Gayhead Elementary School

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING NEW YORK STATE MANDATED HEALTH EXAMINATION RECORDS

Effective January 31, 2021, all health examinations performed for public school students when they are a new student in a school district, and when they enter Pre-k or Kindergarten and Grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, must be documented on the NYS Required Health Examination Form or an electronic health record equivalent form which may not look the same, but presents the same information and the same order as indicated in the instructions - pursuant to Education Law.

Parents/Guardians: If you have a child entering Kindergarten, First, Third or, Fifth grade for the 2024-2025 school year, a Health Examination record must be submitted to the health office in order to update your child's health record.

Please either fax or email the document to the health office:

FAX: 845-554-1904
EMAIL: betty.segarra@wcsdny.org

Thank you for your cooperation. Be well, stay safe.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2024-2025* *THIS APPLIES TO ALL INCOMING KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS AND 6TH GRADE STUDENTS

KINDERGARTEN: For entry into school your child will need: 5 DTaP, 4 Polio, 3 Hepatitis B, 2 MMR, 2 Varicella doses.

CURRENT 6TH GRADE STUDENTS: For September, your child will need Tdap vaccine... 1 dose.

If your child has had any or all of the required vaccines for September, please either fax or email the immunization record to the health office:

FAX: 845-554-1904
EMAIL: betty.segarra@wcsdny.org

Thank you for your cooperation. Be well, stay safe.

Fever alert!!! Parents, if your child has a fever (100.0 degrees or higher) on any day or is sent home from school with a fever, DO NOT send your child to school the very next day. Your child must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of any medication such as Tylenol, Advil or Motrin.

Please help me keep Gayhead a safe and healthy environment for your child, all other students, all teachers, and all other staff working in this building.

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Parents/Guardians: When reporting your child's absence due to illness on the attendance line, it is VERY IMPORTANT to know a specific symptom your child is ill with. For example: fever, sore throat, stomach ache, strep throat, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Please DO NOT say: not feeling well, under the weather, or illness. The more specific you are, the easier it will be for me to track illnesses in the building.

Also: if your child is sent home from school with a fever (100 degrees or higher), your child cannot return to school until fever-free for 24 hours. So, your child should stay home for at least the very next day.

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For Parents/Guardians of students in Kindergarten and First Grade:

We would like to request that you send your child to school with an extra set of clothing packed in a zip-lock bag and labeled with your child's name which can be kept right in their backpack. Recently, we see many kindergarten students and first grade students having an "accident" while at school. For the most part, this happens towards the end of the school day and sometimes even at dismissal. If your child has clothes in his/her backpack, this will help get your child back to class.in a timely manner. Otherwise, we will have to place a phone call at home, work, cell, etc. so that you can bring in a change of clothes. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

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Keep your kids safe. Get their seasonal flu vaccines every year.

Seasonal Flu: A Guide for Parents

- Infants and young children are at a greater risk for getting seriously ill from the flu.That’s why the New York State Department of Health recommends that all children 6 months and older get the seasonal flu vaccine.
- Most people with seasonal flu are sick for about a week, and then they feel better. But, some people, especially young children, pregnant women, older people, and people with chronic health problems can get very sick. Some can even die. A flu vaccine is the best way to protect your child from seasonal flu. It is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.
- The flu, or influenza, is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs.The flu can spread from person to person.
• Flu shots can be given to children 6 months and older.

• A nasal-spray vaccine can be given to healthy children 2 years and older.

• Children younger than 5 years who have experienced wheezing in the past year – or any child with chronic health problems – should get the flu shot, not the nasal-spray vaccine.

• Children younger than 9 years old who get a vaccine for the first time need two doses.
- Get the seasonal flu vaccine for yourself.
- Encourage your child’s close contacts to get seasonal flu vaccine, too. This is very important if your child is younger than 5 or if he or she has a chronic health problem such as asthma (breathing disease) or diabetes (high blood sugar levels). Because children under 6 months can’t be vaccinated, they rely on those around them to get vaccinated.
- Wash your hands often and cover your coughs and sneezes. It’s best to use a tissue and quickly throw it away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. This will prevent the spread of germs.
- Tell your children to:
• Stay away from people who are sick;
• Clean their hands often;
• Keep their hands away from their face, and
• Cover coughs and sneezes to protect others.
- The flu comes on suddenly. Most people with the flu feel very tired and have a high fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and sore muscles. Some people, especially children, may also have stomach problems and diarrhea. The cough can last two or more weeks.
- People who have the flu usually cough, sneeze, and have a runny nose. The droplets in a cough, sneeze or runny nose contain the flu virus. Other people can get the flu by breathing in these droplets or by getting them in their nose or mouth.
- Most healthy adults may be able to spread the flu from one day before getting sick to up to 5 days after getting sick. This can be longer in children and in people who don’t fight disease as well (people with weaker immune systems).
- Wash your children’s hands with soap and water. Wash them for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. If soap and water are not handy, use wipes or gels with alcohol in them unless they are visibly soiled. The gel should be rubbed into hands until the hands are dry.
- Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks lots of fluids. Talk with your child’s doctor before giving your child over-the-counter medicine. If your children or teenagers may have the flu, never give them aspirin or medicine that has aspirin in it. It could cause serious problems.
- No. If your child has the flu, he or she should stay home to rest. This helps avoid giving the flu to other children.
- Children with the flu should be isolated in the home, away from other people. They should also stay home until they are symptom-free for 24 hours (that is, until they have no fever without the use of fever-control medicines and they feel well for 24 hours.) Remind your child to protect others by covering his or her mouth when coughing or sneezing. You may want to send your child to school with some tissues.