"Hello Pirate Nation! I am so pleased to have the opportunity to care for our students and staff here at Martinsville. As a Martinsville alum, it feels great to serve a community close to my heart. " At MISD, we believe that healthy kids learn better! I am committed to helping you keep your student healthy, in school, and learning. This takes a team effort. Please let me know how I can best assist your child with any health needs.
Health Services
Meet Nurse Morgan
Any medications sent to school, prescription or nonprescription, must be brought directly to the nurse, in their original container and with a signed medication permission slip form (found below under 'printable health forms'. Printed copies also available in the school's front office).
Any students with asthma, severe allergies, diabetes, or seizures must have a school action plan on file (see appropriate health form below to complete).
All vision/hearing/spinal screening doctor referral forms need to be returned to the school nurse before the end of April. Please call if a new form is needed.
Parents/Guardians of 6th Grade Students - In addition to vaccines your child has already received, state law requires one dose of the meningococcal conjugate (MCV4) vaccine and a dose of the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine for students going into 7th grade. Please ensure the school nurse receives your child's updated vaccination records. The full vaccine requirements for 7th grade students can be found on the DSHS Immunization Unit website at https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunizations/school
Printable Health Forms
Exclusion from School for Health Reasons
To protect all students as well as our faculty and staff from communicable diseases, students with certain illnesses/diseases are not allowed to attend school while they are contagious. We ask that you follow these policies.
1. A student with any of the following symptoms will be excluded from school until the student is free of symptoms, has been satisfactorily treated, or submits a signed physician’s statement that he/she is not contagious.
Temperature of 100 degrees or more. (Keep student at home until fever-free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medications such as the use of Tylenol, Advil, or any other analgesic).
Sore throat/Painful swallowing with sudden onset (Strep throat must be treated with antibiotics for at least 24 hours before returning to school).
Undetermined rash over any part of the body (Get evaluated and treated by physician before return)
Undiagnosed scaly patches on the body or scalp
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. (Vomiting is defined as 2 or times in 24 hr. Diarrhea is defined as 3 or more watery stools in 24 hr.) Students must be symptom-free for 24 hours without medication before re-entry.
Red, draining eyes. (Pink Eye/Bacterial Conjunctivitis - must be taking antibiotics for 24 hours)
Intense itching with signs and symptoms of secondary infection.
Open, draining lesions (exclude until drainage from wounds or skin and soft tissue infections is contained and maintained in a clean dry bandage).
Jaundice/Signs of Hepatitis (Hep A is spread through person to person contact and/or consuming foods contaminated with Hep A)
2. The Principal or his/her designee, in collaboration with the school nurse will notify parents that the student must be excluded for medical reasons.
3. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to transport the student from school to his/her home. (Please ensure that we receive updated contact information).
4. For readmission, some diseases may require a statement from the student’s physician affirming that the student is not contagious.
A parent should contact the school nurse if a student has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Readmission criteria has changed. (Currently, those testing positive with COVID-19 may return to school once fever free for 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medications such as tylenol or motrin).
A full list of conditions for which the school must exclude children can be obtained from the school nurse.
If a student becomes ill during the school day, and the school nurse determines that the child should go home, the nurse will contact the parent.
The District is required to report certain contagious (communicable) diseases or illnesses to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) or our local/regional health authority.
The school nurse can provide information from DSHS on these notifiable conditions. The school nurse is available to answer any questions for parents who are concerned about whether or not their child should stay home.
These guidelines have been developed for the exclusion of students who have communicable or contagious diseases. These regulations are in compliance with the requirements of the Texas Department of State Health Services, http://txrules.elaws.us/rule/title25_chapter97_sec.97.7
Useful Links
Role of The School Nurse
To strengthen and facilitate the educational process by providing services that contribute to a student's achievement and/or maintenance of optimal health.
The School Nurse:
Serves as the child's advocate.
Provides specialized health care through health management plans.
Communicates with parents and guardians to ensure individual health needs are being appropriately met through the use of school action plans.
Assesses and evaluates individual growth and development.
Services as a liaison between parents, physicians, and community agencies.
Monitors student immunizations.
Evaluate and monitor communicable diseases and implement strategies to prevent the spread of disease.
Conducts health screenings.
Conducts health-related classroom instruction.
Member of special education teams, working with children with special needs.
Acts as a resource for faculty, parents, and students.