Health Services

Welcome to the NVD Health Office

School nursing is a specialized practice of nursing, which promotes and protects student health, wellness, and disease prevention. 

The School Nurse combines health care and education and ultimately advances academic success. School Nurses work closely with students, families, and staff to ensure all students are safe and ready to learn. 

Services include but are not limited to preventive health by providing health maintenance education, health screening, necessary therapeutic intervention, and care of sick and injured students and staff. 

The School Nurse assists students and parents in the management of health needs while in school and the coordination of care in the home, school, and community.
                                                 

Contact Information:

Office Hours:  Monday -  Friday
7:30 am - 3:00 pm

Office Hours: Every Wednesday
10:00 am

School Nurses: 

Lesly Cabrera, BSN, RN
CabreraL@nvnet.org
201-768-3200 Ext: 13360
Fax: 201-256-3399

Kathleen DePlautt, BSN, RN, CSN
deplautt@nvnet.org
201-768-322 Ext: 13364
Avail: B & D school days

School Physician:

Dr. Zahid Farooki
Hackensack University Medical
Pascack Valley at Closter
1 Ruckman Road
Closter, NJ 07624
201-385-6161

Absences:

To report your child absent, please call the attendance line and leave a detailed message.
You must report your child absent each morning that they will not be in school. 
                       
Attendance Office: Ms. Diane Jeffs: 201-768-3200 Ext:13060 / Jeffs@nvnet.org
(you may leave a voicemail and we will get back to you if there are any questions or concerns).

For medical concerns regarding a student’s absence, please call the health office.  

To maintain the health and well-being of your child and other students, student need to be kept home if they are ill or after being diagnosed with a communicable disease such as: Covid, Mononucleosis, Coxsackievirus, Strep throat etc.

Students must be fever free (under 100 degrees F) for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication in order to return to school. Please keep your child home if they are not feeling well. Do not send your child to school if they have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, severe congestion and coughing, or have a new rash.

New Student Entrance Requirements:

If you are transferring from another district in New Jersey: Please submit the health record (A-45) from the prior school's Health Office. If you are unable to obtain the A-45, you may send a copy of your immunizations from your pediatrician or school.

If you are transferring from out of state or out of country:  A current physical from a provider in NJ, immunization records is to be sent directly to the health office, an official immunization record from your prior school or physician’s office is preferred.

           

The School Nurse will review all immunizations before students are given a schedule. If a student requires additional immunizations, New students will be given a 30-day grace period to obtain those immunizations. If those immunizations are not updated, the student will be excluded from school.

Make sure to update the Nurse of any chronic medical condition of which the Nurse should be aware of or any allergies (food or medicine) affecting your child. It is important for the Nurse to maintain accurate medical records.

Physical Examination Forms:

 All physicals must be within 365 days. There are two forms that may be completed by your child's medical home(pediatrician or clinic). Please include all immunizations that your child has received.

Both Universal Health Record and NJ Sports physicals are accepted and valid for one year. The Universal Health Record is NOT accepted for Athletics.

Students interested in playing a sport must have the Pre-Participation Evaluation Form (NJ Sports Physical Packet) completed by their doctor prior to being allowed to try out or play. All sections of the form must be completed and signed by the doctor, parent, and student.

Incomplete, scanned, copied, or emailed physicals will not be accepted, as we only accept original documents. To avoid delays in start dates, please ensure physical forms are turned in by the deadlines for each sport.
For any athlete with an allergy, asthma, seizure disorder, or diabetes, please ensure the Emergency. Treatment Plan Forms are completed and turned in. Your child’s safety is our top priority.

 Medications:

 Students are NOT allowed to carry any medication on them (not in pockets, backpacks, or lockers) with the exception of

Emergency EpiPens, Inhalers, and Diabetic Medications with a doctor’s note. Only the School Nurse may administer medications in school with a physician’s order and parental permission.

This includes over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and Advil/Motrin (Ibuprofen).

Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen are available in the nurse’s office, but again, it may only be given with the authorization

on a medication order form by your child's doctor and parent's consent.
 Medication orders are only valid for the current school year and a new order will be needed each year.
Medications must be received by the school nurse and delivered in the original packaging and/ or prescription.

Prescription medication: we must comply with state laws and will need to contain, as a minimum, the student’s name,

prescriber, medication name/dose/directions, and date of the prescription.
Over-the-counter medication: must be received in the original container and sealed with a label having the

student's name affixed.


Emergency Treatment Plans:

 If your child has an allergy, asthma, seizure disorder, or diabetes, an emergency treatment plan from their doctor is required in order to play sports or attend school trips. All plans must be completed by your child’s doctor, signed by a parent, and returned to the health office with associated emergency medications.

Plans are ONLY valid for the school year and new forms are required to be submitted every year.


Students are encouraged to carry their own emergency medications especially for field trips and after school activities. Your child’s physician must check off “self-administer” on the corresponding forms. In addition, you may keep spare medications: EpiPens, inhalers, emergency seizure medications, and diabetic medications/supplies to be stored in the nurse’s office.
Please notify the Health Office to report any new changes or medical conditions so that we can keep your child's medical records up-to-date.

