It is important that you call the school if your child is absent or arriving late. Please report all absences to the Attendance Line at 403-777-8590 ext. 1.

COVID-19

(Update October 7, 2020) AHS has been working hard to ensure that parents/guardians and families understand what is
expected of them during the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, we have launched a tool to provide guidance for parents of children attending school (or childcare). The tool walks through symptoms and provides information about next steps for testing and isolation, when household members need to isolate and when children can return to school. The tool is now available at ahs.ca/parentCOVIDGuide. 

Parents/guardians and school staff with questions about their own health or the health of their child should call Health Link at 811 or visit ahs.ca/testing.
• Individuals looking for general COVID-19 information are encouraged to visit ahs.ca/covid/ or alberta.ca/covid19.

Alberta Health Daily Checklist 

Before leaving home, staff, children/students, visitors, and volunteers who will access the school for work or education, must self-screen for symptoms each day that they enter the school using the Alberta Health Daily Checklist.

How Long to Stay Home From School guidelines

How Long to Stay home From School

Health Measures

My child(ren) has asthma, allergies and/or seasonal allergies that can cause similar symptoms to COVID-19. Do they have to complete a COVID-19 test prior to school commencing?

Yes. According to Alberta Health Services Guidelines, a student showing COVID-19 symptoms who has allergies or other pre-existing medical conditions that cause similar symptoms must get at least one negative COVID-19 test result before returning to school. These symptoms would be their baseline health status. The student can attend school as long as they stay the same. Talk to your school about your child’s pre-existing medical conditions so the school may keep a confidential record of these conditions, as they would with other medical conditions.

Illness

What is the illness policy for staff and students?

Students and staff must assess their health daily. If they feel ill, they must stay home, and take the AHS Online Self-Assessment tool to determine if they should be tested. Please see the "If a student has COVID-19 Symptoms" guidance from AHS.

If my child has to self-isolate, how will the opportunity for learning continue?

In the case of self-isolation:

If a child is self-isolating and is well-enough to engage in school work, the classroom teacher will continue to provide work and support.

If a child is not well enough to continue learning at home with teacher support, accommodations for the child’s learning will take place upon the child’s return to classes. The teacher will assess the expectations for learning for the child and provide the appropriate accommodations.

Medical Release Forms

School personnel are not allowed to dispense any medication to a student without a completed medication release form in place. This includes common pain medication such as Tylenol. If your child requires medication at school, please access this form from the office. If your child has ongoing medical concerns it is very important that the school be made aware so that we are prepared to assist your child in the case of an emergency. (Forms are also available on the CBE website.)

Medical Alerts & Collecting Information at the School Level 

Parents of children with severe allergies or medical conditions that could impact them at school are required to advise the principal and classroom teacher at the beginning of the school year. We must have emergency contact information, a recent photograph, and other pertinent information so that the school can have an appropriate plan on file as well as emergency procedures in place. Medical forms must be completed on an annual basis. Students who require an EpiPen on site should consider wearing one in a fanny pack each day, as well as having one stored in the infirmary. Students are often well away from the building during recess, lunch breaks and outdoor physical education periods. In the interest of immediate intervention, if ever required, a supervisor who is trained to administer the EpiPen could access the EpiPen immediately from the fanny pack. 

Allergies

Nellie McClung School is an allergy aware school. This means that Nellie McClung staff work with students and staff to create a safe and healthy environment for all students. It is important to inform the school office and your child’s teacher regarding any allergies or medical information that might impact them at school. Parents with children with allergies and/or a medical condition complete the Student Health Emergency Response Protocol Form each year and submit it to the school office. Medical information is shared with all staff. Staff will make reasonable accommodations for students with allergies. Although the school cannot ban certain kinds of foods, we strongly recommend students to do not send food with peanuts to school. Alberta Health has provided a guide for peanut free snacks. If you have specific concerns, please contact your child’s teacher for classroom questions and the main office for lunchroom and school-wide concerns. Please do not send food to school for your child to share with others due to food allergies and sensitivities. If teachers anticipate having food in the classroom for special events, parents will be notified.

Medication & Dispensing

Parents need to be aware that school personnel are not authorized to dispense medication without the written consent of the parent on a Student Health Emergency Response Protocol Form. It is necessary to complete this form if your child has any medication, such as an inhaler which can be self-administered. This form is available from the office and must be completed each school year. If children are required to receive simple, straight forward medication (including Ventolin inhalers) during the school day, the classroom teacher and office must be informed. Medication should be kept in the school office instead of backpacks unless necessary (for example an epi-pen).

Injuries at School

Should your child be injured at school the following procedures will be followed:

• A school staff member will take action to ensure the safety of the student and administer minor first aid
• The parent or guardian will be telephoned and appraised of the situation and asked, if necessary, to come to school, and advise us of their wishes regarding their child’s injury
• If we are unable to contact the parent/guardian or emergency contact person, an administrator will decide if emergency treatment is necessary
• If emergency treatment appears to be necessary, the child will be transported to a Hospital, at the parents’ / guardians’ expense. Parents/guardians will be contacted as soon as possible.