The role of the school nurse is to support the overall well-being and academic success of our students. The nurse's office institutes health and safety guidelines, provides nursing assessment for any injuries or illnesses, helps students manage chronic illnesses or life-threatening allergies, and assists in health education. In addition, the nurse's office maintains medical records and health information in accordance with the requirements mandated by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  

Parents/guardians are required to provide all requested student medical information and to ensure that the information is current while the student is in attendance at the School. ECFS uses an electronic medical record service, Magnus Health, to collect all medical forms for students. Access the families portal to log into Magnus Health to complete the required online profile, and print/upload physician forms. If your address or contact info is not correct, request changes by emailing infoupdates@ecfs.org. Include your name and relationship to the student, student's name, division, and grade.

For questions regarding Magnus Health, email them at service@magnushealthportal.com or contact their customer support by phone at (877) 461-6831. To view the Magnus Health Privacy and Security page, click here.

Medical Examinations

The School requires that parents/guardians submit certain medical information before the student may begin attending classes. All students must have an electronic health record completed in Magnus Health before school begins. Requirements include the Student Vital Health Record (emergency contacts, physician contact, health history), Annual Physical, Immunization Record, Consent to Treatment, and an Over-the-Counter Medication Consent. Additional requirements, if applicable, include action plans for asthma, allergies, diabetes, or seizures, and a Prescription Medication Form for each prescription taken at school. 

While some of forms may require a physician’s signature, many of the requirements can be submitted completely electronically through the Magnus Health website or mobile application. Families may also photograph and upload forms through the Magnus app by selecting “Student Health Tracker” and clicking on the title of the respective requirement. In order to provide our nurses with time to review individual submissions and to communicate any necessary follow up, we ask that all forms be submitted by the date prescribed by the school. 

Nursing and school offices cannot complete or upload any forms to Magnus Health.

If a teacher suspects a student has a vision problem, the teacher may send the student to the school nurse who will perform a basic vision screening. If there is an identifiable problem, the nurse will make a vision referral.

Scheduling Appointments

The School understands that, from time to time, students may need to be absent from or late to school in order to attend necessary appointments (such as medical or dental appointments). ECFS asks that parents/guardians make every reasonable attempt to minimize disruption to their child’s attendance at school and schedule such appointments for after school hours or days when school is not in session. Aside from emergency responders, medical professionals are not permitted to come to campus to examine students or provide treatment.

Changes in Medical History

Any changes in the students’ health status during the academic year — for example, any illness, medication change, surgery needed, etc. — should be communicated to the school nurses. The school nurses are the first to respond to an emergency situation; therefore, the nurses need to be aware of each student’s complete and current medical history. This information is kept strictly confidential and only shared on a need-to-know basis.

ECFS complies with New York State law regarding immunization requirements for students. A record of immunization is required on the school medical form. Effective June 2019, New York State eliminated the religious exemption from immunization. Consistent with the law, ECFS will only permit medical exemptions from immunization. Parents/guardians with questions about immunization requirements should contact the nurse's office within their respective divisions.

The New York State Department of Health Immunization Requirements for School Attendance may be viewed here, with frequently asked questions available here. 

If your student will require prescription medication to be administered during the school day or at school-related activities, ECFS requires that parents/guardians submit written authorization on the ECFS Prescription Medication Form in order for the school nurse to administer such medications. This form must be submitted via Magnus Health prior to the first day of classes. The school nurse cannot give your student medication of any kind without such written authorization.

All medication must be brought to school in the original container received from the pharmacy that contains the dosage, instructions for administration, the prescribing doctor’s name, and the name of the medication. All medications must be left in the nurse's office.

Students are not permitted to carry over-the-counter medications with them during the school day. Parents/guardians who would like their child to receive over-the-counter medication during school hours must provide the school with written authorization through Magnus Health.

In accordance with New York State Regulation: All students must have patient-specific orders from their provider for any OTC medication along with written parent/guardian consent for such medications to be administered to, or taken by their child including school stock OTC.

Every season brings various contagious illnesses. The circulating and more common viruses in school are colds, conjunctivitis, influenza, stomach bugs, and strep throat. A student must be kept home from school under the following circumstances:

• As determined and outlined by the COVID-19 Response Team at covid.ecfs.org. 

• A fever of 100°F or higher. When your child has been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and has no other symptoms, the student may return to school;

• Diarrhea or vomiting (that is not from motion sickness or gag-reflex induced) in the past 24 hours; or

• Influenza – children who have been diagnosed with the flu should stay home and return as ordered by their pediatrician. Please report cases of the influenza virus to the nurse’s office, as we keep track of the number of cases.

• Students who are diagnosed with fever will be sent home immediately and cannot stay at school for any scheduled test or quiz, rehearsal, or athletic activity.

