Please see below for more detailed information regarding our school's health policies. By working together, we can create a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Nurse Jenn at jarneson@wcsks.com.

In an effort to simplify the process and monitor student attendance more effectively, please report all absences (illness, medical/dental appointments, travel, personal, health-related, etc.) to the following email: attendance@wcsks.com.

• In the subject line, please list your student/students’ First & Last Name and Grade.

• If you are reporting multiple students’ absences, please list all  names/grades in the subject line. 

• In the body of the email, please include the nature of the absence/absences, symptoms of illness, and any pertinent information you wish to share. 

• You will receive a confirmation email from your student’s division to let you know it was received. 

• The EC, LS, and MS divisions will notify your student’s teachers of the student's absence.  

• If the absence is due to illness or is medical/health-related, the school nurse will reach out if necessary and/or requested. 

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our medication policy. If your child requires medication during school hours, it is important that you adhere to the guidelines outlined in the policy. This ensures that medication is administered safely and effectively, and that any potential risks or allergies are duly addressed.

Should your child in Grades 1-12 require medication to be administered on campus, please complete the Request to Administer Medication Form. Early Childhood students requiring medication administration at school should complete the Short Term or Long Term Medication Authorization Form. All medications require a parent's signature while prescription medications require a physician's signature. 

In the event your child should need emergency medications administered for asthma or anaphylactic food allergies, please complete the forms listed below for each medical condition. 

• Food Allergy

• Asthma

Wichita Collegiate School follows the KDHE Reportable Diseases in Kansas Regulation (PDF).
Students with the following health condition(s) shall be excluded from school:

• Oral temperature of 100 degrees F or higher

• Elevated (or possibly a normal) temperature combined with any of the following: a severe cold with yellow-green nasal discharge, excessive coughing, swollen glands, or skin rash

• Eyes inflamed with purulent discharge; if bacterial, may return to school 24 hours after first dose of medication.

• Respiratory viruses (Influenza, COVID-19, RSV)

• Drainage from ear(s)

• Skin lesions (i.e. impetigo, ringworm and scabies) until under treatment with approved medication (consult school nurse for length of time)

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea (i.e. two or more loose stools)

• Fainting, seizure, or general signs of listlessness

• Questions about other communicable diseases such as fifth's disease, chickenpox, head lice, hand / foot / mouth syndrome, etc. should be directed to your child's school nurse.

Students can return to campus after being fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and symptoms have improved overall. Students with some conditions may return to school after being treated for 24 hours with an antibiotic. Call the school nurse for specific readmission guidelines.

• Please inform the school nurse of a chronic health condition and all emergency medications prescribed for your child. A registered nurse will be on campus to provide case management and care for students with chronic (diabetes, asthma) and acute (concussion, broken bones) health conditions requiring treatment or accommodation during school.

• Injectable epinephrine (Epi-Pen) will be provided by the student/family, stored and available for use in the presence of potential anaphylaxis (life-threatening allergic reaction). Use of an Epi-Pen requires an immediate call to 911 and parents/guardians. Parents of students with a known history of potential for a serious allergic reaction are advised to visit with their physician regarding the need for student-specific medication and communicate those needs with the school nurse. Refer to the Medication Policy for procedures to follow in order to allow a student to self-carry and self-administer emergency allergy or asthma medication.

Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others. Symptoms may include but are not limited to chest discomfort, chills, cough, decrease in appetite, diarrhea, fatigue (tiredness), fever or feeling feverish, headache, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, vomiting, weakness, wheezing.

Return to School/Work // You can resume your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:

• Your symptoms are getting better overall, and

• You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).  When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.

• Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.

• If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: 

  • your symptoms are improving overall AND

  • you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.

Treatment // Seek health care right away for testing and/or treatment if you believe you may have a respiratory virus (if you feel sick or tested positive for one) and you have risk factors for severe illness. If you have flu or COVID-19, treatment may be an option to make your symptoms less severe and shorten the time you are sick. Treatment needs to be started within a few days of when your symptoms begin.

For more information //  CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance

Jenn Arneson, BSN, RN

O: (316) 771-2210

C: (316) 990-0859

jarneson@wcsks.com