Who manages the Health Office:

‍
Leala Christensen, Health Office Assistant, RN-BSN Lchristensen@isla.school

‍
The Health Office Assistant, on-site RN, will work on an hourly schedule (currently planned 9:00am -
1:00pm) in the Health Office. Nurse Leala will assess student’s symptoms and complaints, treat
students with basic first aid as needed, administer scheduled and emergency medications, be on
site support for classroom teachers with IEP teams, perform vision/hearing screenings on request,
document health needs, and communicate with families and more!

Jessica Gielen, Director of Logistics jgielen@isla.school

‍
One of Jessica’s key roles is overseeing the functions of the Health Office. She will directly work with
the Health Assistant, communicate with families, monitor equipment/supplies, and provide active
wellness supervision at recess. Jessica will help in the afternoons to support our student’s health
needs. With a new behavior-focused teammate coming on full-time, Jessica will be able to put more
attention to the Health Office.

‍

Jess Smith, RN-BSN, PHN, LSN, Contract Licensed School Nurse from Navigate Care Consulting
Jess Smith is a licensed school nurse through Navigate Care Consulting. She will train ISLA staff,
consult on procedures, manage immunization reports, work on IEP teams, and more!

‍
Please review the Health Services Handbook 2025-2026 for Full
Description of Health Office Procedures.

‍

QUICK PARENT BREAKDOWN

‍
Forms (Please email completed forms to lchristensen@isla.school)

‍
2025-2026 Medication Administration Form – ANY medication to be administered at
school (must be signed by health care provider)

‍
2025-2026 Annual Health Form – we need this annual form at the start of each year. Can
also be found in Brightwheel in each student’s account.

‍
Special Diet Form – For any diet/allergy changes. We need this for ordering purposes,
required by the state to accommodate these specialty orders. Needs to be signed by a
provider, unless the request is for lactose-reduced milk- then we need just a parent signature.

‍

IS MY CHILD WELL ENOUGH TO GO TO SCHOOL?

‍
Please notify the Health Office as soon as possible if your child is diagnosed with any contagious
or infectious disease healthoffice@isla.school.

‍
Here are some guidelines to help in the decision-making process.

‍
 Fever - A temperature of 100 F or higher is considered a sign of illness. Your child should
stay home until fever has stabilized and returned to normal for 24 hours without the use of
medication.
 Vomiting, Diarrhea or Severe Nausea - Children should stay at home for 24 hours after the
last episode of vomiting or diarrhea AND they should be able to tolerate a normal diet without
further episodes.
 Infectious Diseases - Child's return to school will depend upon the recommended isolation
and recovery time for the specific disease; general guidelines are fever-free for 24 hours,
symptoms have been steadily improving for 24 hours and return to normal energy level.
 Coughing/Sneezing/Runny Nose - Child's cough, sneeze and runny nose should be
occasional, infrequent, and not disruptive to the classroom. The child should be able to
manage symptoms and demonstrate use of good hygiene practices.
 Rashes - If your child has a new rash, check in with your healthcare provider to see if the
rash is something contagious before sending them to school.
 Fatigue/Lethargic/Low Energy/No Appetite - If your child is just not 'feeling like
themselves,' they are more tired than usual, don't have an appetite, are clingy, or complain
about pain, it could mean that they are coming down with an illness. It can be helpful to let
them rest at home and see whether symptoms worsen or improve. Once their energy level
has returned to normal, they are eating well, they get a good night's rest, and they are back
to their usual playfulness, that means they will likely have a productive day at school, and
they can return.
 Injury – If your child had an injury and was seen by a provider with “activity restrictions”
and/or “excused absences” or needs “accommodations” to return to school, we need a
doctor’s note to plan safely for your child to be at school. We need this to plan and notify all
staff involved.
o Please also ask the doctor for a Medication Administration Form (Available
also in Brightwheel) to be filled out for any medication (including over the counter
medication) to be administered and returned to lchristensen@isla.school.

‍

Medications at School

‍
In order to administer any medication, a Medication Administration Form needs to be completed and
signed by the healthcare provider and parent/guardian prior to the administration of any prescribed
or over the counter medication (this includes things such as ibuprofen, Tums, Tylenol, etc.)

‍
 Medication is to be brought to school in the original container with the pharmacy label (if
prescription)
 Prescription medication must be hand delivered by the parent or guardian to the health office
assistant; students may not bring these items to school on their own.

‍
All medications will be locked in the health office and administered by trained personnel.

