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Health

A productive school experience requires at minimum a level of physical and mental health that allows students to engage with the experiences offered by our program.

The Ithaca City School District provides us with school nurses.  If there is a problem concerning a student’s health, the parent/guardian is encouraged to contact the Health Office. The School Nurse will be glad to help in any way possible.

First aid is given to protect the life and comfort of students until authorized treatment is secured. Further treatment or diagnosis becomes the responsibility of the parent/guardian.  

Should a student become ill or injured at school, the parent/guardian will be called and they are responsible for seeing that the ill child gets home safely. All parents/guardians need to have a plan to pick up and care for sick children. 

Do not send a sick child to school. If your child is not well enough to participate in recess, they should not come to school. 

Children with minor illness will not be excluded from school unless:

  • the child has a fever (oral temperature of 100 or greater); students must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.
  • the illness prevents the child from participating in school activities.
  • the child requires more care than the school staff can provide.

When your child is ill, it is helpful for you to report their diagnosis to the School Nurse. The Ithaca City School District has a policy that prohibits students from attending school with a communicable disease or condition. If you have a question about whether your child can be in school with a specific diagnosis, please contact the Health Office. In the event of serious illness or injury the School Nurse can help coordinate your child’s educational needs and plan for a safe and successful re-entry into school.

 

Mental Health


There are times when a child’s impaired mental health can significantly affect their functioning as a student in our environment. 

While the underlying cause(s) of mental health concerns are relevant to treatment and the journey towards wellness, it is the behavioral manifestations of the distress rather than the root cause, that determine the viability of school attendance. 

Behaviors of concern include but are not limited to, high levels of personal distress, acts of aggression/violence towards self or others, destruction of school property, non-compliance, disruption to the regular delivery of curricula, other behaviors that threaten or compromise the well-being of the classroom community,  and/or chronic school absence.

During these periods students may need extra support, increased supervision, or an alternate space to decompress.  Depending on the age, placement and specific concerns regarding the student in question, these accommodations may not be possible at EACMSI.

Should a student require the comprehensive services available in a theraputic setting,  EACMSI would no longer be an appropriate placement as we lack the resources to meet the needs of students during such times.

Since our Upper Level and Middle School programs are highly experiential and collaborative, students must be able to engage with and access the curriculum. Likewise, the experiential nature of these programs makes recreating them at home with a tutor and textbook challenging. Students on leave would miss significant curriculum and require additional time to complete their studies.

The EACMSI Administrative Team, in conjunction with classroom teachers, determines on a case by case basis, if EACMSI continues to be an appropriate placement or if a leave of absence is warranted and will work to keep parents informed during the process.