Skip to content

Health & Safety

COVID-19 & Other Respiratory Viruses

The Salmon River Central School District remains committed to minimizing the potential health and safety impact of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.
As of March, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health revised guidance concerning COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. It states when individuals can stay home and when they can return to normal activities after respiratory infections like COVID-19, influenza and RSV.
  • Individuals should stay home and away from others that have symptoms listed in the Should I come to school today chart per our school health policy.
  • Individuals can go back to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms have improved and they no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication (ie. Tylenol, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Motrin)
  • Individuals are NO LONGER REQUIRED TO BE OUT OF SCHOOL FOR FIVE DAYS! It is recommended that the person take precautions for the five days following taking additional steps with hygiene, masks and testing when around other people.

Should I come to school today?

Stay home if: You can return when:
You have a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. You are fever free without the assistance of medication for 24 hours (i.e. Tylenol, Motrin, Advil).
You have vomited within the past 24 hours. You have been free from vomiting for 24 hours.
You have diarrhea. You have been free from diarrhea for 24 hours.
You have a body rash with itching or fever. You are free from rash, itching or fever, and have been evaluated by your doctor, if needed.
You have an itchy head with active head lice. You have treated the lice with appropriate treatment at home.
You have an eye infection, with redness, itching and/or pus draining from the eye. You are free from drainage and/or have been evaluated by your doctor, if needed.
You have had a hospital stay or visited the hospital emergency room. You are released by your medical provider to return to school.
You have strep throat or another bacterial infection. You have been on an antibiotic for at least 24 hours and your medical provider has given permission to return to school.

Salmon River Central School District recommends that you see your medical provider when your child is sick and to follow their recommendations about returning to school and other activities.

2019-2020 School Year Reopening Plan
2020-2021 School Year Reopening Plan
2021-2022 School Year Reopening Plan
2022-2023 School Year Reopening Plan – The District is operating under current CDC and NYS DOH guidelines and will continue to update operations as changes occur to our Community Risk Level.  More information on CDC guidance can be found here. The current guidelines include:

  • optional mask wearing, unless symptomatic
  • proper hand washing etiquette
  • cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities
  • continued coordination with State and local health officials
  • reasonable accomodations for students with disabilities are made
  • Diagnostic and screening tests are encouraged
  • Prevention strategies will be implemented based on additional outbreaks

Immunizations

New York State Law requires students to have a number of vaccines in order to enter school.

2024-25 School Year NYS Immunization Requirements

New Law Ending Religious Exemptions

On June 13, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation removing non-medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements for children. The United States is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of measles in more than 25 years, with outbreaks in pockets of New York primarily driving the crisis. As a result of non-medical vaccination exemptions, many communities across New York have unacceptably low rates of vaccination, and those unvaccinated children can often attend school where they may spread the disease to other unvaccinated students, some of whom cannot receive vaccines due to medical conditions. This new law will help protect the public amid this ongoing outbreak.

What did the new law do?

As of June 13, 2019, there is no longer a religious exemption to the requirement that children be vaccinated against measles and other diseases to attend either:

  • • public, private or parochial school (for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade), or
  • • child day care settings.

For those children who had a religious exemption to vaccination, what are the deadlines for being vaccinated?

Children who are attending child day care or public, private or parochial school, and who had a religious exemption to required immunizations, must now receive the first age appropriate dose in each immunization series by June 28, 2019 to attend or remain in school or child day care. Also, by July 14, 2019 parents and guardians of such children must show that they have made appointments for all required follow-up doses. The deadlines for follow-up doses depend on the vaccine. The New York State Department of Health follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices catch-up immunization schedule and expects children to receive required doses consistent with Table 2 at the following link in order to continue to attend school or child day care: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf

What is the deadline for first dose vaccinations if my child is not attending school until September?

Parents and guardians of all children who do not have their required immunizations are encouraged to have them receive the first dose as soon as possible. The deadline for obtaining first dose vaccinations for children attending school in the fall is 14 days from the first day of school. Within 30 days of the first day of school, parents and guardians of such children must show that they have made appointments for all required follow-up doses.

More information:

FAQ 

Health Exams

As of July 1, 2018 New York State law requires a health examination for all students entering the school district for the first time and when entering Pre-K or K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th , and 11th grade.
The examination must be completed by a New York State licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner and on the approved NYSED Student Health Examination Form for School.
A dental certificate which states your child has been seen by a dentist or dental hygienist is also asked for at the same time.  The school will provide you with a list of dentists and registered dental hygienists who offer dental services on a free or reduced cost basis if you ask for it.
  • A copy of the health examination must be provided to the school within 30 days from when your child first starts at the school, and when your child starts K , 1st , 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th,  & 11th grades. If a copy is not given to the school within 30 days, the school will contact you.
  • If your child has an appointment for an exam during this school year that is after the first 30 days of school, please notify the Health Office with the date. If not they will see the school physician.

Screenings

The district’s School Health Services program supports your student’s academic success by promoting health in the school setting.  One way that we provide care for your student is by performing the health screenings as mandated by the State of New York.
During this school year, the following screenings will be required or completed at school:

Vision

  • Distance and near acuity for all newly entering students and students in Pre-K or Kindergarten, Grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11. Color perception screening for all newly entering students.

