Health and Wellbeing
STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLBEING IS A PRIMARY CONCERN AT PLENTY PARKLANDS PRIMARY.
First aid at school is the initial care of the ill or injured. The school provides basic first aid facilities and first aid kits for excursions, sport and camps. School staff are rostered to provide first aid assistance each recess and lunch break. Staff are not expected to diagnose or medically treat illness. This can only be done by a doctor or ambulance officer. Staff are expected to provide a duty of care within the limits of their skills and expertise. Basic procedures are explained to all staff at the beginning of each year. Designated staff members hold Level 2 First Aid qualifications.
Sick or injured students who are unable to return to class will normally be sent home with parents/guardians or emergency contacts. (Ensure your contact details are up to date at the office.) Students who are obviously not well should not be sent to school. There is an exclusion list for contagious diseases. Check with your doctor or phone the school.
ASTHMA MANAGEMENT PLANS
If your child suffers from asthma, parents need to complete an Asthma Management Plan and lodge it with the office. This should be completed in consultation with your doctor and outline the dosage and frequency of asthma medication for your child. Children should carry their own clearly named asthma puffers with them at all times.
SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Parents are expected to notify the school if their child has a serious medical condition to see what support the school is able to offer or if outside medical agencies need to be involved. A Student Health Management Plan will be agreed to and documented by the school and kept in the classroom and the First Aid room.
DRUGS AND MEDICATION AT SCHOOL
Regulations require that any medications supplied by parents/guardians should be stored in a locked cupboard or drawer, separately from First Aid supplies. Medication is dispensed from the First Aid room, not classrooms. Schools are not permitted to have supplies of over the counter medications. If a student needs short term or long term medication to be administered at school, the following process is implemented.
- Parents are to provide the school with a letter from their child's medical practitioner with instructions for dispensing medication. (This applies both for prescription and over the counter medicines) An official chemist's label with your child's name is acceptable for prescription medicines. We ask that the dispensing of medication be timetabled for 1.00pm, the start of lunch break, so that children do not miss out on teaching and learning time.If this time is impossible, please contact the office to organise an alternative time. Because of legal issues concerning drugs, the school cannot dispense medication to students without approval from a medical practitioner.
- Parents are to provide up to, but no more than, one week's medication at a time.
- The container must be clearly labelled with your child's name, home group and name of medication.
- Your child will then take the medication and medical practitioner's instructions to the First Aid room so that full details can be entered in the Medication Folder, the medical practitioner's instructions filed and the medication stored in the locked cupboard. If medication needs to be stored at less than 20 degrees, please place it in a small insulated container.
- Students are not to bring medication to school and keep in their bags and self administer because all medication and drugs are to be stored in the lockable cupboard to eliminate access by other students. Students are however, to carry their own asthma puffers.
- Parents can come to the school and administer medication at 1pm if they would prefer to do it themselves.
NITS AND LICE IN THE HAIR
Whilst these do not cause illness they do cause discomfort. We urge all parents to check their children’s hair weekly. As per our dress code, all children with long hair are expected to tie it back so that it does not touch other children’s hair. Parents of students discovered with live head lice will be notified and given the opportunity to collect their child. Any student with head lice will be given a notice “Examination for Head Lice” and cannot return to school unless the declaration has been signed that treatment has been applied. Students will not be able to attend the Out of School Hours Care Program that day. Hair must be treated that night. Contact Whittlesea City Council for further advice.