Contact Information
Kelly Landwehr, RN, MSN
MUHS Lead School Nurse
ACSD Nurse Leader
802-382-1190
Arlene Mathewson, MSN, RN
Associate School Nurse
802-382-1704
The MUHS school nursing staff is so pleased to welcome you all back to the 2022-2023 school year. Our health office has two full-time nurses who provide triage, health assessments, health counseling, screenings, first aid, and any other needed supports to students, staff, and families. We also serve the adjoining Hannaford Career Center.
Annual Health Forms
Please complete the annual health update form that is sent home at the start of the year. It is important for us to have any updates to your student’s medical history, medications, permission for over the counter medications, and permission for emergency care.
Medical Conditions/Emergency Medical Plans
If your student has a medical condition that may require treatment, monitoring, or other needs at school, please reach out by email or phone to make us aware of the issue. If you have an emergency plan from a healthcare provider for concerns such as asthma, allergies, seizures, or diabetes please share these with us as well.
Vaccine Information
If your student has received any of the school-required vaccines since last year, please send us this info. We do not need dates of flu or COVID vaccines. If your student has a religious exemption, please complete and send us an exemption form yearly.
Prescription and Over the Counter Medication Procedure
We do not allow students to carry prescribed or over the counter medications on them at school. Exceptions to this include students who carry an inhaler, EpiPen, Benadryl, or other emergency medications. Daily medications that need to be taken during school hours can be kept in the nursing office. These require orders from the prescribing healthcare provider, caregiver permission for administration at school, and should be sent to school in the original pharmacy bottle. We ask that any medications considered a controlled substance be dropped off by an adult and not sent to school with a student. We have a variety of over the counter medications in the health office for students to access for daily concerns such as headache, cramps, upset stomach, seasonal allergies, sore throat, etc. We do need signed permission on the annual health form to administer these.
Health Screenings
We will complete vision and hearing screenings on all 9th and 12th grade students. If these screenings are abnormal you will receive a letter with the screening results to review and share with your student’s healthcare provider.
Contagious Illness
We expect students and staff to stay home with any potentially contagious illnesses or symptoms including the following:
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Vomiting/diarrhea-must be 24 hours symptom free before returning to school
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Fever 100.4 or greater (Please note this used to be 100 or greater, but this has changed with the input of our district medical consultants at Porter Pediatrics)-home until fever free without use of medication for 24 hours
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Any infection requiring antibiotic-keep your student home until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours
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Persistent cough that disrupts normal activity
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Unexplained rash
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Influenza-stay home until fever free without medication for 24 hours
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Any other symptoms or illness that impedes a student’s ability to learn or staff’s ability to work.
You may return once feeling well enough to be at school and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
COVID-19
ACSD COVID Guidelines as well as guidelines for other contagious diseases can be found here. Our COVID Response Page will be kept updated and any critical updates will be shared as needed. Here are the primary things we want you to know as everyone returns to school. :
-Masks will again be optional in all ACSD buildings
-Nurses will continue to offer COVID testing to students and staff and rapid antigen tests are available to take home as needed
-There will be no formal health screenings like daily temperatures or test to stay at school. We expect students and staff to stay home when they don’t feel well or have any potentially contagious illness
-If a student develops symptoms at school, the nurse will determine next steps based on symptoms and medical history
-If students or staff test positive at any point they should follow the VT Dept of Health’s most current recommendations for isolation
-If a family member tests positive or you have other exposures, students and staff may continue to attend school unless they have been directed to quarantine by a medical professional.
We look forward to seeing students back at school! Please reach out anytime with questions or concerns. We are here to support not only students and staff, but families as well and want to hear from you.
Other Info
The School Nurse is licensed by the VT Board of Nursing and the Department of Education and is available to all students, teachers, administrators and staff to provide a safe and healthy school environment. The School Nurse is also part of the Educational Support Team. The School Nurse performs health assessments, first aid, emergency care, and administers medications and health counseling as needed.
Health Services comply with the Vermont Department of Health requirement related to mandated vision and screening for all 9 & 12 grade students.
Students should attempt to see the School Nurse between classes.
To be dismissed from school because of illness, students need to consult with the School Nurse. The Nurse contacts parents/guardians to receive permission for students to leave school. Students must sign out with the Attendance Clerk in the Main Office.
Extended medical absences require a note from a medical care provider or physician.
In case of an accident, first aid is administered by the School Nurse. If it is deemed necessary for students to be seen for further medical evaluation or treatment, parents/guardians are contacted, and it is their responsibility to transport students to the appropriate medical facility. In more serious accidents, every effort is made to contact parents/guardians when emergency medical services are called.
