Health

Immunizations

A student must be fully immunized against certain diseases or must present a certificate or statement that, for medical reasons or reasons of conscience, including a religious belief, the student will not be immunized. For exemptions based on reasons of conscience, only official forms issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services, Immunization Branch, can be honored by the District. The form must be notarized and submitted to the District within 90 days of notarization. Further information is described in the Student Handbook, as well as the following documents:

Student Illness

It is important to remember that schools are required to exclude students with certain illnesses from school for periods of time as identified in state rules. For example, if your child has a fever over 100 degrees, he/she must stay out of school until fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. A full list of conditions for which the school must exclude children can be obtained from the District Nurse. Please review the Student Handbook for additional information pertaining to student illness. To help prevent the spread of illness, we suggest reviewing the following health tips/guidelines:

Medication Policy

No medication will be administered in school or during school-sponsored activities without the parent’s/guardian’s written authorization and a written physician order. This includes both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

Medication Authorization Form

Anaphylaxis

UT Tyler University Academy is not a Nut Free environment. We will follow the Guidelines for the Care of Students with Food Allergies At-Risk for Anaphylaxis to implement Senate Bill 27 (82nd Legislative Session). With students bringing their own food from home, the potential for food allergens in the classroom is much higher. The links below are a good resource for choosing healthy, nut free snacks:

● Safe Snack Guide
● Snack Safely with Food Allergies

We will continue to address food allergies on an individual basis and Parent Awareness letters will be sent out to families within classrooms that have students with food allergies. Information will also be posted in these classrooms for awareness purposes. The University Academy faculty and staff at large are committed to participating in ongoing education to support and assist students with food allergies. Awareness is our goal, and we ask for your help with keeping our students with food allergies safe. Reading food labels and abiding by any food restrictions listed for your child’s classroom can prevent a life-threatening reaction.

Head Lice

Although not an illness or a disease, head lice is very common among children and is spread easily through head-to-head contact during play, sports, and when children share things like hair brushes, hats, and headphones. If careful observation indicates that a student has head lice, the school nurse will contact the student’s parent to determine whether the child needs to be picked up from school. The nurse can offer recommendations with regard to FDA approved treatments and how best to prevent their return. More information on head lice can be found in the Student Handbook, and from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Bacterial Meningitis

Senate Bill 31, passed by the 77th Texas legislature (2001), requires school districts to provide the following information to all students and their parents/legal guardians in the District. Further information can also be found in the Student Handbook.

Bacterial Meningitis Information (Spanish)

Wellness Policy

The district’s Design Team consists of parents, community members, school district personnel and other stakeholders who review and provide input/recommendations concerning certain policies. The Wellness Policy is overseen by the Design Team and reviewed each year. The most current policy is included below:

Wellness Plan

Contact:
Cori Mackey
UTTUA District Nurse
cmackey@uttyler.edu