COVID Protocols for the 2023-24 School Year
The Hudson Falls Central School District recognizes that “Healthy Students are Better Learners” and has been committed to implementing a Coordinated School Health Program since 2002. Our Healthy Schools System addresses all eight components of the coordinated system model:
- Learning and adopting healthy behavior
- Achieving lifelong physical fitness
- Encouraging healthful nutrition
- Enhancing school health services
- Creating positive learning environments
- Supporting social and emotional well-being
- Promoting faculty and staff wellness
- Connecting school, parents, and community
Students, Staff, and Families: Please visit our Health and Wellness Site for supports provided by both staff and outside agencies by clicking on the image.
Illness and Attendance Guidelines
Not sure if your child is sick enough to stay home from school? Here are a few guidelines that might help you with this decision.
Based on our school protocols, do not send your child to school if they have:
- Fever (temp of 100.4 or greater) in the past 24 hours. The child must be fever free and not using fever-reducing medication (Tylenol, Advil, Motrin) for a full 24 hours before returning to school.
- Vomiting in the past 24 hours (last episode of vomiting 24 hours prior to return to school).
- Diarrhea in the past 24 hours (last episode of diarrhea 24 hours prior to returning to school).
- A sore throat that is severe or has a fever and feeling ill for more than 48 hours.
- Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for a full 24 hours before returning to school).
- Bad cold with a very runny nose, especially if the nasal discharge is discolored or a bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night or could disrupt the class.
- Head lice, until your child has been treated according to the nurse or doctor’s instructions. No live lice present (please notify your school nurse and discuss re-entry procedure).
- Eyes: If your child has crusty, runny, or sticky drainage along with redness to the eye your child may have “pink eye” and will need to be cleared by your doctor before coming to school.
- Unexplained rash: Especially if fever and itching-Need to see a primary doctor and have your doctor write a note that the student is not contagious with rash and may return to school.
- Impetigo (honey-crusted sores by mouth or nose), Scabies, Ringworm: need to be seen by the doctor and start treatment follow doctor instructions (on medication for 24 hours before school re-entry). A doctor’s note allowing the student to return to school is needed.
The protocol may vary a little between buildings and age levels. If your child has any of the above, they will need to stay home until the symptoms subside or the doctor says it is OK to return. Sending them back to school while still contagious puts other children and staff at risk for acquiring their illness.
If your child becomes ill at school and the school nurse feels the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called by the school nurse to come and take him/her home from school. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness. If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please notify your school nurse or main office immediately. Only people you have listed on your child’s emergency card will be allowed to pick up your student. If your student calls or texts telling you they are sick, please make sure they have been to the nurse and have them call you from the nurse’s office.
Please call the school’s Health Office if you have any questions or concerns.
If you have any questions as to whether your child should be in school or have concerns regarding your child’s symptoms, please contact the Health Office or your child’s healthcare provider. The importance of good hand-washing in the prevention of illness cannot be overemphasized. Hands should be washed with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds after using the restroom, after sneezing/coughing, before eating and other times as needed throughout the day. Students should also not share water bottles, eating utensils, and/or toothbrushes. Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Fact Sheet has additional tips for when a sink and soapy water is not nearby.
Immunization, Health Exams, and Screening Requirements
Beginning July 1, 2018, all new students enrolling in the district for the first time — along with children entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 in the fall — will be required to have a health exam.
Other changes for students include vision screening for distance and near vision acuity as well as hearing screening for students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 and new students within 6 months of admission to the school.
In addition, girls in grades 5 and 7, and boys in grade 9 will require scoliosis screenings.
School officials are encouraging families not to wait to schedule medical appointments. Please also take the time to review your child’s immunization records with their pediatrician to ensure your child has the required vaccinations for their age and grade in school. A principal or person in charge of a school shall not permit a child to continue to attend such a school who is lacking the required immunizations for more than 14 days after their start date. Such a 14 calendar day period may be extended to not more than 30 calendar days for an individual student who is transferring from out-of-state or from another country and can show a good faith effort to get the necessary evidence of immunization.
A letter will be sent home if your student needs follow-up with your health care provider. For vision screenings only, parents will be notified of all results. Please call the school’s Health Office if you have any questions or concerns.
