Health Services
Every Dedham school has a Health Office staffed by registered nurses trained to handle all of the day to day physical health needs of their school. As a key part of an interdisciplinary services team they closely with district and school teams to provide exceptional health services that support every student’s academic success and create a safe and healthy learning environment. A nurse leader supervises district-wide health office activities and assures compliance with regulatory standards set by the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health (MDPH) and Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). A school physician serves as an adviser to the nurses.
Among their many duties, school nurses administer physical screenings and are responsible for overseeing the safe use of any medications students need. They regularly communicate with families and school administration about ongoing illness trends and maintain student health records, including ensuring that all student vaccinations are up to date.
Back To School Health Updates
All students should have up to date immunizations prior to attending school.
All incoming 4th, 7th, and 11th grade students are required to submit a new physical exam with up to date immunizations.
7th graders should have an updated Tdap and Meningococcal vaccine along with their physical exam that includes a vision screen and scoliosis screen.
11th graders should have an updated Meningococcal vaccine along with their physical exam.
SNAP Health Portal
DPS Health Offices use the SNAP Health Portal to manage student health records and communications with families. Using the SNAP portal, families can:
- Enter or confirm your current contact information. Make sure we have your current cell phone and or home phone , and, very important, your current email address.
- Upload a copy of your child’s physical exam form. You can scan the form from your doctor or take a picture of it with your phone (just make sure the text on the form is readable in the picture).
- Give permission for your child to have Tylenol/Acetaminophen and Motrin/ibuprofen (OTC medications) at school. This permission must be given each school year and expires on the last day of school.
- Update medical conditions and upload doctor’s notes. Check the current medical conditions and alerts to see if they are still applicable to your child. Contact your nurse if there is a new condition that must be managed in school.
- Communicate directly with your school nurse!
You can also access the SNAP portal directly from your PowerSchool account.
When To Keep Students Home
To minimize the spread of infectious disease and to provide for a safe environment, students should be kept home from school for:
- Fever greater than 100° within the last 24 hours
- Fever should be under 100° for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before returning to school
- Vomiting-or-diarrhea within the last 24 hours
- A communicable disease
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- New loss of taste or smell
- Muscle aches or body aches not due to a known cause
- An upper respiratory illness with significant coughing and/or nasal discharge
- Pain that requires the use of narcotic medications
Dedham Health Policies
Contact The Health Team
Maria Antonuccio
Sheila Bennett MSN, RN, NCSN
Marie DiAngelis
Kathleen Duckworth
Donna Farrar
Laura FitzPatrick
Kaitlyn Kelly (Paris)
Carol Laurino
Kate O'Rourke
Important Document Links:
Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Plan
MA Asthma Action Plan
DPS Over The Counter Medication Form
DPS Prescription Medication Form