Each student must have a  completed emergency card on file in the nurse’s office and main office.  The parent/guardian’s signature gives consent for treatment in the event of an emergency, and consent to the release of medical information to staff on a need-to-know basis.

The emergency card specifies a parent or other designated person to be notified in the event of a serious illness or injury at school.  The  designated person should be someone who can assume responsibility in the parent’s absence. To assume responsibility for a sick or injured child is a serious undertaking and should be arranged by mutual consent.  Please be sure that the designated person is local and available during the school day.

To keep information current, emergency cards are issued to all  students each year.  Please contact the school whenever there is a change in the required information.  Emergency action is dependent upon correct information

Parents who plan to be away from home for an extended period of time are encouraged to notify the school, in writing, of alternate emergency phone numbers and contact persons.

The State of Pennsylvania sets immunization requirements for school age children.  On the first day of school, unless the child has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption, he/she must have all the required doses listed below and the doctor's immunization report on file at their school or he/she will be excluded from school.   If an outbreak at a school occurs, students not immunized may be excluded from attending school.

We strongly urge families to consult with their child’s physician prior to the new school year to ensure their child's immunizations are up-to-date.  An official immunization record from your doctor should be sent to your school certified nurse.

If your child has not received the required immunization(s), please schedule an appointment and send in a copy of the documentation. Children who have not received the required immunization doses must provide an immunization medical plan form (red and white card filled out by physician)  within the first five days of school for obtaining the required immunizations or be excluded from school whether in-person, hybrid, or virtual. 

Here are the current immunization requirements set by the State of Pennsylvania: 

• For attendance in all grades, 4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given)  
• For attendance in all grades, 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (4th dose on or after 4th birthday)
• For attendance in all grades, 2 doses of measles, mumps, rubella ( preferably given as MMR )
• For attendance in all grades, 3 doses of Hepatitis B
• For attendance in all grades, 2 doses of Varicella or chicken pox from vaccine or by history of disease
• For attendance in 7th grade, 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) on the first day of 7th grade
• For attendance in 7th grade, 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day of 7th grade
• For attendance in 12th grade, 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day of 12th grade (If one dose was given at 16 years of age or older, that shall count as the 12th grade dose)

Please note that Penn-Delco's responsibilities relative to the enforcement of the law will be based on the following criteria:

1. PROOF OF IMMUNIZATION, rather than parent recall, is required
2. The minimum required immunizations must be documented for enrollment into school unless there is a valid exemption.
   
3. The immunization  histories of all transfer students must be reviewed for completeness, and corrective action taken when necessary.

You can go to the official Pennsylvania government website of the Department of Health for more information on school immunization requirements.   You may also refer to this official PA flyer on immunizations for more information.

Important forms from this page

 Immunization medical plan form
 Immunization exemption form

We recommend having your child see your own private dentist every 6 months. Dental forms are required by the Pennsylvania School Code for school entry Kindergarten (K) and grade one (1) and grades three (3) and seven (7). Please submit the completed dental form  to the school nurse. 

Your certified school nurse recommends that you take your child for annual check-ups with your private physican.  Physicals are required by the Pennsylvania School Code for school entry at Kindergarten and/or grade one (1) and at grades (six) 6 and eleven (11). When that is not possible, physical exams can be scheduled with the school physician.  Information about this option will be provided by your school nurse if they have not received your physical form.  The Pennsylvania State Mandated Physical form should be provided directly to your school nurse as well as the Penn-Delco Health History Form. 

Pennsylvania state law mandates specific health screenings for students.  IN order to comply with the state's mandated health program, your school nurse will assess the following on an annual basis:

Growth Screening: Height and weight are recorded annually for each student.

Vision Screening: vision screening, both for near and far vision, is completed annually for all students.  Color and depth perception are assessed in grades 1 and 2.

Hearing Screening: Hearing screenings are done annually for those students in kindergarten and in grades 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11.

Scoliosis Screening: Scoliosis screening, a mandated screening for spinal curvature, are done in grades 6 and 7.

BMI (Body Mass Index): BMI is a screening tool used to assess children at risk for being underweight or overweight.  BMI is calculated based upon body weight, height, age and gender data.  BMI in children is age-specific and gender-specific.  Your child is not given this information at any time.  The school nurse makes the calculations after the child's health screening session and notes this information in your child's school health record.  This medical record is kept confidential.  If at any time you would like this information, please reach out to your school nurse. 

Parents will be notified if their child's health screenings reveal any concerns or abnormalities.  In these instances, your school nurses will provide a referral for to the parent to follow up. 

