Health Services

The Meskwaki Settlement School’s Health Services programming is committed to keeping students in school, healthy, safe, and ready to learn. The school’s nurse works in conjunction with other staff and agencies to advance the well-being, health and safety, academic success and life-long wellness planning of each student through active collaboration with the student and his/her family members.

COVID-19 Health Precautions:

Click on the link below to be directed to required School Safety Precautions regarding COVID-19. * The Meskwaki Tribal Health Clinic is able to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to students ages 16 and older. Parental consent is required. See information below.

Sports Physical and Forms:

Click on the Athletic link below to be directed to required and recommended sports participation forms.

Flu Information:

Influenza (the flu) is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs caused by a variety of influenza viruses. Learn more by clicking the link below.

Illnesses:

The Meskwaki Settlement School has procedures in place for sending and keeping children home from school when they are ill to make sure that children are given an adequate amount of time and rest to get well before returning to school, and to prevent the spread of germs to other children and school staff.

COVID-19 Precautions:  Keep your child home from school according to IDPH guidelines and the CDC. Please contact the school immediately if you think your child has been exposed. See guidelines above.

Fever:  Keep your child home from school when he/she has a fever of 100° (F) or greater and for 24 hours after the fever has gone away, without taking acetaminophen (Tylenol™) or ibuprofen (Advil™, Motrin™).

Vomiting: The child should be free of symptom for 24 hours before returning to school.

Diarrhea: The child should be free of symptom for 24 hours before returning to school.

Cold Symptoms: Persistent nasal congestion, reddened eyes, sore throat, cough or headaches that disrupt the student’s learning or pose a risk of disease transmission to others.

Bacterial Infection: If your child is diagnosed with a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics, he/she will need to be on the antibiotics for a full 24 hours before returning to school.

Rash: Unexplained skin eruptions or rashes. When in doubt, consult your child’s doctor before sending your child to school.

Communicable Disease: Communicable illnesses in which you have been advised to remain out of school until cleared to return by the county health department or your child’s doctor.

Any other health condition that, in the school nurses judgment, is of concern for the others health and well-being and that of the child.

The school nurse or other school staff will contact you if your child becomes ill or seriously injured at school. If a parent/guardian cannot be reached, other individuals listed on the emergency contact list will be contacted. It is very important that you notify the school when there are changes to phone numbers and emergency contacts.

Please be sure the school has a telephone number where you can be reached in case your child becomes ill at school.

To minimize the spread of illness among students, report communicable diseases such as influenza, measles, whooping cough, hepatitis A, tuberculosis, chickenpox etc. to the school nurse immediately.

Returning to School: When your child returns to school after an illness he/she should be able to participate in the total school program including outdoor recess and physical education. Your child will be excused from outside recess and physical education after an illness only by a written recommendation from your family doctor or primary health care provider.

Health Links:

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act:

Student health records maintained by the school are considered part of the education record and a part of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”

  • Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student’s education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.
  • Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.
  • Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
    • School officials with legitimate educational interest;
    • Other schools to which a student is transferring;
    • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
    • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
    • Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
    • Accrediting organizations;
    • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
    • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
    • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, “directory” information such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.

For additional information, you may call 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) (voice). Individuals who use TDD may use the Federal Relay Service.

Or you may contact us at the following address:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-8520

Student Enrollment Health Requirements by Grade:

Requirements for Newly Enrolling Students

All children newly enrolling in an Iowa preschool, elementary or secondary school are required to provide certain health records.

An immunization record is required by the Iowa Department of Public Health to enroll a child in preschool.

Preschool (EC-2 & PK-4)

Schools are required to give all enrolling preschool students’ parents or a legal guardian a student vision card.

Kindergarten

All children newly enrolling are required to provide the school with a record of a dental screening performed by a licensed dentist, dental hygienist, nurse, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Dental, Lead and Vision Screening certificates may all be filled out by your Health Care Provider/doctor during your child’s school physical.

All children enrolling are required to have at least one lead test.

All children enrolling are required to have valid vision screening performed no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no more than 6 months after the date of the child’s enrollment.

Grade 3

All children enrolling or enrolled in grade 3 are required to have valid vision screening performed no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no more than 6 months after the date of the child’s enrollment.

Grade 7

All students entering 7th grade and above if born on or after September 15, 2000, shall have a one-time dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.

Beginning the 2017-2018 school year and thereafter, students entering 7th grade born on or after September 15, 2004 shall have one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (A,C,W,Y).

Grade 9

All children entering grade 9 are required to provide the school with a record of a dental screening performed by a licensed dentist or dental hygienist.

Grade 12

Beginning the 2017-2018 school year and thereafter, students entering 12th grade born on or after September 15, 1999 shall have two doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (A,C,W,Y); or 1 dose if one dose was previously received when the student was sixteen years of age or older.