School Nurse

• Verify Immunizations:
  • Ensure your child has received immunizations for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and varicella.
  • At least one dose of each immunization must be administered before your child starts school.
• Review Immunization Schedules:
  • Refer to the CDC immunization schedules to ensure your child is up to date on all required vaccinations.
    • Entering 7th Grade:
      • Ensure your child has received both the Tdap vaccine and the meningitis vaccine.
    • Entering 12th Grade:
      • Provide proof that your child has received two doses of the meningitis vaccine.
  • Ensure the meningitis vaccine is administered before the first day of 7th or 12th grade, as applicable.

An immunization or exemption certificate must be on file with the school nurse by the time the student starts school as this is required by state law and Board Policy #504.10.   (Click here for Medical or Religious exemption forms.)

• Seek Additional Information:
  • Your healthcare provider can provide the appropriate immunization certificate.

Each year, obtain a physical form from your healthcare clinic during your child’s well-child visit and submit it to the school nurse.

Dental Screening

• Kindergarten:
  • Must complete a Dental Screening no sooner than 3 years of age and no later than 4 months after school enrollment.
  • Screening can be done by a licensed doctor, advanced registered nurse practitioner, physician assistant, nurse, dental hygienist, or dentist.
• Ninth Grade:
  • Must have proof of a dental screening by a dentist or dental hygienist.
  • Screening must be completed no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no later than 4 months after enrollment.
• Submit Results:
  • Submit the results to your school nurse using the designated dental screening form from the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website.
  • For exemptions, locate the dental screen exemption form on the same site.

Vision Screening

• Kindergarten and Third Grade:
  • Must have a Vision Screening before the first day of school.
  • Screening can be done by a licensed eye doctor or optometrist, your child’s health care provider during a school physical, a free clinic, KidSight, or a county health department.
• Timing
  • Screening is valid if done up to 1 year prior to enrollment and no later than 6 months after enrollment.
• Submit Results:
  • Submit the results to your school nurse using the designated vision screening form from the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website.

Blood Lead Screening

The school can assist in ensuring proof of a valid blood lead test before the age of six. If you have questions or need help, contact the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-972-2026.

1. All medication must be brought to the nurse’s office along with a signed Request for Giving Medication at School form, or in the school nurse’s office.  
2. All medication (prescription and nonprescription medication) must be in the original container in which it was purchased and must include the following information signed by the parent/guardian:

• • Student’s name
  • Name of medication
    
  • Dosage (amount) of medication to be administered
  • Date and time for the medication to be administered

• Follow Health Department Guidelines:
  • The District adheres to the procedures and practices set by Iowa Department of Health and Human Services for managing communicable diseases.
• Fevers
  • Elevated fevers will be evaluated by the school nurse, who will then discuss the situation with parents or guardians. View Child Illnesses Criteria for Education and Child Care
• Identify Communicable Diseases:
  • Examples include mumps, measles, ebola, and chicken pox.
• Attendance with Disease:
  • Students with an infectious or communicable disease may attend school if they are able to do so and their presence does not pose an unreasonable risk of harm to themselves or others.
• Consult Physician:
  • If there is any doubt about whether a student should attend classes due to a communicable disease, the student must not attend class or participate in school activities without approval from their personal physician.
• Exposure to COVID-19:
  • Follow the guidance provided on the CDC website.
• Refer to Policy:
  • For more information, see Board Policy 507.03.

Head lice are a recurring issue in schools. Parents should assume lice are present where children are and screen their kids weekly. If your child contracts head lice, contact your school nurse for treatment information. Ankeny Community School District follows Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines for managing head lice. Students are not excluded from school if they have head lice, but treatment should begin before returning to school the next day.

Facts About Head Lice

• Transmission: Mostly spread through direct head-to-head contact.
• Prevalence: Harder to get than a cold, strep throat, or pink eye.
• Mobility: Lice crawl; they cannot jump or fly.
• Common Sources: More likely to come from family members and close friends than from school.
• Survival: Lice live 1-2 days off the head.
• Nits: Eggs are cemented to the hair shaft and are hard to remove.
• Hygiene: Hygiene does not affect transmission; both clean and dirty hair can host lice.
• Health Impact: Lice are annoying but do not spread disease.