Health and Safety
Health
When to Keep Your Child at Home
COMMON HEALTH CONDITIONS
School nurses monitor for symptoms of communicable, or infectious health conditions. When symptoms exist, your child may not attend school.
If symptoms occur in school, you will be contacted and you must pick your child up from school.
If your child is diagnosed with an infectious illness or has symptoms of an infectious condition at home, you must keep your child home from school.
There are some contagious conditions that carry special requirements about returning to school. If your student has a condition or illness about which you are unsure with regard to school attendance, please contact your school nurse to get information before sending your child back to school. We want to be a partner with parents in promoting the very highest level of wellness for each student in our school environment.
The following guidelines must be adhered to:
Persistent Fever: Oral or tympanic temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher: Cannot attend school until fever free for at least twenty-four hours without fever-reducing medication. Students who exhibit first symptoms at home will require a parent or healthcare provider excuse.
Acute Persistent Vomiting or Diarrhea: Students who exhibit first symptoms at home will require a parent or healthcare provider excuse.
Pink Eye: Cannot attend school until twenty-four hours after medical treatment or a note of clearance from a healthcare provider. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.
Chicken Pox: Cannot attend school until all blisters have formed scabs. Healthcare provider excuse required.
Strep Throat: Cannot attend school until twenty-four hours after prescribed medical treatment has been started and has been fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Healthcare provider excuse required.
Flu or COVID: Cannot attend until fever free 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. A parent should inform the school nurse if their child is diagnosed with the flu or Covid. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.
Impetigo: Cannot attend school until 24 hours after prescribed medical treatment has been started. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.
Ringworm: Cannot attend school until treatment has been started. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.
MRSA “Staph infection”: Cannot attend school until prescribed medical treatment is started, fever is absent, and the area is covered and drainage is not seeping through bandages. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.
If head lice are identified at school, the school nurse will notify the parent or guardian and provide education on appropriate treatment. For more information about head lice:
Select the + icons below to view detailed health information.
- Additional Health Forms
- Backpack
- Flu Information
- Immunization Information
- Medication at School
- Meningococcal Disease
- Sunscreen at School
Additional Health Forms
- Visit the Vagus Nerve Stimulator Authorization Form
- Visit the Catheterization Authorization Form
- Visit the G-Tube Care Authorization Form
- Visit the Trach Authorization Form
Backpack
Flu Information
Immunization Information
Medication at School
The Alabama Department of Education has recently made some updates regarding medication at school. Please review the updated Parent/Prescriber Authorization Form (PPA) and our TCS Medication Guidelines. Changes to note include:
- All medications, prescription and over the counter (OTC), require a Parent/Prescriber Authorization Form (PPA) with a parent's signature. Prescription medications or any medications that are not FDA approved also require a prescriber signature as well as a parent's signature.
- The Parent/Prescriber Authorization Form (PPA) has been updated. Please use the updated form for any medication to be given at school. There will be a grace period for use of the previous version of the PPA for those who have already obtained signatures on that version. If you have already obtained a prescriber signature on the outdated version of the form for this school year, you do not need to resubmit a new form until your signed form expires.
- TCS school nurses will no longer be able to keep Over The Counter (OTC) medications at school for longer than a period of ten school days without a prescriber signature. OTC medications to be kept at school for ten school days or less do not require a prescriber signature.
- Please review the Medication Guidelines document for other important information and contact your school nurse if you have questions or need assistance.
Meningococcal Disease
- For more information, visit the Meningococcal Disease Information document
Sunscreen at School
- Sunscreen at School Law
- According to the CDC, application of sunscreen while outdoors is a simple step to protect yourself from the harm of overexposure to sunlight's UVA and UVB rays. A sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher should be applied at least every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating. Follow the directions on the sunscreen bottle label.
Safety
Our #1 goal is to ensure that at Trussville City Schools is a safe environment for our Huskies. To do this, we hold a variety of safety drills throughout the year. Safety drills enhance school safety by allowing students and staff to understand proper emergency procedures outside of a crisis situation.
