Office Hours
Access
Students may request to "Go to the Nurse" at any time, and will, in almost any circumstance, be granted permission to do so. Teachers will either issue a hall pass or request that the student return with a Nurse's pass indicating the times logged in and out of the Nurse's Office.
Attendance & Absence Notes
Please call the attendance office to report him/her absent and the reason. Any absence of three or more consecutive days must have a doctor's note to return to school. To report him/her absent, please call and state name, grade, and reason.
Care Options
Students are evaluated, appropriately treated, and then given options based on their current health needs. They will return to classes, rest for a limited period and then return to classes or go home with a parent / guardian / or other emergency contact. If the student has driven to school depending on his/her condition the student may be allowed to drive home. If this is an option the parent must call the attendance office and give permission to do so. The student will be dismissed at 23A.
Resting in the Nurse's Office
Students who feel the need to do so may rest in the Health Office. If their condition is one that precludes them from attending a class, they may rest for awhile, provided they are not scheduled for a test, quiz, graded oral report, lab etc. In those cases, the student must make arrangements with their scheduled teacher prior to requesting a rest period at the Nurse's Office. Failure to do so is the same as cutting the class. If a student's condition is not improved over one class period of rest and he/she feels unable to continue classes, arrangements must be made for transportation home.
Going Home Ill from School
Parents or their designated representatives must pick up students who are ill during the school day. It is the policy of the school that: Students going home ill must be signed out in the health office. Students are NOT to make arrangements directly with their parents to get picked up during the school day. All arrangements for health dismissals are made through the Nurse's Office. Early dismissals are arranged through the Attendance Office. Students who do not follow these procedures are liable for disciplinary action for breaching school policy/procedures.
Medical Emergencies
In an Illness / Injury situation where the Nurse (or faculty member on site in an extreme emergency) calls for paramedics and transportation to a hospital, the student will be taken to the closest hospital. This is not school policy; it is EMT policy. Usually this means the Overlook, Somerset, or Morristown. Every attempt will be made to contact parents/guardians as soon as possible. A school representative always accompanies the student to the hospital and awaits the arrival of family.
Physical Restrictions - Injury or Illness
All physical restrictions or modified physical activity must be reported to the Nurse's Office. This includes injuries resulting from out of school incidents as well as in school or sport related injuries. The Nurse will clarify written doctor's requests and notify appropriate personnel regarding the reason for excuse from an activity where appropriate and the date of the next evaluation. Doctor's Notes are required for restriction, clearance, and intermittent evaluation. MD notes are due the day following a scheduled appointment. All notes come to the Nurse's Office during the day. He/she will arrange for the note to get to the Nurse the next morning. No Doctor's notes for restrictions or clearance from restriction may be given to a coach.
Single Day Gym Excuses - A student may be excused from Gym for a single day at the written request of a parent or guardian. Further gym excuse must be accompanied by a Doctor's note.
Arrangements can be made for Doctors notes to be faxed if lost or forgotten.
Tracking / Frequent Visitors
Every student who visits the nurse requesting medical evaluation is logged in to and out of the Nurse's Office. This information is kept in a data base which allows us to determine who is coming more frequently than average, why they are coming, when they are coming, how long they are staying, how often they are going home etc. "Frequent Visitors" with no medical history or evident appropriate reason for this practice are reported to their School Counselors to see if some justification for this behavior can be established, and to determine the best way to increase in class attendance of these students. If it is determined to be a problem, parents are notified.
Non-Compliance with School Health Regulations
Students who are not compliant with school health regulations will not be permitted to attend classes at WHRHS. Every attempt will be made to work with students and parents to avoid this situation.