Athletes grades 7 - 12 must complete the PIAA Comprehensive Initial Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation Formwith thier Physican or at a preschedule physical at Penn-Delco.

Prior to any student participating in Practices, Inter-School Practices, Scrimmages, and/or Contests, at any PIAA member school in any school year, the student is required to:

1. complete a Comprehensive Initial Pre- Participation Physical Evaluation (CIPPE)
2. have the appropriate person(s) complete the first six Sections of the CIPPE Form

Upon completion of Sections 1 and 2 by the parent/guardian; Sections 3, 4, and 5 by the student and parent/guardian; and Section 6 by an Authorized Medical Examiner (AME), those Sections must be turned in to the Principal, or the Principal’s designee, of the student's school for retention by the school. The CIPPE may not be authorized earlier than June 1st and shall be effective, regardless of when performed during a school year, until the latter of the next May 31st or the conclusion of the spring sports season.

SUBSEQUENT SPORT(S) IN THE SAME SCHOOL YEAR

Following completion of a CIPPE, the same student seeking to participate in Practices, Inter-School Practices, Scrimmages, and/or Contests in subsequent sport(s) in the same school year, must complete Section 7 of this form and must turn in that Section to the Principal, or Principal’s designee, of his or her school. The Principal, or the Principal’s designee, will then determine whether Section 8 (recertification form) needs be completed.

There is a nationwide awareness and concern for the increase of in-school dispensing of medication including a broad spectrum of patent medicines. In keeping with the district’s educational effort to encourage precaution and restraint in this important aspect of daily health care, the Penn-Delco School Board adopted the following policy:

• Physician orders should be renewed annually at the beginning of each school year.  
• The Certified School Nurse, RN or designee shall be responsible for administering emergency medication as directed by a permission to administer medication form as directed by a student's physician (restricted to injectable adrenalin).
• Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Antacids and Antihistamines (for allergic reaction only) are the only authorized medications supplied in the school. These may be administered by the school nurse with parental permission on the emergency card.
• In compliance with the policy, a copy of the current prescription (renewed annually), signed by the child's local physician, must be on file in the nurse’s office.
• Medications to be administered MUST be identified in a pharmacy provided prescription container (not plastic bags, envelopes, etc.) and stored in the school nurse’s office. The prescription container is required for the nurse to administer prescribed medication to a student in school.
• All OTC medications except those listed on the emergency card, must have a physician’s order and must be supplied by the parents.
• Students are not permitted to carry any medication or pills. All medication/pills (including prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), diet preparations and dietary supplements and vitamins) must be brought to the nurse’s office in the original packaging, by the parent, (unless other arrangements are made with the nurse), administered under the supervision of the nurse or designee and stored in a secure location within the nurse’s office. Medication which is ordered “3 times/day” can usually be administered at breakfast, upon return from school and at bedtime.
• It is wise to notify the school nurse of all the medications your child is taking in case he/she develops an allergic reaction or incompatibility.
• At the end of the school year, unused medication will be returned to the parent or discarded.

A permission form for administering medicine outside of authorized medications supplied in the school is necessary to administer any medication.  This form must be sent with your child on the first day of each school year or at the time a new medicine is required to be administered.  

In certain cases, students are permitted to carry inhalers and epi-pens with them in school.   The decision to allow a student to self administer medication must always include overall supervision by the school nurse with appropriate, periodic nursing evaluation of the student’s technique and self-assessment skills.  Self-administration of epi-pens and inhalers is limited to middle and high school students. 

If approved, the following guidelines must be followed:

• A district form (supplied by the certified school nurse) must be completed by both the physician and the parent that states that the student may carry this medication and is capable of self administration.
• Inhaler for Asthma: the physician must  state the name of the medication, reason for use, dosage, frequency of use and under what conditions the student should report to the nurse’s office if the inhaler is not beneficial.
• Epi-Pen: If an Epi-Pen is administered, either by the student or by the nurse, a call will be placed to 911 immediately.
• Students will be responsible to carry their medication with them to all off-campus school-related functions independently of the school nurse’s office.

Here is a collection of medical forms for your convenience. 

Penn-Delco Emergency Card

Health History Form

PA State Mandated Physical

PIAA Sports Physical

DOH Medical Certificate RED Card

Private Dentist Form

State of PA School Vaccination Requirements

Permission to administer medication form

Immunization exemption form

Immunization medical plan form

Allergy action plan

Seizure action plan