SCHOOL NURSE Mrs. Brooke Sentell

256-927-1738 ext 706

Cherokee County Schools aspire to promote the health and well-being of all students.  The goal of each nurse is to build and maintain a healthy school community by implementing strategies that promote student, staff, family, and community health.   The Cherokee County Board of Education employs school nurses throughout the county to provide students and staff with the knowledge and care to ensure that each individual stays healthy and safe each day. 

Please help the school nurse care for your child by informing the nurse at your school (office phone/school email) if your child has:

• any chronic or acute illness
• a new medication or change in medication dosage
• been exposed to communicable diseases such as strep throat infection, chickenpox, or conjunctivitis
• a life-threatening or new allergy
• a serious injury requiring hospitalization
• a diagnosed head concussion
• an injury requiring casting, sutures, a splint, or mobility assistance of crutches or wheelchair
• vision or hearing difficulties

The school nurse will work with the child’s physician, parent, and other school personnel to meet special health needs in school so that the child may benefit from their educational program.  A child must provide a note from the doctor for activity restriction due to an injury or illness.

Please help the school nurse by:

• Updating the phone numbers (home, work, and cell numbers) on your child’s school record so the school nurse can always reach you

Please keep your child home when the following symptoms are present (you may turn in the parent and/or doctor’s excuse when the student returns to school):

• A temperature of 100.4 degrees F° or greater within the past 24 hours.  Your child must not attend school until fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.    

• NOTE:  A doctor's excuse will be required if your child is sent home from school with a fever of 100.4 or higher.

• Vomiting or diarrhea occurring within the past 24 hours

• "Pink eye":

  • Bacterial- thick, yellow to green-yellow discharge and more crusting during sleep.  This may occur with the common cold and often begins in one eye and can spread to the non-infected eye.  A medical provider will need to provide treatment.  Your child must not attend school until the medication has been administered and symptoms are no longer present.
  • Viral- watery discharge or discharge that is thick, white or white-yellow in color.  This often involves both eyes.  Your child must not attend school until symptoms no longer exist.

• Chickenpox - Doctor must culture lesions samples to confirm a diagnosis of chickenpox.  The doctor must report the confirmed diagnosis to the ADPH.  Your child must not attend school until all blisters have formed scabs.  

• Strep Throat - your child must not attend school until completing 24 hours of prescribed medical treatment and fever is not present.

• Infections of any kind, untreated ringworm, conjunctivitis, or impetigo.  These are all contagious infections and must be treated with medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

• MRSA: "staph infection"- your child must not attend school until prescribed medical treatment is started, fever is absent, and the area is covered and drainage is not seeping through it.

• Rash of unknown origin – this may indicate many different things and should be checked by your child’s physician.

• Untreated lice infestation 

MEDICATION POLICY

Lice Policy Concussion Policy

Anaphylaxis Policy

Scoliosis Policy

Seizure Curriculum

Standard Precautions in the School Setting

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Policy