School Health Room Team

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) work together to ensure a safe and healthy school environment for learning.  This partnership provides each student access to a Health Room, a Public Health Nurse, and a School Health Aide (SHA).

School Health Services

The School Health Team:

• provides care for sick and injured students according to FCPS guidelines.
• administers medication only if parents have properly completed the correct Medication Authorization Forms and the parent has delivered the medication to the School Health Room.
• calls 911 with any questions regarding serious illness or injury.
• communicates with parents when a student needs to be sent home for a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, is vomiting or has diarrhea, or exhibits a skin condition or rash that has not been previously diagnosed. 
• maintains confidentiality regarding health conditions in school.

Parent Support

Parents can help ensure the safety of their children by: 

• completing the correct Health Information Forms (HIF) for each child.  Forms must be completed each school year. 
• contacting the School Health Team if health conditions change throughout the school year.
• keeping phone numbers and emergency contact information up to date for each child.  Use the WeCare@Schools Program to update each child's Emergency Care Information or contact the main office. 

Medication at School

Medication should be taken at home whenever possible. Students are NOT permitted to transport medication to or from school and siblings may NOT share any medication bottles.   

Should over-the-counter (OTC) medication need to be taken while the student is in school, parents must:

• complete and sign Part One of the Medication Authorization Form for each individual medication. If several medications are needed, each medication requires its own authorization form.  Medications cannot be combined on one form.  All Medication Authorization Forms must be renewed each school year. 
• complete and sign Part Two of the Medication Authorization Form ONLY for over-the-counter medications used to relieve symptoms of a headache, muscle ache, orthodontic pain, or menstrual cramps.  Please indicate the condition(s) that the medication is to be used for.  OTC medications needed for any other conditions require a physician to complete Part Two.
• deliver the Medication Authorization Form and the medication in it's original container/packaging to the School Health Team between 8:45 AM and 3:45 PM.
• wait for the School Health Team to verify that all medications and corresponding authorization forms are compliant with FCPS policy before they leave the school.  This allows time for any necessary corrections to be addressed immediately.

Should prescription medication need to be taken while the student is in school, parents must:

• complete and sign Part One of the Medication Authorization Form for each individual medication. If several medications are needed, each medication requires its own authorization form.  Medications cannot be combined on one form.  All Medication Authorization Forms must be renewed each school year. 
• have the prescribing physician complete and sign Part Two of the Medication Authorization Form. 
• deliver the Medication Authorization Form and the medication in it's original container/packaging to the School Health Team between 8:45 AM and 3:45 PM. Prescription medication containers should be labeled and dated by the pharmacist.  The physician's order and the pharmacy label must match.
• wait for the School Health Team to verify that all medications and corresponding authorization forms are compliant with FCPS policy before they leave the school.  This allows time for any necessary corrections to be addressed immediately.

Students that require an inhaler or epinephrine require the following additional forms.

• Epinephrine (EpiPen) Authorization Form 
• Inhaler Authorization Form

Please be alert to medication expiration dates.  It is recommended that medications should NOT expire during the school year.  If a medication is due to expire, you will be notified by email or phone that it needs to be renewed.  Once expired, a medication cannot be administered and will need to be picked up by parent or discarded.

VISION AND HEARING SCREENING

All students in kindergarten through grade three, and students new to FCPS, have their vision and hearing screened each fall.  You will be notified by letter only if your student needs to be referred for further testing.  

Additional Resources

• FCPS Health Flyer For Parents  - Learn when you should send your child to school and when you should keep them home.
• Scoliosis Fact Sheet - ScoliosisfFactSheet.pdf