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School Health

school health

Supervisor of Health Services and Health Education
Eileen DiBattista
edibattista@medford.k12.ma.us
781-393-2218

School Entrance

Kindergarten

The following is a list of the health office requirements for your child to enter school, see your school nurse if you have any questions.

Documentation of the following immunizations and screenings MUST accompany new Kindergarten Students on (and preferably before) the first day of school.

Hepatitis B — 3 doses complete
DTAP/DTP — 5 doses
Polio — 4 doses
HIB — 4 doses
MMR — 2 doses
Varicella — 1 dose vaccine or PHYSICIAN DOCUMENTED case of the disease
Lead Screen–with documented results
Tb test or physician documentation of low risk classification

A physical exam from the current calendar year is also required for entrance into kindergarten.

Grade 7

Those students entering grade 7 in the fall MUST bring documentation of the following immunizations on (or preferably before) the first day of school.

Hepatitis B — 3 complete doses
Tetanus (TD) Booster — 1 dose. New state requirements expect a TD booster every 5 years (old requirements were every 10 years).
Varicella Vaccine:
-if given before age 13, 1 dose.
-if given after age 13, 2 doses complete.
OR a physician documented case of the disease.

A physical exam from the current calendar year is also required for entrance into seventh grade.

New Students

Any student who is new to the Medford Public School system must present documentation of proper immunizations and a physical exam from the current calendar year before they will be allowed to attend school. Please bring this information when you come to register at the Parent Information Center located at Medford High School.

Medford City Board of Health offers free Immunization Clinics. All clinics are held at Medford City Hall, Room 303. For more information call 781-393-2560.

Physical Exams

Currently the school system requires a physical exam for entrance into kindergarten and seventh grade. When your child enters fourth grade an Interval Health History will be sent home so that you may update your child’s medical information with any changes. We request you return it fully completed with any pertinent medical information to the school health office as soon as possible after you receive it. As previously mentioned, any child new to the Medford Public School System will be required to present a physical from the current school year prior to entrance into school.

Medications

It may be necessary for your child to receive medication during the school day. Please click here to see Medford Public School’s requirements regarding medication in school. You may also download the necessary paperwork:

Swine Flu Information

Body Mass Index Screening Program for Grades 1, 4, 7, 10

Dear Parent/Guardian,

This is to inform you that during the school year, the Medford Public School’s will be conducting a Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening Program in grades 1, 4, 7, and 10. This screening program is mandated by the state (M.G.L.c.71 s.57).

A Body Mass Index or BMI is a measure that is used to show a person’s “weight for height for age.” It is calculated using a formula that includes an individual’s height and weight. A BMI can be a useful tool in identifying possible health risks.

The purpose of the BMI Screening Program is to give you information about your child’s weight status and ideas for living a healthy life. The results of your child’s BMI are strictly confidential. After your child is weighed and measured the BMI will be calculated and results will be mailed home to you. You are encouraged to share the results with your child’s physician, or if requested in writing by the parent/guardian, the school nurse will share them with your child’s physician. Your child’s doctor is in the best position to evaluate his or her overall health and will be able to explain the results of his or her BMI screening.

Parents/guardians may opt out of the BMI screening by writing a letter to the school nurse indicating that they do not want their child to participate.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about the BMI screening. Additional information about children’s wellness and fitness is available upon request or you may access the state’s resources at www.mass.gov/massinmotion/.

Sincerely,

Eileen DiBattista
Supervisor of Health Services and Health Education
781-393-2218

Medford Public Schools Wellness Policy

News

November 20, 2009

The Medford Public Schools Health Department is pleased to announce that Medford High School and Vocational Technical School are one of twelve districts selected by the University of Massachusetts Medical School to participate in a weight mangagement research study. The study will be conducted over the next three years and will provide all staff of the high school complex with state-of-the-art weight management tools including information on weight management, recipes, menus, and monitoring tools.

We know that more than 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Employers and overweight and obese employees incur significantcosts including increased medical expenditures, lost productivity, and weight-based discrimination. The research study is a unique opportunity for Medford High/Vocational School staff to improve their health.

Notices will soon be sent out for a December focus group conducted by UMass. Refreshments and a token incentive will be provided for participants.

Watch for enrollment activities starting this winter!