Health Guidelines

Do not send any food to school that has nuts, peanut oil, or any nut by-products in it, or has possible cross-contamination with peanuts or nuts such as sesame.  Also, due to severe contact and ingestion allergies to dairy, no dairy products will be served for snack.  This includes milk, cheese, cream cheese, dairy dips, yogurt, go-gurt and other dairy products. There are children in school with severe allergies to peanuts, nuts, and dairy. Therefore it is important for all adults to be conscientious and vigilant about protecting
highly allergic children. 

Please refer to Park West’s snack policy on page 11 of this handbook for a complete listing of Park West’s specific, mandatory snack policy.

If your child has an allergy or health issue of any kind, please notify the school as soon as possible.  These conditions may require additional documentation (an Authorization for Emergency Care form is available in the office) by the parents and the child’s physician.  Any medication provided to the school must follow the guidelines outlined on the Authorization for Emergency Care Form.  A Permission to Give Emergency Medication form at school must also be on file.

Your child is required to have a completed Certificate of Child Health Examination signed by a doctor on file before the start of school each year or s/he cannot be admitted to school.  This exam and medical form must be completed each year your child is enrolled in Park West. Licensing mandates children must be immunized for diphtheria, Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, rubella, tetanus, and chicken pox (varicella).

City and State departments of Public Health require a lead blood test with results on file. Any previous test result for lead is acceptable.  However, the results must be on each medical form submitted.  A TB skin test is recommended only for children in high-risk groups pursuant to CDC guidelines.

If your child has a fever, s/he cannot return to school until s/he has been fever-free for 24-hours.  Your child should also remain at home if  s/he has a hacking cough, rash, upset stomach, diarrhea, discolored mucous in the nose or any other unusual physical symptoms.  If your child arrives at school with any of these symptoms, we will ask you to take her/him home.  If any of these symptoms develop during the school session, the Director or teacher will call you immediately to come pick up your child.  Your child will be made comfortable in the school office or third floor conference space where s/he will be supervised by a familiar caregiver until you or a guardian arrives to take him/her home. 

DCFS guidelines require that all children thoroughly wash their hands each day before going to the classroom.  Assisting parents are asked to wash their hands upon arrival and throughout class time as events warrant. 

A full description of Park West’s hand washing policy is available in the Policy and Procedure Binder in the office.