The School Health Services Program promotes the health of all students, affording them an opportunity to better participate in learning and receive the maximum benefit from their instructional program. Barriers to learning that can accompany a variety of chronic and acute health conditions must be identified and minimized for students to participate and learn to their maximum potential.
The Health Services program is designed to focus on the health status of students; to educate and counsel students, teachers, and parents related to health issues; to help prevent and control communicable disease; to provide emergency care for injury and/or sudden illness; to promote optimum conditions in school buildings; to promote health education as an integral part of the curriculum.
Ms. Jana Mason
Health Services Coordinator
Office: 256-428-6830
Location: HCS Annex
Covid-19 Mitigation Procedures
- Positive Covid-19 Case
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- The positive individual will stay home and be excluded from school and school activities for a minimum of 5 days from the start of symptoms or from the date of positive test if asymptomatic (day zero is the day symptoms began or the individual was tested if asymptomatic)
- The positive individual may return on day 6 if they have been free of fever, vomiting, diarrhea for a full 24 hrs without medication and other symptoms have improved
- Please contact your school nurse to report a positive Covid-19 test
- Exposure to Covid-19 Case
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- Huntsville City Schools will not require quarantine/exclusion following an exposure to a positive case of Covid-19. However, you may receive a call from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)
- Exposure letters will only be sent to entire classes, buses, or extracurricular activities when a potential outbreak as defined by ADPH of Covid-19 has been identified in a cohort (3 or more positive cases in the last 10 days)
- Disinfecting across all affected areas using the Victory Sprayer will continue to occur when a positive case of Covid-19 has been identified
- A parent or guardian may still elect to keep their child home as a result of an exposure. A parent note will need to be written to cover these absences
- Symptomatic Individuals
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- Staff or students reporting to the school nurse with symptoms of fever 100° or greater, vomiting, or diarrhea or other symptom that meets the HCS illness exclusion will be excluded from school and school activities until 24 hrs symptom-free without medication to reduce symptoms
- The school nurse may send home a symptomatic individual requiring clearance from a health care provider to return to work or school if Covid-19 is suspected (Policy 6.26)
- If new loss of taste or smell is reported that individual will require either evaluation from their health care provider or remain home for a minimum of 5 days
- Masking
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Masks Optional. Masks are optional for students, staff members, and individuals on HCS campuses and on buses.
- Policy 4.18
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On July 26th, 2021, the Superintendent announced to the community that Huntsville City Schools (“HCS”) would be implementing procedures to address the spread of COVID-19. The Superintendent is authorized to create these procedures under HCS Policy 4.18 regarding Public Health Precautions and Infectious Disease Mitigation which states that: The Superintendent is authorized to develop public health precautions and infectious disease mitigation procedures for all schools and other Board properties and all school sponsored activities. See Policy 4.18.1.
Additional Health Resources
- School Medication Prescriber/Parent Authorization Forms
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All prescriber/parent authorization forms come from the Alabama State Department of Education website.
- Prescription Medication Authorization Form is found under the Forms & Documents heading of the ALSDE School Health page.
- Over the Counter (OTC) Medication, Tracheostomy Care, Gastrostomy Tube (G-tube), and Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) authorization forms can all be found under the Medication Curriculum heading of the ALSDE School Health page.
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Student Illness Exclusions
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For more information and a full list of student illness exclusions, please contact your school nurse or Health Services at 256-428-6830.
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Immunizations, Meningitis, and Flu
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The Jessica Elkins Act (2014-274) provides awareness and vaccine information regarding meningococcal meningitis disease and its vaccine to parents and guardians of students.
For information regarding immunizations, meningitis, and flu, please visit the ALSDE Immunizations Page, and click on the appropriate tab.
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Impact of Heavy Backpacks
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Carrying too heavy of a backpack may affect children’s health and have long term effects. Research shows that children carrying more than 10% of their body weight is damaging to their spinal and postural health.
What are the possible problems related to carrying heavy backpacks?
- Strain to the shoulders and back affecting overall ease of movement and causing pain/discomfort
- Affects balance and posture
- Spinal problems such as: scoliosis (crooked spine) and disc degeneration
- May alter nerve communication
- Pull bones out of alignment by stretching ligaments/muscles
What should I do?
- Your backpack should weigh no more than 10% of your body weight
- Make sure you wear your backpack with both straps over your shoulders. Wearing your backpack over just one shoulder puts your spine out of balance and stresses that side
- See your physician or chiropractor for an exam for early detection or if you are symptomatic
- For more information view applicable law documents at ALSDE Health Laws & Policies.
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Sunscreen in Schools
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- Students may possess and use federal Food and Drug Administration regulated over-the-counter sunscreen at school and at school-based events
- Any student, parent, or guardian requesting a school board employee to apply sunscreen to a student shall present to the nurse a Parent Prescriber Authorization Form (PPA) containing a parent or guardian signature. A physician signature or physician order shall not be required
For more information, view applicable law documents at ALSDE Health Laws & Policies.
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G-Tube/J-Tube Procedure & Classroom Management Plan
- Scoliosis
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Scoliosis screening information can be found on the ALSDE Resources Page under the heading Curriculum and Programs - Scoliosis Manual.
- Unlicensed Seizure Medication Assistants (USMA)
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Pursuant of Seizure House Bill 76, each local board of education shall annually publish a list of Unlicensed Seizure Medication Assistants (USMA) on the local board of education's website:
2023-2024 USMA
- Bacon, Melissa
- Graves, Curtis
- Hargis, Ken
- Kirk, Andrew
- Moak, Megan
- Parker, Emily
- Tankesley, Stuart
- Whitaker, Joseph