 

Annual Screenings:

Screening programs are designed to provide health appraisals for the identification and management of actual or potential health problems. All students participating in Wellness Day at the beginning of every school year are screened. Additionally, screenings are also conducted during P.E. class periods. The screenings include but are not limited to height, weight, blood pressure, vision, hearing, and scoliosis screening services. Referrals are sent home to students who do not pass a screening.

Parents may request that their child NOT have in-school state-mandated screenings. If you choose NOT to have your child screened, we ask that you send a written letter or email to the School Nurse. 

For declination of scoliosis screenings, we require a declination form to be filled out by a Parent or Guardian Scoliosis Declination Forms.

 Accidents / Injuries in school:

 If your child was injured in school or while participating in a sport, please notify the school nurse or athletic trainer as soon
 as possible. Insurance forms and instructions will be sent to your home address by mail and are to be completed and submitted
 by the parent/guardian. it is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to complete and submit the remaining parts of the form.  
 Any delay in this matter may eliminate the insurance coverage and place the student at risk.

Gym Excuses:

 Parent Excuse - Parents can excuse students from PE class up to 3 times per marking period. Anything longer, a doctor’s note
 is required. To excuse your child from PE class, please call the health office directly.

 Doctor’s Excuse – Please send all doctor’s notes to the health office. Make sure notes are detailed with start and end dates,
 follow up appointment dates, and any accommodations that may be needed. If your child requires use of a medical device
  such as crutches, brace, boot, etc., please make sure that is explained in the doctor’s note.

The school nurse is not permitted to excuse a student from physical education due to an illness or injury without a
 physician’s order or parent’s consent.


Crutches/Medical Devices:

Students who require the use of assistive medical devices (crutches, braces, boots, casts, etc.) require a doctor’s note. Please   make sure notes are detailed with start and end dates, follow up appointment dates, and any accommodations required
 (extra time for passing in hallways, assistance carrying books, no PE or sports, etc.) 
 Students must use the elevator and not take the stairs for their own safety. During a drill or evacuation, the student   is not permitted to use the elevator and will be assisted down the stairs by a staff member.

Teens–N–Tots:

 Prior to enrolling your tot to school; A valid physical and up to date immunization records are to be sent to the health office along with any emergency medical plans if applicable (i.e. Asthma, Allergy, Seizure, Diabetes). All Pre-K students are required to have
 an annual Flu vaccine by December 31st. Without documentation of your child’s Flu vaccine, they will not be permitted back to school after the holiday break. You may call the health office to discuss any medical concerns.

Please see our forms section and FAQ section for frequently asked questions.

Helpful links

FAQ

1) How long are Sports Physicals valid?

 Sports Physicals require a medical examination by a licensed health care provider that must be done within 365 days of the first day of the start of the season in which your child will participate.

There are three sports season in a school calendar year, Fall, Winter and Spring. See the Athletic Department webpage to determine which season your child will be participating in.

No student can practice or play in any interscholastic sport without a current physical, which has been co-signed by our School Physician. For each sport played during the year, Sport Registration must be completed by a parent and the athlete in Genesis parent portal.

The physical form should only be filled out ONCE per year by the student's doctor. If the physical date has note expired, the one on file in our office is all you need for subsequent sports participated in within that year.

2) How do I obtain an insurance form for a school injury?
If your child is injured during an interscholastic sport the Coach who was present when the injury occurred must fill out an accident report and submit it to the school nurse. The nurse will then mail out the insurance claim form to the parent / guardian.

3) What happens if my child feels ill in school?

 Students should obtain a pass from the teacher in the class they are currently in or from their next class if it is between periods. The school nurse will contact a parent before the student is excused from school.

4) Can my 18 year old sign him/herself out?
If you know that they will be leaving early, send them in with a note, which they should bring to the Attendance Office first thing in the morning. If they become ill during the course of the school day, they are to report to the Health Office, where a parent must be reached for permission to leave early.
note: If a student drives to school, the school nurse will determine if the student is capable of driving home from school when sick, and if so, parent/ guardian permission must be obtained prior to being excused from school. Parents will be notified and there may be a possibility the student will have to leave their car at school and will need to be picked up. 

5) What do I need to do if my child has a Doctor's appointment during the school day?
Early dismissal notes for medical reasons are brought to the Attendance Office first thing in the morning. note: Please indicate if your child is returning to school or not. If they are returning, they need to check back in with attendance before proceeding to class. It is the student's responsibility to meet the parent at the designated time. The student will not be called out of class.

6) What do I need to do for my child to have medication given in school?
Medication can only be given with physician and parental written permission. See online forms. A small unopened labeled bottle must be provided. Taking medication in any area other than the Health Office is not permitted.

7) What do I need to do if my child can not participate in physical education class?
Gym excuses are given out by the school nurse with a parent note (for no more than 3 days) or a doctor's note (must have a specific return date). note: Only 3 parent notes are permitted per marking period. The student must change into gym clothes and observe class unless the parent requests "not to change".

8) What do I need if my child requires the use of crutches in school?
You will need a note from the doctor. Your child will then be issued a pass allowing him/her to leave each class a few minutes early and permission to use elevator while using crutches.

Forms

Health Services Forms

Resources

Insurance

NJ Family Care provides free or low cost health insurance for uninsured children and certain low income parents.
Fact sheet about NJ Family Care: NJ Family Care Insurance Fact Sheet.pdf
For more information call 800-701-0710 or visit NJ Family Careto apply online

Community Services