School Nurse
Illness Protocols
Keeping our campus healthy is always a collective effort. If your child becomes sick, it is important that you follow these protocols:
1. Keep your child at home.
2. Submit an Absence Notification for your child (and also have SR students email their teachers directly).
3. Follow these protocols before returning to campus:
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FEVER: If a student or staff member has a fever, please ensure they have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning to school.
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VOMITING: If a student or staff member has vomited, please allow 24 hours since the last incident before returning to school.
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CONTAGIOUS ILLNESS: If a student or staff member has any other contagious illness, please notify the nurse through the absence notification form.
These protocols apply to school attendance, athletic, and extracurricular activities. Our community is counting upon each other to honor these required protocols. Furthermore, in the interest of caring well for each other, we encourage (but do not require) that those who fall ill consider sharing information with those whom they came in contact with at school so that parents, teachers, and students can take appropriate precautions.
Medication Administration Update for the 2024-2025 school year and moving forward
Dear Parents,
We would like to make you aware of an important change to our medication protocol for the 2024-2025 school year. We are updating our procedures to ensure compliance with the Texas Board of Nursing rules and the Nurse Practice Act and to ensure the safety of our students. Effective immediately, all medications, including over-the-counter and prescription, will require a doctor’s order. With parent permission, we can still administer Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Benadryl (for certain indications and within certain parameters). Outside of that if you want your child to have another medication (such as Claritin, Zyrtec, TUMS, etc.) we need to have a signed physician’s order on file prior to administration of the medication. For additional information regarding this update, see below.
Standing Physician’s Orders
Veritas Academy now has Standing Physician’s Orders that allow for basic treatment and care to be provided under a physician’s orders. We can still administer ibuprofen, acetaminophen (Tylenol®), and diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) to students for specific indications and within parameters established within our Standing Physician’s Orders, provided the parent/guardian has not opted-out during enrollment/re-enrollment. The orders also cover the administration of cough drops, hydrocortisone cream, and antibiotic ointment on an as-needed basis for specific indications. The orders also contain basic first aid and emergency protocols, including the ability to administer stock epinephrine for unexpected anaphylactic allergic reactions.
Administration of Any Other Over-the-Counter or Prescription Medications
Only medications that are necessary for a student’s medical care will be administered at school. Most medicines that are needed can be given at home before or after school. In the event that a medication (outside of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or Benadryl®) is required to be administered at school, the medication must be provided by the parent/guardian, with both a parent/guardian AND a physician signature (see required form linked below). This applies for prescription as well as over-the-counter medications (i.e. Claritin, Zyrtec, Tums, etc.)
Medication must be kept in the nurse’s office and administered by the school nurse or trained school employee. The parent or guardian must drop off the medication and completed form (with physician's signature) at the nurse’s office. Please ensure the medication is unexpired, provided in its original container, and properly labeled.
You can access and print the form below. This will also be available on the School Nurse page of the website.
Authorization to Administer Medication at School
We understand that these changes may require adjustments and we appreciate your understanding and patience as we implement them. Please reach out to Nurse@VeritasAcademy.net with any questions or concerns.
Medical Record Requirements
All requirements listed below must be satisfied with our office prior to the student’s first day on campus. When these items are not resolved before the start of school, students will be asked to remain off campus until medical record issues are resolved. In addition, Family Portal access will be suspended until compliance is complete.
Medical Action Plans
Each student with a potentially life-threatening medical condition (allergies, asthma, diabetes, etc.) must have a completed and signed Action Plan on file prior to their first day on campus. Action Plan forms need to be completed with--and signed by-- your child's physician.
1. Please print off the appropriate Action Plan and take to your child's physician to complete.
2. You may scan and email the form to Medical Records or bring it to the 2nd floor of the SLR Academic Building.
3. All medication must be in the appropriate office prior to your child's first day on campus.
Please email Medical Records or call (512) 891-1673 with any questions.
Immunization Records
When Does My Child Need to Submit Immunization Records?
If your child is a new student at Veritas Academy or has recently received a new vaccine (usually around the 7th grade), their Immunization Records must be submitted by August 1, 2023. Records are only acceptable if they include the child’s name, date of birth, date of each shot given or date the disease occurred, and a signature or stamp of the doctor. If your child is missing shots for any reason (conscientious exemption, medical exemption, a delayed shot series, child had the disease, child adopted and immunity records are difficult to validate by doctor, etc.), you must apply for an Affidavit of Exemption through the State of Texas. This form is ordered online and mailed to your home for you to complete and have notarized before you turn it in to Veritas.
Vision, Hearing, and Scoliosis Screenings
All new students and students going into grades PreSchool, PreK, K, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th must have Vision & Hearing Screenings completed within the first semester of the school year. Our staff is trained to perform these screenings and all required students will be screened at school during a regular school day in the fall. This will be a free service to our families, and there is no need to sign up.
If you prefer to have your family physician perform the screenings, the screenings must be completed between April 19 and August 1, 2023, using the Vision, Hearing & Scoliosis Screening Form. Please turn this form in to Medical Records on the 2nd floor of the SLR Academic Building by August 1, 2023.
When Does My Child Need Vision & Hearing Screenings?
All new students and students going into grades PreSchool, PreK, K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th must have Vision & Hearing Screenings completed by a family physician between April 21 and August 9, 2021. Otherwise, the screening will be completed by our trained staff during the first semester of the school year.
When Does My Child Need a Scoliosis Screening?
New and returning girls going into the 5th and 7th grade and boys going into the 8th grade must have a Scoliosis Screening completed by a family physician by between April 21 and August 9, 2021. Otherwise, the screening will be completed by our trained staff during the first semester of the school year.
Contact the Nurse
Shelby Tardy, RN, BSN
School Nurse
Nurse@VeritasAcademy.net
Medical Records
MedicalRecords@VeritasAcademy.net
MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION UPDATE FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR
Effective immediately, all medications, including over-the-counter and prescription, will require a doctor’s order. With parent permission, we can still administer Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Benadryl (for certain indications and within certain parameters). Outside of that if you want your child to have another medication (such as Claritin, Zyrtec, TUMS, etc.) we need to have a signed physician’s order on file prior to administration of the medication. For additional information regarding this update, see the full update.