Health Information

Sickness and Accidents

In the event of a child being sick or being involved in an accident, parents are contacted if possible. All parents are asked to make sure that the school has a telephone number or an address at which they can be contacted. As the school does not have the facilities for minding sick children, it would be appreciated if sick children were kept home for the day. Information on enrolment cards needs to be kept up to date. Any changes to telephone numbers, addresses or emergency contact persons should be communicated to the school as soon as they occur, for the student record to be updated.

 

Infectious Diseases and Other Complaints

Our guide for communicable and infectious diseases is taken from the WA Department of Health, and the Department of Education and Training Regulations. For your information details relating to some of the more common diseases are listed below:-

Chicken Pox: Exclude from school. Re-admit when fully recovered. Some remaining scabs do not justify continued exclusion. Contacts – any chemotherapy patients should be excluded for their own protection. Otherwise do not exclude.

Hepatitis A: Exclude from school. Re-admit on medical certificate of recovery or after symptoms subside but not before 7 days after onset of jaundice.

Measles: *NOTIFIABLE Exclude from school for at least four days after the onset of the rash. Contacts – do not exclude immunised contacts. Non-immunised contacts should be excluded for 14 days after the first day of appearance of the rash in the last case identified in the school, unless contact was immunised within 72 hours of first exposure.

Mumps: Exclude from school for at least 9 days after onset of symptoms. Contacts – do not exclude. Recommend immunization if not vaccinated.

Pediculosis (Head Lice): Exclude from school until effective treatment has been instituted and nits removed from hair. Contacts – family contacts will probably be infested and should be treated accordingly. Re-infestation is highly likely to occur if the entire family is not checked and all combs and brushes are not treated. Children with long hair should have their hair tied back at all times.

Ringworm: Exclude until the day after treatment has commenced. Contacts – do not exclude.

Rubella: Exclude from school. Re-admit on recovery or 4 days after onset of rash. Contacts – do not exclude.

Scabies: Exclude from school until effective treatment has been instituted. Family contacts will probably be infested and should be treated accordingly.

Please keep the school provided with up to date information regarding the immunization status of your child.

Further information on preventing infectious diseases can be found here.

 

Medication

Requests for school staff to administer ONLY prescribed medication must be made at the school office. Parents are asked NOT to make individual requests to the class teacher.

Parents who require the administration of medication to their children during school hours (including asthma preventatives or relievers) are asked to provide the medication to the school and to complete the necessary form. The school requests that prescription medication is supplied to the school in pharmacy labelled bottles.

 

Nut Products

An important issue at Campbell Primary School is the number of students enrolled within the school in a number of classes who have a severe allergy to nuts, and particularly peanuts. The WA Department of Health warns that the occurrence of nut allergy is rising and is of concern within the general community.

Our duty of care at this stage is focused upon the students within our care and who exhibit a variety of symptoms from minor to extremely severe on the slightest contact with nut based products.

In conjunction with the parents of the individual students and their teachers, action plans and awareness have been developed and are in place within the school. The students themselves are aware of their allergies and can avoid the products when obvious.

The difficulty is that in several instances the smallest and casual contact with nuts, nut dust and nut based spreads including peanut paste and hazelnut spread can cause a severe reaction.

As a result of discussions with the Department of Health and parents we are requesting that parents of all students avoid all nuts and the use of nut based spreads in the provision of snacks and lunches to students at the school. This means avoiding peanut paste, hazelnut spread and bags of nuts. It does not include muesli bars.

Understandably this is a difficult issue in terms of eating habits of children, but all parents would appreciate the need for Campbell Primary School and its community to ensure the safety of all students at our school and thank you for your co-operation. Parents who wish to discuss the issue further are asked to contact the school office.

 

Healthy Choices

Schools have a vital role to play in helping to reduce the worldwide epidemic of childhood obesity. They should reinforce nutrition messages being taught in the classroom by modelling healthy food and drink choices in their canteens, for class treats and on school camps and excursions

What is changing in public schools? In March 2006 the WA Government commissioned a review of the nutritional value of food sold in school canteens. The review included a survey of school canteens and a number of consultative forums.
The recommendations from the review have been used to inform the development of a new policy and set of standards for food in schools from 2007.

The policy and standards cover the food sold in school canteens as well as all areas where the Principal is directly responsible for the supply of food and drinks – for example, classroom rewards, school camps and excursions.

What are the benefits of healthy eating?

Good foods give children and adolescents all the nutrients they need to:

  • Grow and develop.
  • Concentrate and learn well at school.
  • Stay healthy throughout childhood and in adult life.

What’s missing in the diets of many children?

  • Fruits and vegetables – Many children eat very small amounts of these foods.
  • A healthy breakfast – Skipping breakfast often leads to snacking on sugary and fatty foods later in the day and leads to poor concentration.
    • Dairy products – Many children are not getting two to three serves of milk, cheese or yoghurt to meet their daily calcium needs.
  • Drinking enough water – Water is the best thirst quencher.

The policy has implications for positive rewards in classrooms, organization, management of the school canteen and types of activities sanctioned by the school. One immediate concern is the bringing of birthday cakes and treats to the classroom. This has implications under the healthy choices policy, under food preparation and the approach to a large number of students with a wide variety of allergies. In this instance the provision of birthday cakes and other food treats to classrooms is not permitted.

Crunch and Sip  www.crunchandsip.com.au

 

 Sun Protection

Campbell Primary School follows a “No Hat Seek Shade” Sun Protection policy through out the year.

The purpose of a Hat Policy at Campbell Primary School is as follows:

  1. To encourage all students to have protection from the sun when involved in outdoor activities.
  2. For students to develop sensible habits with regard to protection from harmful effects of the sun.
  3. To educate students to be aware of the dangers of exposure to the sun.
  4. To incorporate the school hat as an integral part of the school uniform.
  5. Parents are asked to provide a Campbell Primary School wide brimmed hat, or wide brimmed hat in the school colours.

UV levels and sun protection times are included in your local Bureau weather forecast, via www.bom.gov.au/uv or the BOM Weather app. You can also use the free SunSmart app to view sun protection times and current UV levels.

Sun protection measures are recommended when the UV Index is 3 and above. Remember you can still get burnt on cool or cloudy days – so think UV, not heat.

Learn about: skin cancer, being SunSmart, and how to incorporate sun protection strategies into your day to day activities.  Generation Sun Smart.

 

Head Lice

Campbell Primary School asks that all parents regularly check their child’s hair for head lice. If lice are found please treat promptly and inform the class teacher or school administration. Once the child has been treated the child may return to school.  If a student is found to have live head lice while attending school, the parents will be telephoned and asked to collect the student.

Find more information about head lice here.