2023-24 New York State Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance
2024-25 New York State Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance
On June 13, 2019, NYS passed a law making all religious exemptions for immunizations invalid. This law became effective immediately and applies to all public, private, parochial schools, and child care settings.
We have been in contact with the families of those students impacted by this new law. If you have any questions or need assistance with complying with this new law, please contact the District Head Nurse at 518-681-4218.
New Legislation Vaccination Exemptions
This will help ensure all children meet their health-care requirements before the start of the school year.
Medical exemptions to immunizations
Medical exemptions to immunizations must now be re-issued annually. Please contact your child’s health office if you have questions regarding your child’s immunization status or contact the Director of Health Services at (518) 681-4218.
- View the state immunization requirements for school entrance/attendance.
- View vaccine information statements.
Influenza Information
New York State Public Health Law Section 613 requires that schools post influenza educational material. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to refer to guidelines from our school district nurses below; Parents Fight the Flu and read the NYSDOH Seasonal Flu Guide for Parents (PDF); or visit the NYS Dept of Health website.
Dispensing Medication in School
In order to comply with New York State Law, the following procedures must be followed for all students requiring medication during school hours:
- A written physician’s order to administer the medication must be provided to the Health Office.
- Signed written parental/guardian consent to administer the medication must be on file in the Health Office.
- The medication must be brought to the Health Office by the parent/guardian in the original labeled container including prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Medications not in their original containers will not be accepted.
- The above orders are for both prescribed and OTC medications including Tylenol, Advil, cough/cold medications, etc.
- Students are NOT permitted to carry medications (prescribed and/or OTCs) with them during school at any time.
- Exceptions in special circumstances are students requiring inhalers and/or emergency medications such as epi-pen. A signed written order from the physician and parent/guardian for permission for self-administration is required in these special cases. Permission to allow these students to carry their medications is at the discretion of the Health Office.
- If you have any questions regarding medications in the school setting, please contact the nurse in the school your child attends.
- Download an Administration of Medication in School form.
- Download Permission to Self-Administer Medication in School form (i.e. Inhalers)
Student Weight Status Groups State Mandated Reporting
As part of a required school health examination, a student is weighed, and his/her height is measured. These numbers are used to figure out the student’s body mass index or ‘BMI’. The BMI helps the doctor or nurse know if the student’s weight is in a healthy range or is too high or too low. Recent changes to the New York State Education Law require that BMI and weight status groups be included as part of the student’s school health examination. A sample of school districts will be selected to take part in a survey by the New York State Department of Health. If our school is selected to be part of the survey, we will be reporting to the New York State Department of Health information about our students’ weight status groups. Only summary information is sent. No names and no information about individual students are sent. However, you may choose to have your child’s information excluded from this survey report.
The information sent to the New York State Department of Health will help health officials develop programs that make it easier for children to be healthier.
If you do not wish to have your child’s weight status group information included as part of the Health Department’s survey this year, please contact the District Head Nurse at 518-681-4218 by Jan. 2.
Disposal of Unwanted Medication
DEC’s Pilot Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program provides the general public a safe and convenient means of disposing of their unwanted medications in an environmentally responsible manner. By doing so, we’re also taking proactive steps to combat the opioid epidemic that is plaguing many of our communities across the state. There are DEC-sponsored medication collection kiosks located at the Hudson Falls Police Department on Main Street and the Washington County Law Enforcement Center on Broadway.
If you’d like to learn more about the Pilot program and DEC’s on-going efforts, please visit the DEC’s website.
District Pandemic Plan
This Continuity of Operations Plan has been developed to meet the requirements of the amended New York State Labor Law Section 27-c and New York State Education Law paragraph of subdivision 2 of Section 2801-a which requires public employers to prepare a plan for the continuation of operations in the event that the Governor declares a public health emergency involving a communicable disease. This plan is built upon the components of the District-Wide School Safety and the Building-Level Emergency Response Plan(s). The Plan includes elements of the COVID-19 Reopening Plan and will be updated regularly to reflect current guidance and best practices.
You may view the district’s Pandemic Plan here.
If you have trouble accessing any files on this page, please contact the Help Desk at 518-681-4357.