Safety and Health

Contagious Diseases

Eastside Prep attempts to take every precaution against the spread of contagious diseases and afflictions (e.g., head lice, mononucleosis, pink eye, etc.) by sanitizing appropriately and sending home written notices when other children are considered contagious. Parents are asked to notify the main office or the nurse’s office as soon as possible if their child contracts anything that is a contagious threat to other students.

Illness

The health of all Eastside Prep students and faculty rests partly in the decisions each of us make about our own personal health. Please keep your child at home if he or she shows signs of an illness.  Students with a temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) may not attend school. Students can return to school when:

• Fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours
• Diarrhea- and emesis-free for 24 hours (unmedicated)
• Free from cough, runny nose/congestion, and sneezing (unrelated to allergies)
• Able to energetically participate in classroom activities without the use of symptom-reducing medication

 While absences due to illness are unavoidable, we understand how difficult it can sometimes be for parents to keep children at home in order to safeguard the health of the school population, and we appreciate efforts to do so. Teachers will make every effort to help students catch up when they recover and return to school.

Injury or Illness at School

If a child becomes ill at school, every effort will be made to contact his or her parents. If the child is too ill to remain at school, we will ask parents to pick up the child as soon as possible.

Student accidents at school or in school-related activities are to be reported to the Director of Health Services and appropriate divisional office immediately and to the parents as soon as possible.

In the event of an injury or illness too severe to warrant waiting for the parent, the school will follow procedures outlined on your emergency medical form. It is critical that all current emergency and contact information be accurate in Magnus Health and filed with the appropriate divisional office.

Life-Threatening Health Conditions

Parents/guardians are responsible for informing the school about their student’s potential life-threatening health conditions. A life-threatening health condition is a condition that will put the child in danger of death during the school day if a treatment order is not in place with appropriate prescription medication available. Examples include, but are not limited to, asthma, anaphylaxis from allergies, seizures/epilepsy, and  diabetes.

EPS forms for these conditions can be found on Magnus Health and include:

• EPS Life-Threatening Allergy Action Plan (LTAAP)
• EPS Asthma Individual Action Plan
• Diabetes Care Plan (provided by diabetes specialist)

Students must present these plans (signed by a physician), and any required emergency medication—if not authorized to self-carry—prior to the first day of school. Otherwise, they will be unable to attend classes.

Emergency medications are considered to be Epinephrine injector, asthma inhalers, and insulin. Any other emergency medication will be reviewed on a per case basis.

Emergency medications must be provided to the health room prior to the first day of school OR may be kept on the student’s person, binder, or backpack ONLY if authorized by their medical provider to self-carry AND must be carried at all times.

Student athletes that CANNOT self-carry must provide a second set of emergency medications to be given to the Director of Athletics.

It is the parents’ responsibility to provide epinephrine injectors and/or inhalers that are current and that will not expire during the school year.

Self-carried Emergency Medication

• Students may self-carry with physician and parental authorization signatures on Life-Threatening Allergy Plan and/or Asthma Action Plan.
• All self-carry students must check in with Health Room personnel during the first week of school to show they have, on their person, their unexpired emergency medications.
• All self-carry persons must have self-carry medications on their person prior to any field trips to be checked by staff prior to leaving campus.
• Student-athletes authorized to self-carry are required to take their own emergency medications to practice and games.

Managing Anaphylaxis

Eastside Prep will take reasonable measures to avoid allergens for affected students, but it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to ensure that students conform to any dietary restrictions and avoid any foods to which they may be allergic. The school will also train faculty in the awareness of anaphylaxis and prepare them to respond to emergencies. Additionally, student-specific training will be provided for appropriate personnel.

Even with the school’s best efforts, employees and parents/guardians need to be aware that it is not possible to achieve a completely allergen-free environment. However, the school will take precautions to reduce the risk of a student having an anaphylactic reaction by clearly indicating the presence of allergens in school-prepared meals.

Epinephrine (Epi-Pen)

Students possessing Epi-Pens prescribed by a doctor will be required to keep one set of emergency medication in the health room, OR, if authorized by their medical provider to self-carry, may be kept on the student’s person, binder, or backpack AND must be carried at all times. Student athletes that CANNOT self-carry must provide a second set of emergency medications to be given to the Director of Athletics.

All Eastside Prep employees will be trained to administer epinephrine injections in an emergency situation following exposure to a known allergen. Chaperones and coaches will also be required to take the medication(s)  for students not authorized to self-carry with the group when a student requiring possible epinephrine injection leaves school premises on a school-sponsored activity. Students authorized to self-carry are expected to carry their emergency medication on their person, binder, or back at all times.

A 911 call will be made in an emergency situation.

Parents will be notified after emergency medication is administered.

Medication Policy

Medications On Campus

Prescription medications to be administered at EPS during regular school hours require a Prescription Medication Authorization Form, signed by a physician, for each medication prescribed. The form is available on your Magnus Health account throughout the school year. The medication must:

• Be in a suitable container and in a quantity not to exceed one month’s supply.
• Be clearly marked with the child’s name; the name and strength of the medication; the time and method of administration; the physician’s or dentist’s name, phone number, and address; and the length of time the medication is to be given (e.g., all school year, two weeks, one month). Please include further instructions that may be needed.

Self-Administration on Campus

Middle School and Upper School students may self-administer prescription medication when authorized by the parent/guardian, a Prescription Medication Authorization Form is completed and signed by a healthcare provider which allows self-administration, and with the knowledge of the Director of Health Services.

