COVID-19 Information and Resources:
Please do not hesitate to reach out to the nurses if you have any questions about COVID-19. Pat Tomczyk (ptomczyk@nhvweb.net) is ext 7391 and Melissa Frey (mfrey@nhvweb.net) is ext 7393. Please help us keep everyone healthy by keeping your children home from school if they do not feel well.
When to Isolate: If you test positive for COVID 19, isolate for 5 days since the start of symptoms (if you have no symptoms, isolate from the date of testing) from the rest of the members of the household. Students may return to school when the 5 day isolation period is over AND they are symptom/fever free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medication (Tylenol or Advil). Masks must be worn around everyone for an additional 5 days.
When to Quarantine: If you are exposed (within 6 feet for more than 15 cumulative minutes, or within 3 feet if both parties were masked) to an individual or family member that has COVID-like symptoms (new onset cough, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, vomiting, shortness of breath, chills, muscle aches, headaches) it is our district policy that you must quarantine for 5 days.
Click here for helpful quarantine calculator.
If you are exposed to an individual that has tested positive for COVID-19 and you are not vaccinated, you must quarantine for 5 days from the last date of exposure. If you should develop symptoms in that time, please reach out to your primary care provider for further assessment. Please also contact the school nurses to make them aware.
If you are exposed to an individual that has tested positive for COVID-19 and your student has been fully vaccinated within the last 5 months or received a booster shot if it’s been more than 5 months, they do not need to quarantine. Also, students who had COVID-19 within the last 90 days do not have to quarantine. Monitor yourself/child for symptoms for 10 days. If symptoms develop, stay home and get tested. Please make the health office aware if you develop symptoms.
For the latest information from the Department of Health regarding Covid 19 school regulations, please go to this website. https://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/topics/covid2019_schools.shtml
Center for Disease Control (CDC):
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Hunterdon County Health Dept:
http://co.hunterdon.nj.us/
New Jersey Dept of Health:
https://www.nj.gov/health/
Hunterdon Helpline: http://www.helplinehc.org/community-information.html
Internet through Comcast:
https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/internet-essentials-low-income-broadband-coronavirus-pandemic
Browse this site for information concerning our health services, school health requirements, athletic participation information and community links. Please note the New Student and Athletics pages above.
The Health Office is located in the first floor in room 131, next to the Counseling Office. The nurses assist with acute and chronic illnesses and injuries as needed. All students who become ill during the school day should report to the Health Office with a pass from their classroom teacher. Students may rest or contact their parents to provide transportation home. If the student is a senior and drives to school, a permission email or fax must be sent to the nurse by a parent/guardian to release the child home. Parents will be contacted concerning serious illness or injury. If a parent is not available, the emergency contact will be notified or, if not available, the student will be taken to Hunterdon Medical Center for care. Please keep your emergency contact information up to date on Aspen.
Please keep your child home if they have had a fever of 100.0 or above within 24 hours, vomiting/diarrhea, unexplained rash, or weepy red eyes. We do our best to keep our student’s healthy, but it is difficult when they are sent to school ill and contagious! Please use good judgement before sending your student to school.
Excused absences from the nurse’s office:
Student’s must be assessed by a school nurse and deemed unable to continue productively with their school day to be excused from school for a health reason. Any pre-arranged dismissals between a parent and student without assessment by a school nurse is unexcused.
If an injury occurs at school, students and/or trainers will complete an accident form and a supplemental insurance form will be sent home. It is then the parents responsibility to submit any info/ bills to the insurance company. The NHVRHS Board of Education has purchased insurance coverage to assist all students with accidental injury. Coverage is provided for virtually all school sponsored and supervised events/activities. Although the coverage is broad there are restrictions, limitations and exclusions. In some situations, medical bills may not be covered in full. Please notify the nurses of any head injury. The State of New Jersey mandates a proactive concussion protocol for all students and we can assist with adaptations for the school environment during recovery. If you have any questions, please call the health office.
Freshmen and new transfer students are required to submit a physical and up to date immunization information to the health office within 30 days of the start of school. The physical must be dated within 365 days of the student’s start date. If the physical and immunization documentation is not received within the 30 day time frame, the student will be excluded from school until the paperwork is complete.
If your child should require medication in school, a Prescription Medication Form (available on this site or in nurses office) needs to be completed by the prescribing doctor and a parent. The medication should be brought to school by a parent (per state law) in the original bottle with medication name, dose and prescribing MD name on the label. If you would like for your child to be able to receive over the counter medication (Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, TUMS, Cough Medicine, Benadryl) at school, please complete the OTC form on ASPEN. All medication not picked up by the last day of school will be discarded.
Students that require EpiPens, Inhalers, or Diabetic supplies have paperwork that must be completed at the beginning of EACH school year. The required forms can be printed out from this site. Your child will not be able to participate in school events, activities/clubs or sports without updated orders.
If your child sustains a concussion, the nurses will follow the student’s progress very closely. Paperwork needs to be completed by MD to receive class/athletics accommodations. In order to return to sports/full class participation a clearance note is also required from the doctor.
Elevator Keys will only be issued to students with a doctor’s note or obvious injury preventing them from climbing stairs. The student is required to sign a contract to receive a key. If the key is lost, there is a fee to replace it.
New Jersey state law now requires that all children have health insurance. Information about low cost health insurance can be found at http://www.njfamilycare.org/. Please contact the nurses for dental, immunization or eye glass assistance if needed.
The Voorhees nurses would like to assist your student with any chronic illness or disability while at school. Please contact us to discuss any matters that impact your child’s health and education.
Please keep the nurses updated on any change in health status, new immunizations and emergency contact information. Our staff can provide health information for camp and college applications, immunization records, driving vision tests, and working papers based on the physical exam and immunization records provided to the Health Office. This information will be available from the Guidance Department after graduation.
The Nurses also complete annual screenings that can include hearing and vision testing, scoliosis exams, height, weight and blood pressure screenings. Parents will be notified of concerns. Please see our forms sidebar to request a scoliosis screening waiver as needed.
Check out our resources tab for information on insurance, eye exams, counseling, addiction services, drug addiction help and much more!
Please keep us informed of any medical concerns that may arise throughout the school year. We look forward to working with you to provide a safe and healthy school experience!
