Promoting Student Health

Resources

Community Resources

Medical Resources

Kitsap County Lions Club- Eye care and glasses assistance.
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
Peninsula Community Health
Violet Sees provides assistance to students in need of glasses.
Violet Sees-
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Washington Apple Health for Kids- Washington State medical assistance for any child whose family meets the income eligibility standards will receive coverage for multiple services under one consolidated program.
Washington Prescription Drug Program- WPDP is a prescription drug discount program open to all Washington State residents who do not have prescription drug insurance coverage, or whose insurance does not cover all their prescription drug needs.

Dental

Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children - LDCC's mission is to provide accessible, compassionate, and effective dental care to Puget Sound children in need. They have two locations in our area. LDCC provides quality dental service to children ages 0 through 18 around the Puget Sound REGARDLESS of a family's ability to pay!!!
Peninsula Community Health Services- PCHS provides dental care at four of their locations. These clinics specialize in infant and child dental care. PCHS accepts most dental insurance including state medical. For those without insurance, the receptionists can help set up payment for services on a sliding scale, which allows you to pay a fee based on income.

Immunizations

Kitsap Public Health- KPH provides recommended immunization for all ages. No child under the age of 19 is turned away due to inability to pay.
Mary Bridge Mobile Immunization Clinic - The MultiCare Mary Bridge Mobile Immunization Clinic provides free immunizations to all children from birth through 18 years of age. The clinic provides all vaccines that are recommended by the CDC. For more information about the Mobile Immunization Clinic, call 253-403-1767. To schedule an appointment, please call 253-792-6630. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department maintains a monthly calendar of where to find the Mobile Immunization Clinic.

Food and Housing

Free and Reduced School Meals Application - Qualifying students are eligible for free or reduced meals.
Housing Solutions Center of Kitsap County- The HSC is Kitsap County’s coordinated entry point for individuals and families at risk of, or experiencing homelessness and includes information to cold weather shelters.
Kitsap Community Resources -KCR provides a multitude of connections for Kitsap families in need. From prenatal care to childhood education to housing and energy assistance to employment and training, KCR services cover a wide range of needs.
Peninsulas' Information Network 211- Peninsula 211 is a regional call center providing comprehensive information and referral to health and human services including;
Basic Human Needs – food, clothing, shelter, rent/utilities
Physical & Mental Health – counseling, substance abuse, dental, clinics
Employment Support – job training/finding, transportation, education
Senior Assistance – respite, chore services, in-home assistance
Youth & Family Support – child care, mentoring, domestic violence
Volunteering and Donations
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services - DSHS services include food stamps, cash and housing assistance, medical disability support, child support services, disability support, and other state programs. Our local Community Service Office is located in Bremerton: CSO #18, 4710 Auto Center Blvd, Bremerton WA 98312-3300.

*The pages and documents posted on this site include links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user's convenience. SKSD does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-SKSD information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-SKSD sites.

Head Lice Information

Head lice in school-aged children is a common occurrence in schools throughout the country. Our school district is no exception. Based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), The Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the South Kitsap School District has updated its Lice Procedure to reflect the most current guidelines in the control of lice. The intention of this procedure is to decrease school absenteeism, support families in their efforts to control and eliminate head lice and maintain student privacy.

Head lice is not a health hazard and is not responsible for the spread of any disease. Infestation is principally a nuisance. The goal of lice prevention and control in schools is to limit the spread of lice from one student to another student through accurate diagnosis, and meaningful and consistent communication and education (AAP). Lice control takes teamwork among home, schools, after school programs and events in private or public locations, including student visits in each other’s homes.

Recent Changes in Treatment and Control of Head Lice

Approaches to treating and controlling the spread of head lice has evolved over the years and continues to evolve. Both the AAP and NASN advocate that "no-nit" policies are not helpful. Policies that require a child to be free of nits before they can return to schools should be discontinued for the following reasons:

Many nits are more than ¼ inch from the scalp. Such nits are usually not viable and very unlikely to hatch to become crawling lice, or may in fact be empty shells, also known as 'casings'.
Nits are cemented to hair shafts and are very unlikely to be transferred successfully to other people.
Misdiagnosis of nits is very common during nit checks conducted by non-medical personnel.
The burden of unnecessary absenteeism to the students, families and communities far outweighs the risks associated with head lice.

