School Mission and Philosophy

A child’s ability to learn is influenced by his/her health status; a child who is not healthy is unlikely to be alert, attentive and ready to learn. Pregnancy, depression, suicide, child abuse, complex diseases, and behavioral disorders are among the many problems that may affect a child’s ability to learn.  Recent trends in American society and family life frequently place children at risk for failure.  It is essential that the professionals who are working with children in our schools be expert in the assessment, planning and management of the multitude of problems so that students can gain optimally from their educational experiences.

School health services, provided in an interdisciplinary setting within the context of a coordinated school health program, can impact on the total health and educational development of the school-age child.  A coordinated school health program embraces a mission in which collaboration with community resources is fostered and everyone in the school shares responsibility for promoting good health.  Realizing this mission requires the mobilization of many resources from the home, school and community in order to meet the physical, social, intellectual, and mental health needs of students; to contribute to the well-being of school staff; and to create a healthful school environment for all.    

Mission Statement

The Ogdensburg City School district along with the Board of Education recognizes that good student health is vital to successful learning and realizes its responsibility, along with that of the parents, to protect and foster a safe and healthful environment for the students.

The school shall work closely with the student’s home to provide detection and preventive health services.  In accordance with law, the schools will provide yearly evaluations of each student within the district.  The school will provide continuous monitoring of the health needs of each student.  Emergency care and environmental safety will be provided for each student and staff member.

New York State Education Law Article 19- Medical and Health Services

All health services, policies and procedures will be subject to the rules and regulations of Article 19 for the promotion of health and well being of all students within the public school system of New York State.
 
Therefore, all health services provided within the Ogdensburg City School District will be mandated by Article 19.  Such policies are included in the following documents.

School health services to be provided:

• School health services shall be provided to each school district for all students attending the public schools in this state, except in the city school districts of the cities of New York, Buffalo and Rochester, as provided in this article.  School Health services shall include the services of a registered professional nurse, and shall also include such services as may be rendered as provided in this article in examining students for the existence of disease or disability and in testing the eyes and ears of such students.

• School health services for the purpose of this article shall mean the several procedures including but not limited to medical examinations, dental inspection and/or screening, scoliosis screening, vision screening and audiometer tests, designed to determine the health status of the child; to inform parents or other persons in parental relation to the child,  pupils and teachers of the individual child’s health condition subject to federal and state confidentiality laws; to guide parents, children and teachers in procedures for preventing and correcting defects and diseases; to instruct the school personnel in procedures to take in case of accident or illness; to survey and make necessary recommendations concerning the health and safety aspects of school facilities and the provision of health information.

Employment of Health Professionals

As used in this article, ‘health professionals’ means a person duly licensed or otherwise authorized to practice a health profession pursuant to applicable law, including, but not limited to, physicians, registered professional nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians assistants.

B.  The board of education shall employ at a compensation agreed upon by            
the parties, a qualified physician, or a nurse practitioner to the extent authorized by the nurse practice act.  The director of school health services, including any duties conferred on the school physician any provision of law, will perform and coordinate the provision of health services in the school district.  The physicians or nurse practitioners so employed shall be duly licensed pursuant to applicable law.

C.  Any such board or trustees may employ one or more registered professional nurses, as well as other health professionals, as may be required.  Such registered professional nurses and other health professionals shall aid the director of school health services of the district and shall perform such duties, including health instruction for the benefit of the public schools as may be prescribed by such board of trustees, in compliance with each such health professional’s practice act.
                    
D.  School health personnel, in collaboration with other school staff, are in a position to address the health-related needs of students and manage complex health care and family needs in order for students to be able to think, concentrate and meet academic objectives.  School health professionals serve on the student support services team to plan program adaptations for students with simple to complex health and learning needs.

School nursing is the pivotal component in the coordination, planning, provision and assessment of school health services.  School health professionals develop team relationships within the school and with community health care providers so that individual health needs are met and duplication of efforts and services is avoided.  School nursing personnel act as the liaison between home, school and the medical community regarding concerns that are likely to impact on a child’s ability to learn.

Students with Special Needs

The school nurse will provide an Individualized Health Care Plan (IHCP) for those students who are identified as special health care needs and are receiving Medicaid reimbursement.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.  The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.  Student health records fall under the umbrella of FERPA.