Melinda Wolfe, RN

Health Office Hours: 8:15 AM - 3:45 PMPhone:  571-367-4045Fax:  571-349-0763E-mail:  Email Melinda Wolfe
Hello and Welcome to the Willard Middle School Health Office page.  This is my first year at Willard Middle School, and I am looking forward to getting to know our Willard community over the next several months.  Please contact me with any questions or concerns, or if there are any medical conditions that may affect your child's school day.  You may use this link, Student Health Forms, to access any needed school health forms.

Medical Concerns / Illness / Injury

If your child has any significant medical needs, illnesses or injuries, please notify the nurse, even if the school has been notified in previous school years.  If your child has asthma, diabetes, seizures, life-threatening allergies, or other medical conditions, you and the physician will need to complete a form so the school can understand and address your child's needs.  These forms are available on the Loudoun County Public Schools Student Services Website.  These forms must be updated each school year.  In the unfortunate circumstance your student was evaluated in the emergency room or other healthcare facility for an illness or injury, please notify the nurse directly.  A release from your child's healthcare provider must be received by the nurse prior to your student returning to school. This note should include the following information:

• date allowing the student to return to school

• restrictions the student may have upon return to school

• duration of restrictions 

In the event your student is unable to participate in PE, please bring the Allowable Activities Checklist to your health care provider for completion and return it to the nurse in the health office.  In the unfortunate circumstance your child has experienced a concussion, please take the Concussion Order Form to your health care provider for completion and return it to the health office.  After receipt of the physician's orders, the nurse will contact your student's teachers and counselor and ensure the proper accommodations for your student's illness or injury will be put in place.
If your child is ill because of a contagious disease such as flu, strep throat, chickenpox, etc., please note the reason for the absence when you call the absentee call-line.  This will help the school take measures to know the extent of the disease and reduce its spread. Students who have fevers should be kept at home until free of fever for 24 hours.  Students who do not feel well should stay home. When students come to school ill, they not only are unable to participate fully in class, but they may also infect other students with their illness.  Health office personnel are not allowed to make a medical diagnosis. If you have urgent concerns, please take your child to their personal physician or medical facility.

School-Sponsored After-School Activities and Sports

If your child has diabetes, an epinephrine auto-injector, an inhaler, or other emergency medication at school, please notify the after-school teacher/sponsor that your child has a health concern.  Also, notify the nurse 1-2 weeks prior to the event or beginning of the activity. The clinic is closed after dismissal and the nurse is not in the building. Arrangements need to be made to have medication available and to train staff.  It is strongly suggested that middle/high school students carry their own inhaler and/or epinephrine auto-injector for quick access to medication. For students to carry an inhaler, the physician must complete and sign the Asthma Action Plan giving his/her permission for the student to carry the inhaler, and the parent and the student sign the "Parent/Student Agreement for Permission to Carry an Inhaler." For students with an epinephrine auto-injector, the physician will need to sign the bottom of page one of the Allergy Action Plan, physician, parent and student will need to sign page two under "Agreement for Permission to Self-Administer and/or Carry Epinephrine."  For students with diabetes to carry any of their medical supplies, the diabetes form, Part 4: "Permission to Self-Carry and Self-Administer Diabetes Care," needs to be signed by the physician, parent, and student.

Medications

As parent or guardian must deliver any medication (prescription or non-prescription) to the school office or clinic.  This includes cough drops, eye drops or Lactaid.  Under no circumstance may students transport any medication to or from school.  Parents are responsible for picking up any unused medication at the end of the school year or upon expiration.
If your child takes a prescription medication and missing a dose would have serious health consequences (seizure medication, insulin, etc.) it is strongly suggested that a 24-hour supply of the medication be left in the school clinic in case of a prolonged school day.  The medication must be in an original pharmacy-labeled bottle and have a physician signed Authorization for Medication Administration on file in the health office.  The order must give the times during the 24-hour period that the medication is to be administered.  
The nurse must have written instructions from the physician in order to administer prescription medication.  The instructions should include:

• student's name

• name and purpose of the medication

• dosage and time of administration

• possible side effects and measure to take if those occur

• end date for administering the medication

• parent's signature giving permission to administer medication and to contact physician, as well as the physician's signature. 

Or, preferably, an Asthma Action Plan or Allergy Action Plan should be used for physician's medication orders.  Copies of this form as well as other medical forms are available in the school office or at LCPS-Student Services website.

All prescription medication must be in the original pharmacy bottle with the proper label containing the student's name, medication, dosage, and instructions for administration.  Upon request, most pharmacies will provide an extra bottle with the proper amount of medication for school. The clinic can not accept more than a 2-month school day supply of medicine. 
If the nurse needs to administer non-prescription medication:

• it must be brought to the school by the parent/guardian

• the Loudoun County Public School's Authorization for Medication Administration form must be completed by the student's parent/guardian and accompany the medication

• the nurse will only give the amount listed on the package for your child's age and weight and for the recommended length of time unless she has a written doctor's order on the Authorization for Medication Administration form to dispense differently

• the medication must be in the original packaging and cannot be expired

Acetaminophen is no longer stocked in the school health office as of SY 19-20.  If you would like to keep any over-the-counter medication for pain in the school (Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, etc), the parent must bring the medication to school and fill out a medication authorization form.
Lastly, be sure to keep the "Emergency Information" updated in ParentVue so we can reach you if your child is ill or injured. This can easily be done online through the Parent Information Management System.