Based on the AAP recommendations, current evidence does not support the efficacy or cost effectiveness of classroom or school-wide screening. Alert letters will only be sent home with the entire class when three or more cases have been identified within a classroom over the span of one month. Alert letters may violate privacy and cause unnecessary public alarm.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics Head Lice PEDIATRICS 2015; Vol. 135 published online April 27, 2015, 31355-1365; DOI: 10.152/peds.2015-0746
Center for Disease Control Parasites- Lice-Head Lice Content Source: Global Health- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria; Page last reviewed: September 24, 2013
National Association of School Nurses Policy Statement Pediculosis Management in the School Setting: Adopted: November 1999 Revised: July 2004, January 2011
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction- Infectious Disease Control Guide for School Staff: Revised 2014

Immunizations

How Sick Is Too Sick For School?

Vision & Hearing Screenings

Screenings are an important part of preventive health care in the school setting. Washington State law (WAC 246-760) requires schools to conduct auditory and visual screenings of children each year. Students K, 1, 2, 3, and 5 are screened each year, as well as students that meet any of the following criteria; students new to the South Kitsap School District, students receiving Special Education services, or when requested by parent, guardian, or school staff.

Beginning with the 2017/18 school year, Washington state law began requiring schools to screen students for both near and far vision. To help meet these new requirements, the district has purchased a vision screening tool called the Spot Vision Screener. This tool will allow district nurses to test for various vision impairments in a matter of seconds!

Hearing screening is done using equipment with tonal stimuli at 1000, 2000, and 4000 hertz (Hz) at a hearing level of 20 decibels (dB). Students who do not pass the hearing test are re-screened at a later date. Parents are notified by mail if their child does not pass the second screening.

Parents who DO NOT want their child screened will need to provide the school with a report or form signed by a licensed healthcare professional indicating that they have a had a comprehensive vision or auditory exam within the previous 12 months.

Please note that these screenings are to help pick up on vision or hearing deficits which could affect your child’s learning and are in no way diagnostic. School screenings should never take the place of a comprehensive exam by a licensed specialist.

Medication at School

Under normal circumstances prescribed and over the counter medication should be dispensed before and/or after school hours under supervision of the parent or guardian. If a student must receive prescribed or over-the-counter oral or topical medication, eye drops, ear drops or nasal spray at school, the parent must submit a written authorization (Form 157) which includes a written request from a licensed health professional prescribing within the scope of his or her prescriptive authority.

In addition, due to the potential of allergic reaction, over dose, spread of infections/other diseases, choking hazard, or exposure to hazardous chemicals; cough drops/throat lozenges that contain medication and bug sprays/repellents require individualized physician’s orders with parent signature (Form 157).

Please note:

Medication is to be collected directly from the parent, students may not transport medication to school.
Medication must be in the pharmacy container (including the box for inhalers and epi-pens) with a complete label or in the original container for OTC medications with the student's name on it.
The school may only store no more than a twenty (20) day supply of prescription medication.
School personnel cannot administer a forgotten home dose unless those instruction are included on the Form 157 on file.
Any changes in the type of medication or the dosage requires completion of a new Form 157.
Form 157 must be renewed each school year.

Chapstick
Chap stick/lip balm may be kept in student’s possession, but not shared with others.

Sunscreen
Over-the-counter topical sunscreen products may be possessed and used by students, parents, and school staff, without a written prescription or note from a licensed health care provider, if the following conditions are met:
A. The product is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration as an over-the-counter sunscreen product; and
B. If possessed by a student, the product is provided to the student by their parent or guardian (school staff and chaperones may not provide sunscreen for anyone but their own child). Students who possess over-the-counter topical sunscreen products that meet the above criteria may carry up to 8 ounces at a time, preferably with the container in a plastic bag.

Life Threatening Illness
Washington State Law (RCW 28A.210.320 ) requires that students with life-threatening illness must have necessary measures in place prior to attending school. A health condition is considered life threatening when it puts a child in danger of death during the school day without medication or treatment and a nursing plan in place. Typical life-threatening conditions in schools include but are not limited to; anaphylaxis (potential for severe allergic reaction requiring epinephrine), diabetes, seizures, cardiac disorders and severe asthma.

Medication at School (Form 157) (not for inhalers or epi-pens)
School Asthma Plan/Inhaler Order
Severe Allergic Reaction Plan/Epinephrine Order (if food related, a diet prescription is also needed)
Diet Prescription
Request for Exchange of Information

In addition to necessary forms and medication, is important to keep an updated health history on file and keep your child's school nurse informed of any changes so that the students care plan is up to date.