Oneonta City

School District

Health Services

Entry Requirements

State education laws require the following for entry into kindergarten:

A current physical given within the last year
An up-to-date immunization (shot) record

Students entering first, third and fifth grades will also need physicals, as well as students entering the district, those referred to or from the Committee on Special Education, and when deemed necessary by the district administration to determine a student's educational program.

More information about immunization requirements is available from the New York State Department of Health. If you have questions about what immunizations your child needs, please contact the health office or speak with your child's doctor.

Medications in School

If your child needs to take medication in school, please provide:

A note from the doctor's office
A note from the parent/guardian
The medication in the original bottle

This applies to prescription medication and over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol.

All medication must be brought to school by a parent. DO NOT send medication in with your child. All medication must be given through the health office. Children are not allowed to carry and take their own medication. This keeps everyone safe.

To authorize permission, parents can provide their doctor with the medication form linked on this page, or just request a doctor's note.

Dental Form

New York state requests that students entering kindergarten, first grade, third grade and fifth grade provide a dental health certificate. The dental health certificate can be downloaded and printed out from this page. Please ask your dentist to fill it out, and once completed, please return to the nurse's office.

Absent or Tardy

Please call the school if your child will be tardy or absent. If you don’t call before 9:30am, you will get an automated phone call checking on your child’s absence. We want to make sure your child is safe, and if they are not in school, that they are home.

Upon return to school, you will need to provide a written note regarding your child’s absence or late arrival. Your child will be considered illegally absent from school (even if you call) until we receive a written note from you.

Recess and Gym Excuses

Your child may be excused from gym for one day with a parent note or request. After that a doctor’s note is needed. If a child is excused from gym by the doctor, we will need another note stating when they are able to go back to gym.

Please send your child to school in sneakers, especially on gym days.

When To Keep Your Child Home

Illness: If your child is running a fever of 100 F or higher, is vomiting or has diarrhea, they should stay home. Parents are asked not to give children Tylenol or something similar to lower their fever and send them anyway, or the school will call parents to have the child picked up when it wears off.

A child needs to be without a fever, vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours before sending them back to school. If they are on an antibiotic for a contagious illness, such as strep throat, they need to be on that medication for a full 24 hours before returning to school so they don’t spread the strep throat to others.

Lice: Oneonta City School District has a no-nit policy. If a child has lice and/or nits, they will need to be treated and clear of lice/nits before returning to school. When they do return to school, they need to see the school nurse first thing.

Change of Clothes

It is recommended to send in a change of clothes for children in kindergarten, first and second grades. Sometimes children have accidents, or spill milk on themselves or fall at recess. There are some extra clothes in the nurse's office, but most children are more comfortable changing into their own clothes. A pair of pants, underwear, extra shirt and socks are recommended.

Being Prepared

One of the most important things you can do is to get your child off to a great start in the morning. Helping them get ready in the morning and having them eat a good breakfast is key. Also, see that they are wearing clothes appropriate for the weather and make sure they are getting 8-10 hours of sleep. A tired, hungry, cold or wet child is not able to be productive in school.

Keep the School Informed

Please let the school know if you have changes to your address, phone or workplace. It is important to be able to contact you quickly, especially in the case of an emergency. The school nurse should be informed of any changes to your child’s health. This could include a new diagnosis, a medication change, etc.

Contact the Nurse's Office

Mrs. Tiffany Carr, RN

Phone: 607-433-8228

Fax: 607-433-8210

Health Forms

BMI Letter

Dental Health Certificate

Permission to Administer Medication

School Health Exam Form

School Physical Permission Form