Health & Wellness

Each Mohonasen school has its own health office with a full-time registered nurse to serve student health needs. See below for important health office information.

Child Abuse Hotline Notification

If you suspect a child is being abused or maltreated (neglected), report it by calling 1-800-342-3720, a toll-free 24-hour hotline operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department. Information about reporting child abuse and maltreatment (neglect) is available online at http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/cps/.

Health Forms

A variety of health forms are available for download on our Forms page.

Absences and Tardies

Please call your child’s school Health Office or Attendance Clerk by the start of the day if your child will be absent or tardy. When calling please include the following information: student’s first and last name, grade, reason for the absence and when he or she is expected to return to school. A written note stating the reason for the absence and date(s) is required upon the student’s return to school.

School Nurse

• Bradt:  518.356.8410 or 518.356.8411
• Pinewood:  518.356.8440 or 518.356.8441

Attendance Clerk

• Draper Middle School:  518.356.8352
• High School:  518.356.8315

Illness

Students who get sick during the school day need to report to the school nurse before calling or texting a parent to come get them or leaving school on their own. Any student leaving school due to illness must be released by the school nurse. Many parents also ask “When is my child sick enough to stay home from school?” This is not always an easy question to answer, but the following tips from the health office may help. Click here to learn more about illness.

Health Screenings

Mohonasen’s Health Services program supports student academic success by promoting health in the school setting. One way that we provide care for your student is by performing health screenings that are mandated by the State of New York. Click here to learn more about health screenings.

Immunization Requirements

Starting from the 2018-19 school year, the state mandates health assessments for new students and those in grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Dental certificates are also required for the same period. Since September 2016, Public Health Law Section 2164 stipulates that students aged 11 or older entering grades 6-12 must receive one Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (TDaP) shot, along with two Varicella immunizations or proof of having had chickenpox. Additionally, students in grades 6-12 need a meningococcal vaccination at age 11 or 12 and a second one by age 16.

For students turning 11 while in the sixth grade, the TDAP vaccination is required, and documentation or a booster dose appointment must be provided within 14 days of turning 11.

Starting from the 2019-20 school year, the only exemption allowed is a medical one written by a physician. Religious exemptions are no longer accepted as per Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive. For a detailed list of additional immunization requirements across all grade levels, Please refer to this immunization form.

Accident Insurance

Mohonasen provides supplemental student accident insurance that serves as secondary coverage. Benefits will not be paid for medical expenses covered by a student’s primary insurer. In order to receive benefits from Mohonasen’s student accident policy, parents must first submit all medical bills to their own health insurance carrier. In the event no health insurance exists, the district has elected to self-fund the $100 deductible for this coverage. Insurance forms are available in the nurse’s office.

Health Cards

At the start of each school year a Student Health Card is sent home for parents/guardians to fill out and return as soon as possible to the school. Students will not be able to take part in off-campus field trips and sports if these cards are not returned.

The information on this card is kept on file in the nurse’s office throughout the year. It includes emergency contact numbers for parents and medical information concerning each student. Parents are urged to call the school nurse right away if any of this information changes during the school year.

Medications in School

Students, with the exception of diabetics, may not have any medication (prescription or over the counter) on their possession during the school day (i.e., not in pockets, lunch boxes, backpacks, lockers, etc.). The only medication exceptions are an asthma inhaler or EpiPen, which may be carried by the student if they have a physician order and parent consent, along with the approval of the school nurse.

The following guidelines must be met before administering any medication during school hours:

• All medication, over the counter and prescription, must be brought to school by a parent or responsible adult in the original labeled container (prescription medication must be in a pharmacy labeled container). Stock Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen are available in the nurse’s office and can be given by the school nurse with a physician order unless the parent chooses to provide the student’s own Acetaminophen/Ibuprofen. All other over the counter medication must be provided by the parent.
• A written physician order including name, dose, duration, and reason for prescribing the medication and possible adverse reactions.
• A written note from parent/guardian giving the school nurse permission to administer the medication as prescribed by the physician. Visit our Forms page for the Permission to Dispense Medication in School form.
• Any discontinued or unused medication must be disposed of at the end of the school year if not picked up by the parent within a reasonable length of time.
• All medication orders must be renewed by the physician each school year.

Sports Physicals

To play on a team, or even practice, students must — by law — have a sports physical on file with the school nurse. The physical must be dated within the past calendar year of the current sport season.

All athletes require a parent/guardian signed Health History Update Form at the beginning of each sport season. Free school sports physicals are offered prior to each sport season. Learn more

BMI/Weight Status Category Reporting

As part of a required school health examination, a student is weighed and his/her height is measured. These numbers are used to figure out the student’s body mass index, or BMI. The BMI helps the doctor or nurse know if the student’s weight is in a healthy range or is too high or too low.

New York State Education Law require that BMI and weight status group be included as part of the student’s school health examination. A sample of school districts will be selected to take part in a survey by the New York State Department of Health. If our school district is selected to be part of the survey, we will be reporting to New York State Department of Health information about our students’ weight status groups. Only summary information is sent. No names and no information about individual students are sent.

The information sent to the New York State Department of Health will help health officials develop programs that make it easier for children to be healthier.

However, you may choose to have your child’s information excluded from this survey report. If you do not wish to have your child’s weight status group information included as part of the Health Department’s survey this year, please send the following information to your child’s school nurse:

If you do not wish to have your child’s weight status group information included as part of the Health Department’s survey, you will need to send a note to your child’s school nurse each year by Jan. 2 (or the first day of return to school after the December holiday break). The note should indicate: Please do not include my child’s weight status information in the annual School Survey for (indicate school year, such as 2018-19) and should include the following information:

• Print child’s name
• Date
• Print parent’s name
• Parent’s signature