Tolland Public Schools

School Nurses Within Tolland Public Schools

Welcome to the health services page, where you may gain a better understanding about what your school nurse is doing for your student to ensure they have a healthy and successful school career. 

Each of our schools in Tolland has an RN School Nurse based within the school, and a support staff LPN to meet all the health needs your student may have while attending school. The primary goal of a school nurse is to have healthy, engaged students in the classroom each day. 

Our school nurses check every school year to make sure all students are vaccine compliant to meet the state requirements, as well as meeting all required physical and dental health assessments. A complete physical and dental health assessment is required for each new student transferring into the district, then again entering middle school, and a final required physical by the beginning of high school (BOE Administrative Regulation 5170) . Additionally, any student-athlete has to have a complete physical each year. It is the responsibility of the school nurse to ensure year-round all of our athletes have been deemed healthy enough to play sports, any previous injuries have been fully recovered, and any known risks are monitored. 

The health and safety of students who have a restrictive injury like a fracture, or concussion is also monitored by the school nurse even if they do not participate in sports programs. Your student may need to be excused from gym, and sports participation, or may even require academic accommodation due to medical issues.  It is the school nurse who will guide you, and your student, through the process, making sure your student’s needs are met while at school. Please make sure to report any injury to the school nurse as soon as it is diagnosed.  Students may not be in school with equipment like a cast,  or crutches, without the school nurse having been notified and medical orders provided. 

School nurses also provide required screening services for vision, hearing and scoliosis as required by CT General Statute . This enables early detection of potential problems,  and referral for further assessment. Catching issues early on will help your student have a successful academic career. If your student is followed by a specialist for any medical concerns, please speak with the school nurse. Nurses also help families find resources for medical, dental, vision, and hearing referrals. 

The RN in each school is part of the 504/PPT team, and is the only professional who is able to create an individualized healthcare plan to help accommodate student education needs as they relate to their medical or mental health diagnosis. If your student has a medical or mental health issue, please speak with the school nurse. Their health record should be kept up to date to meet the most current needs of the student. 

The school nurse manages all medications for emergency medications which students may need while at school, like epinephrine for an allergic reaction, or an inhaler for an asthma attack. If your student has a new diagnosis at any time in the year, please reach out to the school nurse. The nurse makes sure students who independently carry emergency medications are well-equipped to handle them and also conducts training with appropriate staff who will be interacting with the student who has specific medical concerns. 

Even if your student does not take medication from the nurse during school hours, it is still important  to update the school nurse on any medication your student takes at home. Yearly you can provide this information through Powerschool and any changes can be called into the nurse.  

The school nurse manages the attendance line when your student is out ill. Please make sure to call each day and provide specific details as to the nature of the absence for the day. The school nurse works closely to provide accurate information in relation to attendance records, ensuring students who must miss school for verifiable medical reasons do not need to be referred for truancy concerns. 

Each day your student arrives at school, there is a school nurse present and prepared for any medical emergency which may occur. This brief summary gives you an understanding of when  you should be in contact with your student’s school nurse: to report any illnesses, to report any injuries, to update with medication changes from what was reported in Powerschool, to update with any vision or hearing changes, to provide updated medical information and to discuss any accommodations your student may need to be more successful in school. The school nurses are here to provide support to your student.