School Nurse and Health
Reporting a Student Absence
Student absences of any kind may be reported using the Absence Reporting Form. A separate form must be completed for each child in your family who will be absent. If you are reporting an appointment and plan to pick up your student within the next hour, please contact your student’s school.
Guidelines for Keeping Students Home From School
Students should remain home when sick. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are requested to keep children home if they show signs of fever, illness, infection, or contagious disease (see Common Child Illnesses and Exclusion Criteria for Education and Child Care Settings).
COVID-19 Advisory
Students with any high-risk symptom or two or more low-risk symptoms for COVID-19 are recommended to stay home and are advised to seek an evaluation by a healthcare provider. For added convenience, the school has created an online Absence Reporting Form to easily report a student absence.
COVID-19 High Risk Symptoms
- New cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- New loss of taste or smell
COVID-19 Low Risk Symptoms (2 or more symptoms)
- Fever 100.4
- Headache
- Muscle and body aches
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Congestion
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
For Non-COVID-19 Illnesses:
- Return to school after 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) and symptoms improving.
If a Student Becomes Sick at School
Please make sure your phone number and contact information is up-to-date in Infinite Campus.
If a student becomes ill while at school, the student must see the nurse for assessment. Students must not call or text parents. The nurse will determine if the student needs to go home and will contact the student’s parents. Unless the nurse recommends that the student go home, the student’s absence will be unexcused.
For specific medical concerns contact your building’s School Nurse listed below.
School Medical Requirements
These medical requirements are from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the school Health Office. Please reach out to your building nurse with any questions.
Mandatory Blood Lead Screening for Kindergarten
Vision Screening for Kindergarten and Third Grade Students
Vision Screening: Spanish
Vision Screening: Chinese
Vision Screening: Arabic
Dental Screening for Kindergarten
Dental Screening: Spanish
Dental Screening: Chinese
Dental Screening: Arabic
Elementary School Nurse Contacts
Edwards Elementary
Kate Hardy RN, BSN – Nurse Sub
Fellows Elementary
Julie Brammer RN, BSN – Nurse
Meeker Elementary
Sara Thomsen RN, BSN – Nurse
Mitchell Elementary
Kim Mortale RN, BSN – Nurse
Sawyer Elementary
Anna Weber RN, BSN – Nurse
Northwood Preschool Center
Katie Parsons RN, BSN – Nurse