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August 15, 2024
Dear Annandale Terrace Elementary School families:
Greetings from your school Health Room!
The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) School Health Division’s primary goal is to promote the overall health and well-being of school-aged children. The School Health Division consists of Public Health Nurses (PHNs) and School Health Aides (SHAs) who provide a variety of services to accomplish this goal. PHNs develop individualized health care/action plans for students with complex health conditions and provide health training to school staff to support students’ health needs during the school day. Meanwhile, SHAs deliver direct care to sick and injured students by following standardized protocols or individualized health care/action plans. They are also responsible for administering medications and conducting vision and hearing screenings.
School Health Room Services Include:
- Care of sick and injured students in accordance with the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) School Health Emergency Temporary Care Guidelines and students’ individualized health care/action plans, if applicable.
- Administration of medication provided by parents/guardians with proper authorization completed by their health care provider.
- Coordination of care for students with chronic health conditions during the school day.
- Hearing and vision screening (grades K, 3, 7, 10, new to FCPS, and those students referred by teachers and parents/guardians).
How can you help your school health room provide the best possible care?
- Complete and submit the FCPS medication authorization forms annually, as applicable:
- Provide the school with properly labeled containers (your pharmacist will usually provide an extra container if requested). Only a 30-day supply of prescription medication should be brought into school at a time. It is the parent/guardian's responsibility to bring additional refills, if needed, to the school.
- Medications must be transported to and from school by a parent/guardian; except, with parent/guardian approval, a high school student may carry over-the-counter (OTC) medications to and from the school health room and pick up the backup medication from the health room with documented parent/guardian permission.
- Medications must be kept in the school health room or other school-approved location unless approved for the student to carry it during school hours. Students approved to carry their own medication, should have a second dose kept in the school health room.
- OTC medication for headache, muscle ache, orthodontic pain, or menstrual cramps may be given as needed throughout the school year with only the parent/ guardian signature on part II of the FCPS Medication Authorization Form. No more than 100 pills/tablets of OTC medication should be brought to school at a time (must be in unopened original container/packaging).
- OTC medications other than pain relievers may be given up to ten consecutive school days with the parent/guardian signature on the FCPS Medication Authorization form before a health care provider’s authorization is required.
- Cough drops and throat lozenges may be carried and used by students in kindergarten through grade 12 as needed throughout the school year, provided that they are in the original container or packaging. Students must not share cough drops or throat lozenges under any circumstances.
Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in helping to make this a safe and healthy school year for all FCPS students.
If you have any questions, feel free to call either your School Health Aide, Karina Rodriguez-Cruz, at 703-658-5610 or your school Public Health Nurse, Nohelia Yanes, RN, at 571-748-8382.
Warm regards,
Karina Rodriguez-Cruz and Nohelia Yanes
Annandale Terrace Elementary School
Fairfax County Public Schools
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