The medication must:

• Be in a suitable container and in a quantity not to exceed one day’s supply.
• Be clearly marked with the child’s name; the name and strength of the medication; the time and method of administration; the physician’s or dentist’s name, phone number, and address; and the length of time the medication is to be given (e.g., all school year, two weeks, one month).

Medications During Off-Campus Activities

It is Eastside Preparatory School’s policy that students self-administer required medications during off-campus, school-sponsored overnights and excursions. The following procedures must be followed before any medication can be taken during such experiences.

1. The Medication Release Form must be on file in the student’s Magnus Health Account profile prior the trip.
2. Each medication to be taken must be listed in Magnus Health.
3. All medications must be in their original packaging, accurately labeled, and subject to school inspection.
4. Students may only bring enough medication for the trip, along with a one-day reserve. Bringing surplus medication is prohibited.

In cases when the student is unable to self-administer medications, and when this would preclude participation, parents/guardians may request certain medications to be administered by Eastside Preparatory School.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medications

Each year Eastside Preparatory School will offer a limited list of over-the-counter medications that parents may approve via the student’s Magnus Health account. These medications are available to students 12 years and older and will be administered per FDA-approved package directions. Parents are required to attest via agreement with the Over-the-Counter Medication form in Magnus Health that their child has no allergies to those over-the-counter medications approved on their child’s Magnus Health profile, stating that they do not hold Eastside Preparatory School or its employees liable in the event of an adverse reaction. These medications may only be administered by a registered nurse (RN) or a trained faculty or staff member under delegation of the RN.

Required School Forms

Eastside Preparatory School provides in enrolled students’ online enrollment account (via School Forms Online and Magnus Health) the following forms which must be submitted online on the announced due date, prior to the first day of school. Until the required forms are received, the student may not attend classes.

Annual Physical Health Report

At no time can a student be enrolled at EPS unless the school has on file a valid physical exam form completed by a  licensed health care provider.  In order to be valid, a physical must have been done and documented for no longer than 24 months prior.

Please monitor your child’s medical history to guarantee that the physical health report is not more than 24 months old.  If we have documentation on file that is more than 24 months old, or if the physical health report expires during the school year, it is incumbent upon the family to provide the school with a valid physical health report at or before the time of expiration.

Every time a physical exam form is filed, a valid immunization record should be attached unless the immunization record has not changed, is still accurate, and is in compliance with state requirements.

Immunizations

State laws and rules require compliance with immunization requirements for all students on or before the first day of attendance at school. Currently, these vaccines include HepB, DTaP, MMR, IPV, and Varicella (or proof of disease). Students entering 7^th grade will require a Tdap booster. Any student not in compliance with these requirements must obtain the necessary vaccinations or submit the Washington State Certificate of Exemption. This form can be found at: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/348-106_CertificateofExemption.pdf.

Additionally, Eastside Preparatory requires all students to have a COVID-19 vaccine. Only medical and religious exemptions will be accepted. The COVID-19 Exemption form can be found on your student’s Magnus Health account if requested.

An exempted child/student may be excluded from school and activities during an outbreak of the disease that they have not been fully vaccinated against. Students exempted from COVID-19 vaccines may be subject to additional COVID-19 mitigation strategies that may include but are not limited to: continued masking, social distancing strategies, COVID-19 testing, and/or additional quarantine requirements.

Safety Protocols

The COVID pandemic created the need to add safety protocols, some permanent and some temporary, in order to make every effort to ensure the safety of our community members. From time to time, those protocols (including mask requirements, seating charts, changed seating configurations, just to name a few) may be reinstituted based on current conditions. All safety protocols will be communicated clearly to families and families need to follow them closely.

Mandatory Reporting

1. Suspected Physical and Sexual Abuse and Negligence – Reportable Incidents
   Any school official or employee who has reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child under the age of eighteen has been subjected to injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment by any person under circumstances which indicate that the child’s health, welfare, and safety is harmed is required to report knowledge of or a reasonable suspicion of abuse.
2. Mandated Reporting
   1. Each adult employed by the school is a mandated reporter, legally required to inform Child Protective Services (CPS) if there is knowledge of or a reasonable suspicion of such abuse.
   2. Statute protects such individuals from liability for making such reports to CPS.
   3. A report must be filed with CPS within 48 hours by a mandated reporter following knowledge of or a reasonable suspicion of child abuse. Reports can be made by calling 1-800-ENDHARM (1-866-363-4276).
3. Implementation Practices
   1. Faculty and staff needing to report an incident of suspected abuse or neglect are required to bring that information to the Head of School or School Counselor. The call to CPS should be made in the presence of the Head of School or School Counselor, who can provide support and counsel to the reporting party.
   2. CPS at-school interviews are permitted to provide students a safe haven for disclosure. The Head of School or School Counselor will sit in the interview, unless excluded by CPS.
   3. The Head of School will annually review with all employees their responsibilities under this policy as mandated reporters.
4. Sexual Abuse—Statutory Issues
   It is not the role of the school employee to verify but to report reasonable suspicions; CPS is charged with monitoring current law and investigating reports for substantiation.

Mandatory Reporting: Child Abuse

Any person who has cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect should report such incidents. Those people legally required to report child abuse or neglect are:

Any EPS employee, parent/guardian, or student, who feels at risk, or that another student may be at risk, should report the concern to one of the School Counselors or to the Head of School.