TCS will participate in the following drills throughout the year.
- Fire Drill: Students and staff practice exiting the building in case of a fire.
- Tornado Drill: Students and staff take safety position ... in case of a tornado.
- Intruder Drill: Students and staff will be training, practicing, and drilling the protocol.
Open Gate Metal Detection System
Staff will use Open Gate Metal Detectors to check students and their materials/backpacks as they enter the building.
School Counseling Program
PES COUNSELING PROGRAM
Christy Naylor- Counselor for K/1st
Christy.Naylor@tcsk12.us
205-228-3221
Kimberly Mauldin- Counselor for 2nd/3rd
Kimberly.Mauldin@tcsk12.us
205-228-3225
Merita McCluney- Counselor for 4th/5th
Merita.McCluney@tcsk12.us
205-228-3407
Counseling Mission Statement:
The mission of the PES school counseling program is to effectively provide a comprehensive K-5 curriculum that fosters growth in academic, career, and personal/social domains within a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment.
What is the role of School Counselors?
Social and emotional wellness is key to academic success. Our job is to support our students so that they can be their best, both academically & socially. We accomplish this goal in the following ways throughout the school day:
• Meet with students individually (1-on-1.) Teachers, parents, & students can request individual sessions for short term support.
• Lead peer support small groups to help students learn & reinforce life skills.
• Conduct character education classroom lessons bi-weekly with all K-5 classes.
• Coordinate CORE Essentials program (our character focus for the month.)
• Facilitate school-wide & state initiatives throughout the year (ex: Red Ribbon Drug Awareness Week, Attendance Awareness Month, Kindness Week, School Food Drives & Service Projects.)
• Support teachers & parents with any needs or concerns they have.
• Help link parents with community agencies for support & possible referrals if more in-depth mental health services are needed.
• Crisis intervention when warranted for student well-being & safety.
* Please note, school counselors cannot provide long term, mental health therapy. This is outside
of their scope & expertise.
* School counselors support students at school while remaining a neutral party. Please refrain
from involving them in custody issues or family court decisions.
School Counseling Curriculum
All students participate in character education and guidance lessons with the counselors during a set rotation on the specials schedule. Lessons are developed following the Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance State Model for Alabama Public Schools and address the following three areas as outlined by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model:
Academic Development
• Goal setting
• Test-Taking & Study Skills
• Being a Responsible Learner
•Time Management/Organization
Personal/Social Development
• Bully Prevention
• Growth Mindset
• Health & Wellness
• Positive Self-Esteem
• Decision Making
• Emotions & Self-Control
• Resolving Conflict & Respect
• Making & Keeping Friends
• Personal Body Safety (Erin’s Law)
• Coping Skills, Suicide Awareness & Prevention (Jason Flatt Act)
Career Development
• Career Exploration
•Self-Awareness & Personal Interests
•Working Cooperatively with Others
*The topics above are just a sample of lessons taught based on the ASCA model & mandated State Plan.
F.A.Q.’s
Will information concerning my child be confidential?
Yes, except for student disclosure of intent to harm self or others, or if someone is harming your child. Details of your child’s counseling relationship will be kept in strict confidence unless you or your child give us permission to share the contents of a check-in session or if we are ordered to do so by a court of law. We may consult with colleagues for supervision with the understanding that we will not disclose your child's name or other identifiable information. Counselors communicate with parents as needed. It is not feasible to report to parents after every check-in due to the size of our caseload. We are also trying to build trust and rapport with our students. We do encourage children to talk openly with their parents as well.
Do only students with problems talk to the counselor?
Not at all. The counselor is someone students trust and feel comfortable with- a caring adult who listens. Students visit for many reasons: to share good news, celebrate achievements, or to simply have someone take time to hear what’s on their mind. Seeing the counselor is for every student, not just those facing challenges.