Health Center

What do I do if my child is sick?

What do I do if I keep my child home due to illness

• If your child is residential, call the cottage and leave a message
• Call the health center 360-947-3388
• Call the WSSB school secretary, 360-947-3309
• If your child rides the charter bus, please call the bus monitor, 360-921-0044

Health Center Roles

Registered Nurse (RN)

The RNs provide the day-to-day nursing care to all students at the WSSB.  Some of their responsibilities include administering prescribed medications, administering as-needed medications, assessing student’s health status and making necessary clinical judgments, assessing and treating injuries, carrying out necessary treatments such as wound care, communicable disease surveillance, communication with parents and staff about a student’s health condition, educating staff on emergency care procedures, education for students and staff on health promotion topics such as nutrition, sexual education and CPR/First Aid. 

 The Health Center RNs prepare Individualized Health Plans (IHP) for students in based on information provided by student, family and students licensed care provider as well as the nurse’s assessment and judgment.   IHP’s are designed to assist students to maintain and achieve their maximum level of health. The RNs in the Health Center strive to promote and prepare students to manage their health conditions independently when possible.

When indicated, the RN will also participate in the student’s IEP and include goals related to health. 

Parent/Guardian Expectations

The Health Center has the following expectations of all parents/guardians of WSSB students.

• Complete all Health Center forms prior to the beginning of the school year and provide a copy of their child’s Health Insurance card.
• Relay medical information directly to the Health Center Nurses 360-947-3388.
• Promptly notify the Health Center of changes to medications/new medications.
• Provide medications needed by their child to the Health Center in their original containers. Medications cannot be past their expiration dates.
• Meet with the Health Center before each school year on registration day.
• Schedule routine dental and medical appointments during vacations or on extended weekends.
• Provide the Health Center with documentation of a general medical exam every 1 years.
• Pick-up students when they are too ill to attend classes or are infected with a contagious disease.
• Notify the Health Center if their child has been exposed to a contagious disease.

What You Can Expect from the Health Center

• The Health Center will contact you before your child has a non-urgent contact with our consulting pediatricians.
• The Health Center will keep you informed of any changes in your child’s health.
• The Health Center and other trained staff will treat minor illness/injuries.
• The Health Center will transport your child to urgent/emergency care as needed.
• The Health Center will notify you if your child had been injured, contracted a communicable disease or come in contact with someone with a communicable disease.

Student Illness: WSSB Guidelines

Should my child stay home sick?  When would my child be sent home from school?

Our goal is to facilitate a healthy learning environment for all students.  If your child has any of the conditions or symptoms on the following list, please do not send them to school.  If your child comes to school with these symptoms, or gets any of these symptoms at school, you may be contacted to pick him or her up.

1. Any health condition (behavioral, physical or emotional)  which causes the student to be unable to participate in normal school activities (not including P.E. restrictions)
2. Symptoms of Contagious Diseases or Confirmed Contagious Diseases that include, but are not limited to the following:
   • Breathing difficulty, unresolved wheezing
   • Chicken Pox
   • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
   • Congestion (severe, unresolved, colored nasal drainage)
   • Cough that is persistent, coarse or has a whooping sound
   • Diarrhea and fever or unresolved diarrhea
   • Fever over 100.4 in the last 24 hours
   • Influenza “the flu”
   • Skin infections that are contagious or undiagnosed
   • Fungal infections or scalp or feet
   • Herpes Simplex (Cold Sores)
   •  Impetigo
   • Scabies
   • Vomiting/unable to eat due to nausea
3. Other conditions may be included on this at the discretion of the Health Center staff.

Students must be excluded from school attendance for any diarrhea or vomiting and may not return to school until 48 hours after last episode per Clark County Health Department precautions.