• Students who have bacterial infections (such as strep throat) that require antibiotics must be on antibiotics for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school. 

This policy is intended to protect the health and welfare of your child and the ECFS community and applies in instances when your child has a scheduled test or quiz, a rehearsal, or athletic activity. 

A doctor's note is required after an absence longer than three days, and a family conference may be required when a student has been absent 10 or more days.

Picking Up Children from School

Parents/guardians, or their authorized caregiver, should be available to pick their child up from school within sixty minutes of being notified by their divisional nurse or main office. 

The school nurse will attempt to contact parents/guardians regarding any serious illness or injury, but in circumstances that warrant immediate attention or when the School is unable to reach the parents/guardians, designated emergency contacts, or the student’s physician, the school nurses will determine the appropriate treatment. In the event of a serious emergency, an ambulance will be called, the student will be taken to the nearest hospital emergency room, and at least one parent will be notified immediately.

Parents/guardians are expected to keep emergency information up-to-date. Please remember, it is critically important that the School have current home, work, and cell phone numbers for parents/guardians or others (relatives, friends, or neighbors) who routinely assume temporary care of the student if the student’s parent(s) cannot be reached.

Parents/guardians will be notified of any illness or injury that may require follow-up medical care. A Consent to Treatment Form must be up to date and on file for every student, allowing the School to render treatment and obtain outside medical assistance when necessary.

The School will notify parents/guardians as soon as a head injury is suspected, and families should report any head injury that did not happen at a school-related activity to the nurse. Parents/guardians are expected to obtain proper medical evaluation and clearance by a licensed healthcare professional with training in concussion evaluation and management. The treating healthcare professional is expected to provide the School with an initial care plan and follow \-up care plans as indicated.

ECFS takes Return-to-Learn and Return-to-Play seriously. In order for a student to return to physical activity without restrictions, appropriate documentation must be received, students must be completely symptom-free, both at rest and during physical and mental exertion, with neurocognitive function within a normal range, and have completed a supervised Return-to-Play protocol. ECFS will not allow the student to participate fully while experiencing any lingering or persisting symptoms of a concussion, no matter how slight.

In order to make elevators readily available for people with physical mobility disabilities, students may only use the elevators if they have a note from the nurse.

ECFS students are expected to be completely toilet trained and able to manage their own toileting needs. A student that is toilet trained identifies and communicates the need to use the bathroom, cleans themself (wipes properly, washes hands, etc.), changes their own soiled clothing, and does not have toileting accidents.

All Pre-K through 2nd Grade students are required to have a change of clothes available to them in their classroom. Parents/guardians are notified when toileting accidents occur and on-campus family assistance may be required. Parent/guardian home-based toilet training will be required should a student be regularly unable to navigate their own sanitary needs. ECFS does not prohibit children from participation in the school day due to single-event toileting accidents. ECFS expects parents/guardians to fully cooperate and coordinate with the classroom teacher, guidance team, and divisional leadership team to minimize the impact on the educational environment.

Ethical Culture & Fieldston Lower

Students who are able to come to school but feel a little under-the-weather or have a “walking injury” are expected to report to Physical Education. In these situations, the teacher will determine the appropriate level of student participation. 

Students who suffer a more serious injury or illness that will necessitate a prolonged period of healing (three or more days) are required to present the school nurse with a note from a physician that should include either full clearance for participation in Physical Education or the modifications necessary for the student to participate and complete the school’s Physical Education requirements. When a physician’s instructions indicate that a student should not go to Physical Education, the school nurse, Physical Education teacher, and divisional administrator will determine where the student will report during PE.

The student might attend the class in order to take part safely in the activity in another capacity, as a referee for example.

Fieldston Middle & Fieldston Upper

Students who are able to come to school but feel a little under-the-weather or have a “walking injury” are expected to report to Physical Education or Dance and discuss the situation with their teacher. In these situations, the teacher will determine the appropriate level of student participation.

Students who suffer a more serious injury or illness that will necessitate a prolonged period of healing (three or more days) are required to present the school nurse with a note from a physician that should include either full clearance for participation in Physical Education, Athletics, or Dance or the modifications necessary for the student to participate and complete the school’s Physical Education requirements. When a physician’s instructions indicate that a student should not go to Physical Education, the school nurse, Physical Education department chair, and Dean will determine where the student will report during PE. Failure to follow these protocols may result in the student receiving an unexcused absence.

A student must present a note from a doctor to be medically excused from PE for an extended period of time. Under state law, a student who is medically excused from Physical Education classes for longer than six weeks needs to complete an alternative program of physical activity or physical therapy and to present the PE department with evidence of that alternative program.