Health Services

Health Services

Welcome to Chardon Schools Health Services! staff headshot photos: Nurse Chelsie Jackson, Nurse Sarah Park, Nurse Jennifer Trittschuh, Medical Asst Sara Alvord, and Medical Asst Renee Kolenich

REPORTING AN ABSENCE

black and white stock image of vintage phone

Parents/Guardians:  To report your student's absence, please call 440.285.4052 and follow the absence reporting instructions provided by the automated system.  
OVERVIEW of CHARDON SCHOOLS HEALTH SERVICES

  • health screenings

  • first aid

  • illness and injury evaluation

  • identification of communicable diseases/conditions

  • vision, hearing and postural screenings

  • medication monitoring and administration

  • health counseling

  • presentation/teaching of health topics

stock images of forms and a medicine bottle
SCHOOL HEALTH FORMS
The Chardon Board of Education has adopted a use of medications policy and emergency medications policy for ALL medications, prescription and non-prescription, given at school. Please become familiar with the medication policies on the District's Forms/Notices page linked below. All medications being dropped off (with required forms) with the school nurse must be transported to and from school by a parent or adult.

  • Please see the Health Services section of Forms/Notices for items that include:
    • *UPDATED FORM: Authorization for the Possession & Use of Asthma Inhaler/ Other Emergency Medications
    • *UPDATED FORM: Authorization for Prescribed Medication/Drug or Treatment
    • *UPDATED FORM: Authorization for NON-Prescribed Medication or Treatment (Grades 4-12)
    • *UPDATED FORM: Authorization for NON-Prescribed Medication or Treatment (Grades K-3)
    • Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
    • Notification to Parents on Bloodborne Pathogens
    • Proof of Health Exam Form
*UPDATED FORMS Note: At the end of the 2021-22 school year, families received a previously used Medication Permission Form in preparation for the 2022-23 school year. The previous form will be accepted during the initial back-to-school 2022 time period. However, if you have not yet completed that form, please instead use the Updated Authorization forms for the 2022-23 school year and going forward. Thank you!
Ohio Department of Health logo

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

State Law Immunization Requirements for School Attendance â€“ Ohio state law requires students to be adequately immunized against many communicable diseases in order to attend school. See the Ohio Department of Health's immunization requirements for school attendance in the links below.

Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, meningitis vaccine requirements for 7th and 12th graders were changed. The following are the current requirements in Ohio:

  • 7th-grade students are required to have one dose of the meningitis vaccine and one dose of the Tdap vaccine.
  • One dose of the Tdap vaccine must be administered on or after the 10th birthday. 
    **All students in grades 8-12 must have one documented Tdap dose. 12th-grade students are required to have two doses of meningitis (MCV4) at the age of 16 years, with a minimum interval of eight weeks between doses. If the first dose was given on or after the 16th birthday, only one dose is required.**
  • Vaccine should be administered according to the most recent version of the Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule
  • Check with your child’s pediatrician to make sure all immunizations, including boosters, are up-to-date.  Please provide updated immunization records to the school nurse as soon as possible.  Students, by law, will be excluded if they are not compliant, which affects both academics and sports participation.

    Please reference the summary/Ohio Department of Health links below for a complete list of vaccinations required for students attending Ohio Public Schools.
Nurse Chelsie Jackson at Park Elementary School in the 2020-21 school year involved in vision screening with two students.

HEALTH SCREENINGS
Chardon Schools follows Ohio Department of Health requirements and recommendations for health screenings. 

Vision Screening - Includes testing for distance acuity, muscle balance, stereopsis, and color vision. Mandated grade levels for vision screening are preschool, KDG, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.

Hearing Screening - Includes pure-tone air conduction testing.  Mandated grade levels for hearing screening at preschool, KDG, 1, 3, 5, 9, and 11.

Postural Screening - Includes a visual inspection of the spine for abnormal conditions, including scoliosis (S-shaped curve), kyphosis (hump back) and lordosis (sway back). Screenings will be done during PhysEd classes for selected grade levels.

FLUORIDE PROGRAM
A free fluoride mouthrinse program, sponsored by Ohio Department of Health and Northeast Ohio Dental Hygienists Association, is available to all elementary students. Fluoride is an effective preventative treatment for dental cavities in children. Parental permission is required for participation in this program. 
 
ILLNESS
When is my child sick enough to miss school? It is often difficult to make this judgment call, both for parents and school nurses. Below are guidelines school nurses use when determining when to send students home. These same guidelines may be useful to parents in deciding when to keep a child home in the morning.

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher (without fever reducing medication)
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Contagious-looking disease that requires exclusion from school per Ohio Department of Health guidelines (see Communicable Diseases chart)
• Injury that requires prompt medical evaluation (i.e., fracture)
• Best judgment

PROTECT YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH
Education is key to keeping your child healthy. Teach your child to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly, especially after toileting and before eating or food preparation. Teach you child that most harmful germs enter the body through the eyes, nose, and mouth and that it is important to keep their hands away from their face. Discourage sharing of personal items and encourage use and proper disposal of tissue. These simple practices can have a big impact on both the health of your child and your child’s school attendance.

PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES

COVID-19 PROCEDURAL NEWS

Public Health Prevention Strategies to Prevent the Transmission of COVID-19:

  • Wearing a facial covering/mask indoors
  • Avoiding face touching if hands have not been cleaned
  • Physical distancing when possible
  • Frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Hand sanitizing (with a sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol) when soap/water are not available
  • Covering sneezes with a tissue or inner elbow, and throw used tissues in trash receptacle
  • Staying home when not feeling well (see Home Health Screenings below)
  • Regularly disinfecting high-touch surfaces
  • Not sharing materials
Home Health Screenings
It is imperative that parents/guardians screen their children for illness/symptoms before coming to school each day and take appropriate action in not sending their child to school sick. If a student is using over-the-counter medications to control a headache or fever, they should not be in school.

If you or your child are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home and seek guidance from a primary health care provider.

Per the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 may include:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache*
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat*
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting*
  • Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible COVID-19 symptoms. Children and adolescents with the virus that causes COVID-19 may experience any, all, or none of these symptoms.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please don't hesitate to reach out to the Chardon Schools head nurse, Chelsie Jackson, or the Geauga County Health Department at 440.279.1900. Also for answers to your COVID-19 questions, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) or visit coronavirus.ohio.gov

Local Agencies

HEALTH SERVICES
CONTACT INFORMATION
by SCHOOL:

Chardon Early Learning Center logo
(Grades PreK & KDG)
Chelsie Jackson, School Nurse (& Department Head for District Health Services)
Sara Alvord, Medical Assistant
Clinic Phone:  440.285.4052 ext. 4470
Munson Elementary logo
(Grades 1-3)
Sarah Park, School Nurse
Renee Kolenich, Medical Assistant
Clinic Phone:  440.285.4052 ext. 5490
Park Elementary logo(Grades 1-3)
Sarah Park, School Nurse
Renee Kolenich, Medical Assistant
Clinic Phone:  440.285.4052 ext. 6481

Chardon Middle School logo
(Grades 4-7)
Jennifer Trittschuh, School Nurse
Clinic Phone:  440.285.4052 ext. 2457

Chardon High School logo
(Grades 8-12)
Chelsie Jackson, School Nurse (& Department Head for District Health Services)
Clinic Phone:  440.285.4052 ext. 1418
© 2023. Chardon Local School District. All Rights Reserved.