Medical

Medicine Policy

The primary responsibility for the health and well-being of the learner is and will always remain the parents/guardian's. Do not send your child to school if he/ he is ill.

If your child attends school, your child is healthy enough to participate in all school activities, including Outside Play and Movement.

We prefer not to give medicine

If possible, ask your doctor to give a stronger dose of medicine or antibiotics that can be administered in the morning and afternoon

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, WILL THE SCHOOL ACCEPT MEDICINE OR INSTRUCTIONS FROM A CHILD. NO MEDICINE WILL BE GIVEN TO ANY CHILD WITHOUT THE PARENT'S WRITTEN PERMISSION. NO TEACHER WILL ASSUME AND ADMINISTER MEDICINE IF IT WAS PLACED IN THEIR BAG.

If it is absolutely necessary that we administer medication, please insert the correct dose in a syringe in a lunch box
All medicines must be clearly marked with the child's name. Please sign the details thereof clearly in the Medication Register:

*Name of child, Name of medicine, Dose,Time, Prescription for drug administration and signature*

Medication for chronic conditions (ADHD, Epilepsy, Diabetic, Asthma, Allergy etc.) will only be administered if a copy of the prescription or doctors’ note is submitted together with it.
Please make sure your child is completely healthy before returning to school
A good vitamin supplement must be given at least 3 months before starting school and on a daily basis (Viral Choice, Zimplex, Scotch Emulsion, Vi-Daylen, Creche Guard are good options)

Procedure when learners become sick at school

If a learner starts feeling unwell while at the school, he/she will be monitored closely. Parents/guardians will be contacted to collect their child immediately if it is considered necessary.

Parents/Guardians will be requested to collect their children when:

The learner has an elevated fever for longer than an hour or when a learner’s fever is higher than 38˚C. Step-Up is not allowed to administer any fever medication without a doctor’s prescription, even if requested telephonically by a parent/guardian.
A learner has symptoms of persistent vomiting or diarrhea.
A learner complains of severe pain.
A learner is injured at Step-Up and the injury might require medical intervention – especially with reference to head injuries and possible fractures.
A learner shows signs of breathing difficulty.
A learner shows signs of an extreme allergic reaction.
A learner has symptoms of possible contagious illness.
Severe bleeding – including spontaneous uncontrollable nosebleeds.
A learner displays extreme drowsiness, confusion or any other symptom which might be indicative of a medical problem requiring intervention.

Attendance

Learners may not attend School if:

He/she is not well enough to take part in all school activities, including outside play and movement.
He/she has a high fever for longer than 24 hours
He/she has a severe cold, flu or any contagious disease or illness
He/she has a contagious skin infection/rash
There are any signs of nits or lice in his/her hair

It is expected from parents/guardians to inform the teacher/supervisor if your child is feeling unwell so we can monitor them closely.

Where a learner is in recovery from a serious illness and/or medical procedure or operation, which will require special care or which entails that the learner will not be able to safely participate in normal activities without risk, it is expected that the learner recovers at home. The learner may not return to school until he/she can, without risk and the need for specialist care, participate in normal activities.

Infectious/contagious Ilnessess

Learners with cold, flu or any infectious illness (eg measles, chickenpox, impetigo, TB etc), MUST be kept at home.
Parents/Guardians are requested to inform the school when a child has an infectious illness, so the school can make other parents/guardians aware of possible signs and symptoms.
The learner may return to school when he/she is well enough to resume normal activities and when the illness is no longer contagious. Step-Up retains the right to request written confirmation from a medical doctor in this regard.
For serious contagious diseases, a doctor’s note is required for the child to return to school

Headlice

Head lice are a reality and anyone can be infested. eg washing hair daily is no guarantee that a person will not pick up the infestation. Head lice spreads rapidly and easily
Prevention is better than cure and parents/guardians are advised to wash their child(-ren)’s hair with a lice control shampoo at least once a term.
Examine your child(-ren)’s hair for nits and lice at least once a week.
The once-off treatment of an infestation will not effectively eradicate the infestion. Hair must be combed with a fine-tooth comb for at least two weeks and stubborn nits removed with nails until there is no sign left of infestation.
Step-Up reserves the right to perform regular inspections on all enrolled learners’ hair (preschool, aftercare and holiday care) to prevent infestation through early detection and intervention.
Should any sign be found of nits or lice in a learner’s hair, parents/guardians will be required to fetch them from school immediately. Steppies may only return to school when there are no sign of lice or nits left in their hair.

Treatment of open wounds

In accordance with the deparment of health guidelines, open wounds will only be rinsed off with clean water and, where necessary, covered with a plaster. No disinfectant and/or ointment and ointments may be used.
In cases of more serious wounds, the parents/guardians will be contacted to decide on further actions e.g. calling emergency services or transport to a medical facility.

Allergies

It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to submit written notification to Step-Up detailing extreme allergies their child(-ren) suffer from.
An allergy list will be kept up to date. The educators will keep a list in the class of any allergies and what the procedure is if the learner shows any allergic reaction.

Emergencies

The School ensures that there will always be at least one supervisor on duty with a minimum of Level 1 First Aid qualification, to handle minor injuries and incidents.
In accordance with Gauteng Health Deparment guidelines, staff may only apply immediate first aid to stabilise a learner. Where medical intervention might be necessary, the parent/guardian will be contacted immediately.
Should a learner’s life be threatened without immediate medical intervention, and the parent/guardian cannot be reached, the School retains the right to contact emergency medical services to transport the learner to the nearest emergency care/medical centre. The parent/guardian will be responsible for the costs incurred.

Disclaimer

Although Step-Up will take all necessary precautions to prevent learners from accidents, damage, loss and injuries, Step-Up can not be held liable for any accidents, damage, loss and injuries caused by circumstances beyond our control or beyond the legal framework of negligence.