🏫 GW MILLER HEALTH & SAFETY MEMO FOR PARENTS
Welcome to George W. Miller Elementary School! We’re so glad you are here. Our goal is to have a safe and healthy school year and we hope to accomplish just that with your help. Here are some things to keep in mind:
🤒 WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME
Your child should stay home if they have:
- Fever of 100.0°F or higher
- Vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Rash with itching or fever
- Eyes with redness, crusting, discharge, or itching
✅ Your child may return to school when:
- Fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication
- Eating a normal diet for 2 consecutive meals
- Free from diarrhea for 24 hours
- Rash is gone or cleared by a doctor with a note
- If antibiotics are prescribed: after 24 hours of first dose given
🩺 PHYSICALS, SCREENINGS & IMMUNIZATIONS
New York State requires:
- Physicals, vision, and hearing screenings for:
- All new students
- Students entering K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th grades
📄 Please submit an updated physical to the Health Office.
🩺 Physicals must be completed within the past 12 months.
👁️ Screenings are done throughout the school year.
💉 All immunizations must be up to date to attend school.
📥 Submit all health forms to the Health Office by Aug 15, 2025
💊 MEDICATION POLICY
Any medication given at school requires:
- An appropriate care plan
- A doctor’s order and a parent/guardian signature
- Must be brought in by an adult—not the student
This includes:
- Over-the-counter meds (pain relievers, creams, cough drops)
- Inhalers
- EpiPens and allergy medications
📦 End-of-Year Medication Pickup:
Pick up all medications by 11:00 AM on the last day of school
Unclaimed meds will be disposed of at 12:00 PM on the last day of school
📝 HEALTH UPDATES & INJURIES
Please notify the Health Office about any:
- Injuries (sprains, fractures, concussions)
- PE restrictions (MD note required for more than 1 day of missed PE)
- New medications, medical conditions, and/or contagious diagnoses
- Cardiac history, surgeries, or major procedures
🎒 DAILY HEALTH & SAFETY REMINDERS
To keep students comfortable and ready to learn, please make sure your child:
-
- 👟 Wears close-toed shoes for recess and PE (no sandals or Crocs)
- 🧥 Dresses in weather-appropriate clothing (layers for outdoor play)
- 🧴 Has sunscreen and lotion applied at home
- 👄 Has some Chapstick, Vaseline, or Aquaphor for their lips during dry seasons
- 💧 Brings a refillable water bottle each day
- 🍏 Brings a healthy snack each day
- 👕 Carries a spare change of clothes in their backpack (just in case!)
🐛 LICE PREVENTION
Lice are tiny insects that love loose, clean hair and close contact. They don’t jump or fly, but they do crawl quickly from head to head—especially when kids share hats, brushes, combs, hair accessories, or even snuggle close for selfies or story time. 📸 To make it harder for these pesky critters to move in, we’re asking families to help by:
💇♀️ Keeping hair tied up—braids, buns, or ponytails work great!
🧴 Using hair grease, gel, or oil—lice have a harder time sticking to treated hair.
🚫 Avoiding shared hats, brushes, and headphones—no sharing means no spreading!
✅ Checking your child’s scalp weekly—behind the ears and at the nape of the neck are hotspots.
✅ Teaching kids about personal space—no head-to-head contact during playtime!
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📍 Questions or updates?
Please contact the Health Office at 845-627-4864 or llouischarles@nanuetsd.org
💙 Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students healthy and safe!
— Lyne Louis-Charles, BSN, RN – School Nurse
Message From Nurse Coordinator
Dear Parents/Guardians,
All students entering Kindergarten or any new registrant for September 2023 must have all the immunizations required for that grade, per the New York State Public Health Law, Section 2164. The schedule can be found here: https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2370.pdf.
Immunizations and Vaccinations Required
- All students entering 6th grade/11 years old must receive a T-dap booster.
- All students entering 7th grade must submit proof of receiving their 1st dose of the meningococcal vaccine before school starts. This can be submitted to: gconklin@nanuetsd.org or fax 845-624-0751.
- All students entering 12th grade must submit proof of receiving their 2nd dose of the meningococcal vaccine before school starts. This can be submitted to: mhanigan@nanuetsd.org or fax to 845-624-0751.
If you do not have health insurance, please call R.C.D.O.H. to schedule an appointment: 845-364-2497.
Physicals
Physicals are required under the Public Health Law for the following grades:
- Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th & 11th
Please email or send the physical to your child’s school nurse. All links for the physical form can be found under “nurse” on the school’s website.
Nurse Contact Information
G.W. Miller Elementary: Lyne Louis-Charles, RN llouischarles@nanuetsd.org
Highview Elementary: Eileen Ryan, RN eryan@nanuetsd.org
MacArthur Barr: Giovanna Conklin, RN gconklin@nanuetsd.org
Nanuet Senior High School: Maura Hanigan, RN mhanigan@nanuetsd.org
Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Sincerely,
Maura Hanigan, RN
Nanuet Union Free School District Nurse Coordinator
Welcome to G.W. Miller School's Nurse Health and Wellness Page
Please make sure all emergency contacts are aware that they are your emergency contacts and are available to assist if needed. Emergency contacts should be local if parents work far from school. Sick children must be picked up in a timely manner.
If your student requires the use of Tylenol or Motrin in the morning, chances are you will be getting a call to come pick them up within 3 or 4 hours. Please have your cell phones nearby and have someone available to pick them up. Most children who are given medication in the morning come right to the Health Office upon arrival to school. Plan accordingly!
If your child has a non-contagious chronic cough, please send them with plenty of water. Cough drops with a physician’s note can be stored in the health office, as well as cough medicine. During allergy season, please make sure your kid is properly medicated prior to school.
Children may not have medication of any kind in their possession. All meds (including over-the-counter) must be brought into Health Office by an adult, with a medical prescription and in its original container (and no, the pharmacy label does not count). Medications cannot travel on the school bus. Forms can be found on the school website. Parents may come in during school hours to administer any medication in the absence of a physician’s note.
Any child attending school with stitches, splints, wraps or casts must have a note from parent or/and physician. Children requiring the use of elevator, and/or other assisted devices (crutches, wheelchairs etc) must provide a physician’s note. Note should state reason for use and time frame. (Ex: until 1/2/23, for 14 days, or until cleared by physician).
Please make sure to use the 2020 NYSED physical form when going to see your pediatrician. Height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, hearing, vision and scoliosis screenings are required for a complete physical. Make sure the form is dated and signed by your provider.
Hearing and vision screening will be completed throughout the school year. If your child has an abnormal screening, a referral will be sent home and a prompt recommendation from a specialist is expected. If your child wears glasses, please make sure that they have them on when coming to school. This can greatly affect their learning.
A single courtesy physical education clearance can be obtained with a parent’s note for 1 day. Anything more requires a physician’s note. A physical education clearance is an automatic indoor recess.
Please dress students’ appropriately for the weather. In seasons when dry skin and lips are prevalent, children should have Chapstick, Vaseline, or Aquaphor to apply to their lips. Skin moisturizer in the morning is very helpful in preventing dry skin and itchiness. Sunscreen application is encouraged and highly recommended all year.
Any questions or concerns, always feel free to call at 845-627-4864.