Emergency Medications- All emergency medications MUST be provided are locked in the
health office.

‍
Emergency Action Plans signed by a provider are the medication administration forms needed for
Emergency Medications (Inhalers, EpiPens, etc.) Health Office Assistant must follow the plans as
ordered, if the plan needs to be adjusted then please request a new updated Emergency Action Plan
from the provider. All medications are kept in the Health Office, the only exceptions are medications
for certain emergency conditions as directed by an Individual Health Plan (IHP), Emergency Action
plan, 504, or Individual Education Plan (IEP).

‍
 During the field trip: If there is an emergency requiring the use of an emergency medication
or an injury that prevents a child to perform their normal daily activities, a parent will be
contacted on the trip.

‍
OTHER Important Information:
Immunizations

‍
Required Immunizations for Kindergarten Children:
 5 DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis)
 4 polio
 2 MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
 Hepatitis B Series
 2 Varicella or documented history of disease

‍
The state of Minnesota has specific requirements for immunizations for students that are mandated
by law. All families are required to provide proof of immunization for each child or appropriate
documentation exempting the student from such immunization and such other data necessary to
ensure that the student is free from any communicable disease (Minn. Stat 13.32 Educational Data;
Minn Stat. 121A.17 School Board Responsibilities; Minn Stat. 144.29 Health Records; Minn Stat.
144.3351 Immunization Data.

‍
The Health Office Assistant and/or Office Manager collects this information as students enroll.
Families are provided with information on immunizations needed within their enrollment packet. All
information is housed on site and locked. The School Nurse contracted by Navigate oversees the
immunization reporting and compliance needs.

‍
Vision and Hearing Screening

‍
If you have specific concerns about your child's hearing or vision, please reach out to the Health Office Assistant at lchristensen@isla.school . Complete screenings can be done for students by request of the parent or teacher.

‍

Early Childhood Screenings

Screening is a quick, no-cost check to identify possible health or developmental concerns in infants
and young children who may need a health assessment, mental health assessment or educational
evaluation. Screening does not diagnose. Screening in early childhood supports children's learning and promotes health and development. Screening may link families to free early learning
opportunities and resources such as Head Start, Early Childhood Family Education, prekindergarten
programs, Early Childhood Special Education, Early Learning Scholarships, home visiting programs, or other resources.

‍
The Early Childhood Screening program includes vision and hearing, height and weight,
immunization review, review of health care coverage, risk factors which may impact learning, large
and small muscles, thinking, language and speaking skills as well as parent report of social
emotional development, and a parent summary meeting. Early Childhood Screening (ECS) by a
school district or evidence of a comparable screening by a non-school provider is required for
entrance in Minnesota’s public schools.

‍
Non-school providers who can provide comparable screenings include Head Start, Child and Teen
Checkups/Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) or your health care
provider. Screening must take place between age 3 and kindergarten, or within the first 30 days of
kindergarten or first grade. Screening between the ages of 3 and 4 provides the best opportunity for
any health or developmental concerns to be found early.

‍
The screening is also required within the first 90 days of attendance (if not done previously) for the
following early learning programs: School Readiness, school readiness plus, voluntary
prekindergarten (VPK) and early learning scholarships. Early Childhood Screening is offered
throughout the year by local school districts. Please call your local school district to
schedule a screening for your child.

‍
If a parent is a conscientious objector or does not want the screening for their child, they may give
the district a signed statement and the child does not need to complete the screening (Minnesota
Statutes, Section 121A.17, Subdivision 3(e). View Minnesota Statutes, sections 142D.09-142D.093
and Minnesota Rules, part 3530.3000-4310 for more information.

‍

Lead Testing Plan and Results

‍
The ISLA facilities committee conducts biennial testing of its water, surpassing the state requirement
of testing water every five years. The last test on 9/7/2024 revealed lead in two faucets. Both tested
lead-free after flushing, and a flushing program was implemented until repairs could be made. The
faucets have since been replaced and are now officially lead-free as of 11/1/24. All drinking fountains tested free from lead. The tests also revealed absolutely NO evidence of 17 other parameters, including chlorine, copper, mercury, E-Coli bacteria, or Coliform.

‍
State Health Care Resources

‍
We want all students to receive affordable and appropriate health care. You can find information
about health care assistance through Medical Assistance and Minnesota Care. Additional
information and resources about Minnesota health care programs can be found on the Minnesota
Department of Human Services Health care programs webpage.

‍

‍

‍