Tips for Parents from the School Health Office

Many parents ask, “When is my child sick enough to stay home from school?”

This is not always an easy question to answer! We hope that these tips can help!

A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.

Our school policy states that you should not send your child to school if he/she has:

• Fever in the past 24 hours
• Vomiting in the past 24 hours
• Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
• Sore throat that is severe, accompanied fever and feeling ill and persists longer than 48 hours
• Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school)
• Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night
• Head lice – until your child has been treated
• Honey-crusted sores around the nose or mouth or rash on other body parts that may be impetigo; or a significant rash accompanied by other symptoms of illness such as fever
• Red, runny eyes
• Severe ear pain or drainage from the ear

If your child becomes ill at school and the school nurse feels the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called to come and take him/her home from school. It is essential that your child’s teacher have a phone number where you can be contacted during the day and an emergency number in the event you cannot be reached. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness. If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please notify your child’s teacher immediately.

Please call the school’s Health Office at (585) 289-9649 if you have any questions or concerns.

Starting October 1, 2019, the Health office will begin vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings.

At Red Jacket Education Center the professional staff includes: School psychologists, Social workers, and School Counselors. It is our role to provide individual and group counseling to all children. We are also a great resource to children when they are in crisis.

In addition, we are skilled at providing support to parents and teachers to gain a better understanding of developmental delays, mental health issues and behavior challenges faced by our students. Staff can also refer families to appropriate community resources when needed.

Communication is the sharing of information between people. Language and speech are the tools we use to communicate. They are a part of everything we do in school and in our social lives. The members of the Speech and Language Therapy Department here at RJEC are committed to helping each student improve their learning by achieving their highest level of speech and language abilities.

Our therapists are committed to innovation and excellence in the assessment and treatment of students who display needs in the area of communication. The ultimate goal of Speech and Language Therapy is to make each student at RJEC a competent, independent thinker and communicator who can achieve their goals in school and the community.

Below our pictures you will interactive websites for speech-language reinforcement. Choose an activity and/or skill and have fun learning!

Occupational and physical therapists provide direct therapy, consultation, evaluation and screening. Direct service may consist of any combination of individual or group sessions with the frequency being approved by the student’s C.S.E. A prescription by the student’s physician is required by New York state law. Therapists also collaborate with the student’s educational team including but not limited to the classroom teacher, other staff members, parents and each other.

Occupational therapy services include activities that address:

• Fine Motor Skill Development (grasp, upper limb coordination, strength)
• Bilateral Coordination
• Sensorimotor development
• Visual Perceptual Skills
• Visual Motor Skills (handwriting, cutting, coloring, etc.)
• Educational, work and leisure activities
• Social Skills
• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): self care, hygiene, dressing, feeding/eating
• Adapted Equipment

Physical therapy services include activities that address:

• Mobility
• Transitional movements
• Posture
• Gross motor skills
• Balance and coordination
• Motor planning
• Recreation skills

Occupational therapy addresses problems in the areas of, including but not limited to, overall sensorimotor development, fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, educational and work activities, and activities of daily living. The primary focus is to help students participate as fully and independently as possible in their education, homes and communities. Physical therapists focus on gross motor skills and mobility. The physical therapist is concerned with motor sensory performance. The school-based physical therapist looks at the student’s physical functioning and its impact on learning, mobility, accessibility, and safety within the educational environment. In many cases, Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists work together in order to best meet the needs of the individual students. As a result, there may be crossover in activities and areas addressed.

The goal of the Physical Education program at RJEC is to promote physical fitness, social responsibility and skill development. During class students will be exposed to various games and sports. Please encourage your student to view their Physical Education class as an important part of their school day.

Primary and Elementary students will need sneakers for PE Class

Middle School students will need sneakers and a change of clothes which should include shorts or sweat pants.

Students grades are based on

• Attendance
• Participation
• Skill Level / Improvement
• Behavior / Attitude

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

The Office Staff are the backbone of the Red Jacket Education Center school program. They handle scheduling, phone and written communications within and outside of the school, paperwork related to reporting, ceremonies, and other school functions. They support the principal, teaching staff and students every moment of every day. Our work is better and easier for their presence.