Nurse's Corner
Instructions for participation in sports
New York State Education Law stipulates that all athletes must have a current physical exam on file at the school in order to be properly cleared for participation in a sport. In addition, each time a student participates in a sport, an Athletic Form (Sports Triplicate Form) must be completed and turned in to the Nurse. Every sport, every season requires a new Sports Triplicate Form to be completed and submitted to the Nurse.
Following is the process for sports participation:
- Students may pick up a Sports Triplicate Form in the Nurses Office. These forms may also be downloaded from the McQuaid website.
- The Sports Triplicate Form may be completed by either the parent or student, but the parent and the student both need to sign the form. This form includes the Interscholastic Athletic Policy on Drugs and Alcohol, and must be signed by both student and parents. The physician does NOT need to sign the Sports Triplicate Form.
- The student must return the completed Sports Triplicate Form to the Nurse. It is imperative that the student be seen by the Nurse for proper clearance. The student will NOT be cleared for participation in a sport until HE is seen by the Nurse. The coach may not accept a sports triplicate form from the student. All forms must go through the Nurse's Office.
- Sports Triplicate Forms must be turned in to the Nurses Office two weeks prior to Sports tryouts.
- When the student submits the Sports Triplicate Form to the Nurse, the Nurse uses the most recent physical exam on file to clear the student for participation. It is essential that athletes have a physical done every 12 months to assure clearance. A student may not be cleared if the exam date is more than one year old.
- In addition, if the student has had an injury or surgery since his last sports clearance, we need written clearance from the doctor for him to participate in a subsequent sport. Tetanus vaccines must also be current (within the last 10 years).
- After all appropriate paperwork is submitted to the Nurse, the student will be cleared, and the Nurse will pass along information to the Athletic Director and the Coach.
McQuaid employs a Nurse Practitioner to conduct physical exams at school twice a year - in August and November. Announcements are made and signs are posted with the dates of these exams. Our objective is to offer a last resort to students that have expired physical exams. It is not our intention to encourage students to have physicals at school - our preference is that students seek medical care from their own physicians. The exception to this is the student in either seventh or tenth grade. Students in seventh and tenth grade are mandated by New York State to have a physical exam with their private physician prior to the start of the school year. Below is a link for our Health Appraisal Form that can be downloaded and brought to the pediatrician for completion.
If your son requires an exam, a permission slip must be signed by a parent. There is a link for this form below.
For November physicals, an appointment must be made in the Nurses Office one week prior to the date that the physical will be conducted. The permission form must be received prior to the exam.
August physicals are conducted on a first come-first serve basis. The date for the August physical exams is included in the packet that comes to your home in the summer. The website also will have this information.
Any questions may be directed to the Nurses Office, (585) 256-6126.
Forms
Health Appraisal Form
Parental Permission Form for in-school physical.
Please read Explanation of School Physical before signing.
Athletic Form (Sports Triplicate Form)
Please submit one copy of the triplicate - we will make additional required copies.
University Sports Medicine
H1N1 Guidelines
In general, because H1N1 has continued to circulate all through the summer,we anticipate a possible surge in influenza-like-illness to start earlier than usual when children return to classrooms. It is our hope illnesses will be nothing worse than we experienced last spring. Therefore, unless otherwise directed by the County Public Health Department, we will not notify parents of individual cases that occur in schools. Assume it is present, and please remind your children to use excellent hand hygiene, good respiratory etiquette, dispose used tissues promptly, and not to share personal or food items to protect themselves.
Should the virus pattern change and become a more severe problem, we will keep in close contact with our school physician and the County Public Health Department and advise you if we need to take more stringent control measures. For now, if your child has an influenza-like-illness with fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body aches, tiredness, or vomiting and diarrhea, please do not send your child to school. We are tracking the absenteeism rates of H1N1, so we would appreciate it if you would share your son's symptoms with us if/when you call him in ill. Call your physician's office to discuss whether your child needs to be seen. Keep your child home and away from other people until all symptoms are completely gone without the need to take fever-reducing medicines for a full 24 hours.
Thank you for your consideration and understanding with this issue. If we can be of any help, please contact our Nurse's office at 256 - 6126. Additional information can be found at these sites: http://www.flu.gov/ and www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.
