Health & Wellness

The health office promotes health in the school setting and is staffed with medical professionals to serve student health needs.

District health services provide:

• Vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings;
• First aid for accidents and illness;
• Immunization record maintenance for all students;
• Medication administration.

Immunization Requirements

The New York State Department of Health and the New York State Education Department provide immunization requirements for children entering or enrolled in public school.

Parents/guardians should consult with their child’s physician regarding their child’s immunization schedule. Immunizations must be completed within 14 days of the start of the school year. Documented proof of immunizations should be sent to the health office as soon as possible. For more information on immunization requirements, please contact the health office.

Attendance

Please don’t send your child to school if they are sick. Children who are running an elevated temperature, have a rash, persistent cough, vomiting or diarrhea should remain home until they are feeling better. Children who have been running a temperature above 100 degrees should not return to school until they have been fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours.

Please call and leave a message with your child’s school to report your child’s absence.

• Elementary: 518-677-8527, ext. 1430
• Jr./Sr. High School: 518-677-8527, ext. 1414

When your child returns to school, they should bring a note to the health office explaining the reason for the absence. If we do not receive a note, it will be considered an unexcused absence.

Physical and Screening Information

All new students and students entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and 11th grades are required by law to present a copy of a current physical (done within the past 12 months) to the school nurse within 30 days of their first day of school. For those who do not have a physician, district health services will provide physicals for students entering these grades, as well as for students wishing to play sports.

Health physicals and screenings performed by school personnel provide a baseline measure of a student’s wellness and sensory functions. These evaluations are not equal in scope to evaluations performed by personnel at a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic. Children should have regular pediatric and dental care.

View the required NYS school health examination form.

Medications in School

For information about how and when medications are administered to students in school, view the Student Health Services Board policy.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

New York state requires schools to track each student’s body mass index (BMI) and weight status category as part of school health examinations. Every year, the New York State Department of Health surveys some schools for the number of students in each of six possible weight status categories. If Cambridge Central School District is surveyed by the state, the district will share summary group data only and will not share individual names or information. Parents/guardians who wish to exclude their child’s data from the summary group calculations must contact their child’s school nurse.

COVID-19

The information below is based on the latest guidance from the CDC.

Positive Cases

If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home until your symptoms are improving and you are fever-free for at least 24 hours without use of a fever-reducing medication. You no longer need to isolate for five days.

When returning to normal activities, individuals are encouraged to take the following prevention strategies for the next five days to curb disease spread:

• taking more steps for cleaner air,
• enhancing hygiene practices,
• wearing a well-fitting mask,
• keeping a distance from others,
• and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses

Reporting

Individuals are encouraged to report their positive COVID-19 tests to the school health office. Those who report a positive test to school will be reported to Washington County Public Health.

Tests

Insurance providers will no longer be required to waive costs or provide free COVID-19 tests. CDC’s no-cost COVID-19 testing locator can help people find current community and pharmacy partners.

Treatment

Medication to prevent severe COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, will remain available for free while supplies last. After that, the price will be determined by the medication manufacturer and your health insurance coverage. Check with your healthcare provider if you need early treatment to prevent severe COVID-19.

Vaccines

Access to COVID-19 vaccines will generally not be affected for now. The U.S. government is currently distributing free COVID-19 vaccines for all adults and children. If you are interested in getting vaccinated, call Washington County Public Health at 518-746-2400 to schedule your appointment.

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