HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Health services are provided to students in our district by health assistants who are assigned to each school within the district.  Supervision for the district is provided by either a District Registered Nurse or by a Health Services Manager to ensure that safe care is provided to all the students within the district. Health assistants will work with parents to ensure that students who have chronic health conditions or acute health conditions receive the basic nursing care they need to promote optimal health during the school day.

HEALTH SCREENINGS

Health screenings are done for students throughout the district. Hearing and vision screenings are required to be done on all students in preschool, kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade, as well as students who are new to the district, have failed a screening in the previous year, or are part of the Exceptional Student Services. Parents of students who fail either a hearing or vision screening will receive a notification from their school. Any parent that does not want their student to be screened will need to submit a written letter for the nurse declining these services and to be kept in the student’s record.

If a referral is sent home for your student, be sure to return the form with the results from your provider to the health assistant at your student’s school.

IMMUNIZATIONS

Arizona State Law requires that student’s immunization history be provided at time of enrollment. Please keep the school’s health department informed of any immunizations that your child has received throughout the school year as your student must be current on their immunizations.

At the time of enrollment, student must have record of receiving the following immunizations: DTap (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), IVP (polio), MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), HepB (hepatitis B), VAR (varicella), and Hib (haemophilus influenza type b) for students younger than 5 years old.

Students at the age of 12 years or older are required to have the Tdap and MCV4 immunizations to continue in school.

Immunization Exemption Form is available to be signed by parent or guardian for medical, religious, or personal reliefs.

STUDENT MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION

For students required to take medication during school hours and whose parents are not available to administer the medication, the principal’s designee will administer the medication in compliance with the following regulations (ARS 15-344):

1.     Parent signed written instruction will be required and include:

a.     Student’s name

b.     Name of medication

c.     Purpose of medication

d.     Administration time

e.     Medication dosage 

*Form is available from Health Assistant*

2.     All medication must be provided in the current prescription container with the instructions from the prescribing provider on label. 

3.     The parent of the student must assume responsibility for informing the school’s health assistant of any changes in the student’s health or medication.

4.     Somerton School District retains the discretion to reject request for administration of medications.

5.     According to ARS 32-1901, the state of Arizona does not allow medication from another country to be administered by the nurse or school personnel, unless it was prescribed by a provider in the United States and filled in another country. However, the parent of the student may give medicine from another country if they administer the medication themselves. 

6.     Over the counter medications may be administered if written permission is given by the parent or guardian on file.

HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE FORM

It is imperative that all students who attend Somerton School District have a current Health Questionnaire Form on file, with the student’s school Health Assistant each year. Please complete the form with both home and work phone numbers for both parents or guardians, along with 2-3 emergency contacts who have permission to pick up the child should a parent or guardian not be able to be reached. Completed forms must be contain a parent or guardian signature for the nurse to provide basic first aid care to student, as well as permission to contact Emergency Medical Services (911) should your student be experiencing an emergency that requires immediate care or transport to a hospital via ambulance.

Lice
BloodBorne Pathogens Video

Emergency Health Card English

Emergency Health Card Spanish

Yuma County Department of Health
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)