Nurse

• A fever of 100° F or higher. Keep student home until they are 24 hours fever free without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
• Vomiting or diarrhea.
• Serious, sustained coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
• New rash accompanied by a fever. May return after rash resolves or the student is cleared by a healthcare provider.
• If a student is prescribed antibiotics for a contagious disease, the student may return to school after they have been on the antibiotic for 24 hours.
• Symptoms that prevent a student from participating in school activities or student is requiring more care than the school can safely provide.

If a student will not be at school for any reason, please call the front desk at 773-638-6103 and press “1” to report an absence.  If no one at CJA is able to answer a parent/guardian’s call, CJA asks that the parent/guardian leave a voice message.  The voice message should include the parent/guardian’s name, the absent child’s name and the reason for the child’s absence.

Promptly reporting a child’s absence to CJA is an essential part of the shared CJA – parent/guardian responsibility to keep every child safe who is entrusted to CJA’s care. 

When a student becomes ill during school hours, the student will be sent to the nurse’s office for evaluation.  If CJA determines that the student has an elevated temperature, gastrointestinal complaints or illness, or symptoms of a communicable illness or rash, a CJA representative will call the student’s parent/guardian and request that the parent/guardian or another approved adult pick up the student as soon as possible. 

A student may not return to CJA until the student has been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, has not had any gastrointestinal illness (vomiting, diarrhea) for 24 hours, and is fit and able to make it through the school day; or has a letter from a physician clearing the student to return to CJA.  A student returning to school following COVID-19 illness or close contact must follow Illinois Department of Public Health Protocol. 

If a child needs an early dismissal as a result of a doctor’s appointment or a similar obligation that cannot be scheduled for any other time, CJA asks parents/guardians to request the early dismissal at least 24 hours in advance by calling the front desk at 773-638-6103.  CJA asks for advance notice so that the child and the child’s teachers can work together to gather any learning materials they need to take home.  This enables the child to be more successful upon return to CJA. CJA understands emergencies come up and that 24-hours notice might not be possible in an emergency situation.

Please contact the school nurse directly to report any significant medical history.   Nurse Kiefer can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at (773) 783-0513.

If it is determined that medication must be given to a student at school, the procedure below will be followed:

• All prescription and over-the-counter medication will be administered by the school nurse. Students are not allowed to carry medications, with the following exceptions:
  • Students with Asthma may carry an inhaler. (Asthma Action Plan)
  • Students with IDDM may carry their insulin and supplies. (Diabetes Action Plan)
  • Students with severe allergies may carry an Epi-Pen. (Anaphylaxis Action Plan)
• Health Emergency & Authorization Form must be completely filled out and signed by the student’s parent or guardian and licensed prescriber.
• Prescription medication must be brought to the Nurse’s Office by a parent or guardian in the original container.
• The following over-the-counter medications are stocked in the Nurse’s Office:  generic Advil, Tylenol, Benadryl and TUMS.
• The School Nurse will dispose of any medications that are not picked up at the end of the school year.