231) is complete for enrollment, no further updates are required by Georgia state Law until the student enters seventh grade and again at age 16 years and entering the eleventh grade. Please see the Immunization Requirements section below for additional information.

Please do not send your child to school and/or school activities if they are exhibiting symptoms of common illnesses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, strep throat, stomach virus or other contagious viruses and/or infections.

Symptoms of common illnesses may include fever (100.4 or greater), persistent cough/wheeze, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion/runny nose, eye drainage, rash, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Children with an unknown rash need to be seen by a healthcare provider to ensure it is not contagious to others. Children with a persistent cough should stay home until symptoms improve.

Please note your child must meet the following criteria before returning to school and/or school activities:

• Your child must be fever free for a full 24-hour period without the use of fever-reducing medications.
• Your child must be free of vomiting and/or diarrhea for a full 24-hour period.
• Your child should also have an overall improvement in their symptoms and be able to tolerate their school day.
• If an antibiotic has been prescribed, then the antibiotic must be administered for a full 24-hour period.

Forsyth County Schools complete grade-level hearing, vision, dental and scoliosis screenings in accordance with GaDOE recommendations and state law.

• Vision and hearing screenings are completed on all 2^nd and 5^thgrade students.
• Vision screenings are completed on all 7^th grade students.
• Scoliosis screenings are completed on all 6^th and 8^th grade students. 

Parent permission is not required for grade-level screenings. However, parents/guardians may opt their child out of scoliosis screenings with the following options: 

• Scoliosis Screening Refusal Form (This form can be completed electronically through your Parent Portal account).
• Certificate of Scoliosis Screening Form #4400 Resources (GA DOE)

Students exhibiting signs and symptoms of head lice will be sent to the school nurse. Possible symptoms are: itchy scalp, tiny gray or brown bugs in the hair, nits (tiny yellowish-white or brown oval eggs attached directly to the hair shaft), scalp rash.

If live lice or nits are observed, the school nurse will call the parent. The parent may pick up their child immediately from school or the parent may choose for the child to be sent home their usual way at the end of the school day (including riding the bus). If the child remains in school, the nurse will ask the parent if long hair can be put up in a ponytail. The child will be given a lice treatment guideline packet. Siblings of infested child will also be checked. If siblings attend another school, that school nurse will be notified to check the siblings.

Students are excused 2 days of absence to treat the head lice. If students are picked up by parent during the school day, this will be an excused absence.

In order for the child to return to school, the parent will need to provide proof of treatment; a store receipt for lice treatment or box top or in the case of homeopathic treatment, a short video or picture showing the treatment. The nurse will examine the child for live lice and/ or nits. If no live lice are seen and the number of nits are diminished from the initial check, students may go to class.

Students will be re-checked for the presence of head lice after 7-10 days. Parents must remove all the nits from their child’s hair. The continued presence of nits in a student’s hair after treatment is not a sufficient ground for denying readmission to school unless the number of nits are not consistently decreasing over a period of 7-10 days. All infested persons should be retreated in 7-10 days to deactivate any remaining lice that have hatched or did not die after the initial treatment. Proof of treatment will again be required. If a student has not been treated for lice or nits, the parent will be notified and the child will be sent home.

Chronic head lice (as determined by the school nurse) will be referred to the school social worker and recommended to see their primary care physician or local health department.

Classrooms. If more than 2 students in the same classroom are found to have head lice on the same occasion, a letter will be sent home with classmates advising parents of the situation and asking for their help in examining their child at home for head lice and performing proper treatment if needed.

Mass screenings are no longer recommended or considered necessary. Mass screenings do not yield the intended results, they are disruptive to classroom instruction and violate the confidentiality of each student.

Parents have the ultimate responsibility for their children. This includes assisting in the prevention and management of head lice cases through regular checks of their children’s hair and starting immediate treatment when head lice are detected.

School nurses will educate staff, students and parents so they can understand head lice and what they can do to prevent the spread of lice.

The guidelines were developed by the Lice Task Force 2017. The task force was comprised of school principals, school special education administrators, school social workers, school nurses and parent representatives from across the county.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics National Association of School Nurses CDC Cobb County Schools Hall County Schools Newton County Schools Gwinnett County School.

• Voluntary Student Accident Claim Form
• Student Accident Insurance Plan (English)
• Student Accident Insurance Plan (Spanish)