Hearing

  • Hearing screening for all newly entering students and students in Pre-K or Kindergarten, Grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11.

Scoliosis

  • Scoliosis (spinal curvature) screening for all girls in grades 5 and 7, and boys in grade 9.
  • A letter will be sent home if there are any findings on the screening done at school that would cause concern or need medical follow-up.  Please call the school’s Health Office if you have any questions or concerns.

New York BMI School Survey

As part of a required school health exam, a student is weighed and his/her height is measured.  These numbers are used to figure out the student’s body mass index or ‘BMI.’ The BMI helps the doctor or nurse know if the student’s weight is in a healthy range, or is too high or too low. Recent changes to New York State Education Law require that BMI and weight status group be included as part of the student’s school health exam.  Our school district has been selected to take part in a survey by the New York State Department of Health.  We may be reporting information about the weight status groups for students who were in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and in grades 2, 4, 7 and 10 during the 2020-2021 school year (this year’s Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th and 11th graders).  Only summary information will be sent.  No names and no information about individual students are sent.  However, you may choose to have your child‘s information excluded from this survey report.

If your child is in one of the grades which will have BMI information reported on the state survey, and you DO NOT wish to have your child’s weight status group information included in the survey, you are asked to submit a letter to the school nurse stating this.  Please contact your school nurse for more information.

For more information on BMI and healthy weights:

Medicine in School

In order for students to take medicine in school, the district must have written permission from a doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, written parent permission, and the medicine in the original container.

The district is not able to give or allow children to have cough drops, Tylenol, cough syrup, etc., at school without written permission from the doctor and parent. Learn More

Contagious Illness

If your child has signs of contagious illness, it may be a good idea to keep him or her home for the day, in order to recover and to avoid spreading the illness to classmates. Contagious illnesses include:

  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Frequent cough
  • Rash
  • Yellow discharge from the eye or ear
  • Lack of sleep   

Flu Resources

Keep your kids safe. Get their flu vaccine every year.

 

Is the flu more serious for kids?

  

Infants and young children are at greater risk for getting seriously ill from the flu. That’s why the New York State Department of Health recommends that

all children 6 months and older get the flu vaccine.
 

Flu vaccine may save your child’s life.

  

Most people with the flu are sick for about a week, and then they feel

better. But, some people, especially young children, pregnant women, older people, and people with chronic health problems can get very sick. Some can even die. An annual vaccine is the best way to protect your child from the flu. The vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older

every year.
 

What is the flu?

  

The flu, or influenza, is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu can spread from person to person.
 

Who needs the flu vaccine?

  

• Flu vaccine can be given to children 6 months and older.

• Children younger than 9 years old who get a vaccine for the first time need two doses.
 

How else can I

protect my child?

  

• Get the flu vaccine for yourself.

• Encourage your child’s close contacts to get the flu vaccine, too. This is very important if your child is younger than 5, or if he or she has a chronic health problem such as asthma (breathing disease) or diabetes (high blood sugar levels). Because children under 6 months can’t be vaccinated, they rely on those around them to get an annual flu vaccine.

• Wash your hands often and cover your coughs and sneezes. It’s best to use a tissue and quickly throw it away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. This will prevent the spread of germs.

• Tell your children to:

• Stay away from people who are sick;

• Clean their hands often;

• Keep their hands away from their face; and

• Cover coughs and sneezes to protect others.
 

What are signs of the flu?

  

The flu comes on suddenly. Most people with the flu feel very tired and have a high fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and

sore muscles. Some people, especially children, may also have stomach problems and diarrhea. The cough can last two or more weeks.
 

How does the flu spread?

  

People who have the flu usually cough, sneeze, and have a runny nose. The droplets in a cough, sneeze or runny nose contain the flu virus. Other people can get the flu by breathing in these droplets or by getting them in their nose or mouth.
 

How long can a sick person spread the flu to others?

  

Most healthy adults may be able to spread the flu from one day before getting sick to up to 5 days after getting sick. This can be longer in

children and in people who don’t fight disease as well (people with weaker immune systems).
 

What should I use to clean hands?

  

Wash your children’s hands with soap and water. Wash them for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. If soap and water are not handy, use a hand sanitizer. It should be rubbed into hands until the hands are dry.
 

What can I do if my child gets sick?

  

• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks lots of fluids.

• Talk with your child’s health care provider before giving your child over-the-counter medicine.

• Never give your child or teen aspirin, or medicine that has aspirin in it. It can cause serious problems.

• Call your child’s health care provider if your child develops flu symptoms and is younger than 5 or has a chronic medical condition like asthma, diabetes, or heart or lung disease.

• If you are worried about your child’s illness, call your health care provider.
 

Can my child go to school or day care with the flu?

  

No. If your child has the flu, he or she should stay home to rest. This helps avoid giving the flu to other children.
 

When can my child go back to school or day care after

having the flu?

  

Children with the flu should be isolated in the home, away from other

people. They should also stay home until they have no fever without the use of fever-control medicines and they feel well for 24 hours. Remind your child to protect others by covering his or her mouth when coughing or sneezing. You may want to send your child to school with some tissues, and a hand sanitizer, if allowed by the school.


For more information about the flu, visit health.ny.gov/flu or www.cdc.gov/flu.