Student Health Services

Vaccinations required by Washington state law for school attendance

Washington state law requires pre-school and school age children to receive specific immunizations in order to attend school.  Richland School District works with the Washington State Department of Health to comply with state laws on required vaccinations.

Richland School District participates in the School Module, an online system managed by the state to maintain student vaccination records. Most children born and/or vaccinated in Washington state already have their information in School Module. You can access your child's record at any time by signing up at https://wa.myir.net/register. Learn more about how to access your child's records from the Washington State Department of Health's website.

The responsibility for a child meeting immunization regulations falls to parents, including foster parents and guardians. Parents should keep accurate and up-to-date immunization records for their children. Parents must submit a complete Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) which is required for their children to attend school or preschool.  Schedule your child’s vaccination appointments well in advance of the new school year to ensure that your child has received all the vaccines required for school attendance. 

Required documentation

Washington state law requires that all children show proof of immunization or certification of exemption to attend school.  Students cannot start school without the required documentation.

View vaccination requirements and other resources from the Washington State Department of Health.

Medication is defined as all drugs whether prescription or over-the-counter. If your health care provider has ordered medication to be taken by your child while he or she is at school, the following conditions must be met:

1. The parent must submit an Oral (or Injectable) Medication Authorization Form, signed by a licensed health care provider and the parent.
2. The medication must be brought to the school by the parent or legal guardian, in the original container, in an amount not to exceed a 20-day supply. The container must be labeled with the student's name, health care provider's name, drug name and dosage.
3. Medication requests shall be valid for the current school year.

For the safety of all students, please do not send medication of any kind to school with your student. This includes Tylenol and cough drops. If you or your student bring medication to school without the signed Oral Medication Authorization Form the staff will note be able to administer the medication. You, the parent, are always welcome to come to school to administer the medication yourself.

Copies of the Medication Authorization Forms are available online. Additional forms are available in the school office or health room. Contact the school secretary or school nurse if you have any questions.

The district's medication policy allows high school students to carry one dose of medication with them. They must have approval from their parent, health care provider, principal, and school nurse. They must carry the single dose in the original, properly labeled bottle along with the permission form. The health care provider must check the Single Day Self-Carry box on the medication form.

Allergies

Not all allergies are created equal. Mild, springtime allergies such as reactions to pollen do not need to be reported. Severe and life-threatening allergies require documentation and need to be reported to the school nurse.

Examples of allergies that should be reported:

• Insect (i.e. bee stings)
• Dairy
• Nuts (i.e. peanuts)
• Shellfish
• Eggs
• Any other allergies that require the use of Epinephrine (EpiPen)

If your child has special dietary needs due to their allergy, accommodations can be made with nutrition services. Click here for more information.

Life-Threatening Conditions

Life threatening conditions puts the child in danger of death during the school day without medication or treatment and a nursing plan in place (see Washington State law RCW28A.210.320)

Examples of these conditions include:

• Diabetes
• Severe allergies
• Epilepsy/seizure disorder
• Severe asthma
• Cardiac/heart conditions

School nurses will work with parents, students and health care providers to create a care plan for these situations.

Concussions

Concussions can happen to any athlete — male or female — in any sport. Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury, caused by a blow or jolt to the head that can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. We invite parents to learn more by clicking on the fact sheet link below.

Learn more about concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
 

Head Lice

Lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp and crawl through hair. Lice need human blood to live, and they die within 24 hours if they cannot feed. Lice lay eggs (nits) that cling to the hair close to the scalp. Nits are oval shaped and most often can be seen in the hair and behind the ears or neck. Lice hatch from nits after about 6 days and can lay more eggs after 10 days. Head lice are not a sign of uncleanliness, and they do not spread disease. The most common symptom of lice is itching the scalp.  

There are many ways to treat active infestations, but not all products and techniques have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness. One percent permethrin lotion is recommended as initial treatment for most head lice infestations with a second application 7¬10 days after the first. Parents and caregivers should make sure that any treatment chosen is safe; preferred treatments would be those which are easy to use, reasonably priced, and proven to be non-toxic. All products must be used exactly according to manufacturer’s instructions. Your pediatrician can help with diagnosis, treatment choices and management of difficult cases.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that bite but do not transmit disease. It is unlikely for bed bugs to become established in a school—they are more typically found in homes or places where people sleep, as they are most active at night when they feed. However, they can be brought into a school on clothing or in personal belongings. 

Bed Bug Response Flowchart

District Procedure On Bed Bugs

Response To Bed Bugs In Schools (National Pest Management Association)

 

The Cold You Prevent May Be Your Own

During the winter months we have a higher number of students staying home ill with the common cold, flu, strep throat or other respiratory illness. Too often, however, very ill students come to school and unwittingly expose their classmates and teachers to their illnesses. Exposure can occur by inhaling germs released during a sneeze or cough or by touching doorknobs, pencils, other items or other surfaces contaminated by the infected person and then by touching the eyes or nostrils, allowing the germs to enter the respiratory system. Sometimes exposure is inevitable. But we do have several ways to protect ourselves.

• Frequent handwashing, with soap and warm water, scrubbing for about 15 seconds is most important.
• Keep your hands away from your eyes and nose.
• Avoid people who are ill.
• Don't share food, beverages or eating utensils with someone who is ill.
• Keep your body in top form by eating right, getting enough rest and exercise, and by avoiding stress.

More Student Health Information

• Backpack Safety
• Handwashing
• Human Papillomavirus
• Influenza-like Illness
• Meningococcal
• Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus

Field trips and before and after school activities that are school-sponsored activities follow the same district policy govern that governs medication administration during the school day. If a student with a life threatening condition is going on the trip, the school nurse will review the student's emergency health plan and medication usage with the teacher. Teachers will also be trained in medication administration for other students who have medications at school. The teacher will then be responsible for the medications and emergency health plans during the field trip.

If a student must take medications on the trip that are not usually administered at school, the following conditions must be met in order for your child to receive medications during the field trip. Medication is defined as all medicine whether prescription or over-the-counter.

1. At least one week before the trip, the parent must give the school nurse a completed Medication Authorization Form, signed by a licensed health care provider and the parent or legal guardian.
2. At least one week before the trip, the medication must be brought to the school nurse by the parent or legal guardian in the original container in an amount not to exceed the days of the field trip. The container must be labeled with the student's name, health care provider's name, drug name and dosage.
3. The school nurse will then prepare the medication paperwork for the trip and train the teacher in medication administration.

Richland School District closely monitors air quality to ensure the health and safety of students and staff. 

The Washington Air Quality Advisory (WAQA) scale. is used to determine when outdoor student and staff activities should be limited or cancelled because of poor air quality. Learn how activities are effected given specific air quality conditions.

The district references air quality readings from a monitoring station located on Metaline Avenue in Kennewick in notices of air conditions sent to district and school staff in the morning and afternoon. Periodic checks also are made before any outdoor event.

Drills

Drills are an important component of the Richland School District emergency response plan.  In accordance with RCW 28A.320.125, Safe School Plans, the district conducts at least ten drills throughout the school year. These drills teach students three basic functional drill responses:

• “Shelter-in-place”
• “Lockdown”
• “Evacuation”

These drills incorporate the following requirements:

• Use of school mapping information system
• An earthquake drill using “drop, cover, and hold”

The district works closely with Richland and West Richland fire and police departments, and the Benton County Emergency Services, in the development and implementation of site emergency plans to ensure the safety of students, staff, and the community.

A Parent’s Guide to Emergency Evacuation

The district has a plan in place in the event an emergency or disaster situation occurs which requires the students be evacuated from a school building.  Parents and guardians play an important role in ensuring children are safely reunited with their family.  Please review and familiarize yourself with this plan.

  Parent’s Guide to Emergency Evacuation