Medical

School Health Services

The School Health Program is conducted by the Coast Garibaldi Health Unit.

Some specific services are:
Hearing Screening, Vision Testing, And Dental Screening
All such screening is done at the Garibaldi Health Unit (group sessions are held for kindergarten students at that location).

Accident Procedures

• Minor first aid only will be administered at the school.
• If additional treatment is necessary, parents will be contacted.
• If no answer is received, the emergency contact person will be phoned.
• Where neither the parent nor the designated contact person can be reached, the child will be taken to the hospital, unless the parents have given the school different instructions. In serious situations, an ambulance will be called.

Student Health

Please keep children at home during times of illness (schools are not equipped to handle sick children).

It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to inform the school each year of health matters, which may affect a child's schooling (this also applies to an existing condition that may have changed).

Where necessary, medical-alert cards are maintained in the school to ensure that students with special health problems (e.g., allergies to bee stings, etc.) will be monitored on a continuing basis.

If your child must take medication during school hours, please consult with the school secretary for the appropriate forms to be completed by you and your child's physician.

Medicine should NOT be stored in your child's backpack or lunch kit without permission from the office.

Head Lice

Never a pleasant topic, but they are around from time to time. Head lice are a nuisance, but not a serious health hazard. They are very easily passed from child to child during play.

At school, we deal with them in the following manner:

• When a case is confirmed, information is sent home as soon as possible telling parents/guardians how to deal with the problem; Children who have come into contact with the lice are checked by a team of trained parent volunteers (the results of the checks are confidential).

It would be of enormous help if parents/guardians who find lice in their children's hair were to inform the school secretary immediately so that the school may take the appropriate action.

Fire Drills

Students practice fire drills at the beginning and throughout the school year.

If a serious building fire were to occur, students would be taken to the lower blacktop area at Willow and Hawthorn and parents would be contacted.

Should parents be unable to pick up their children when contacted, the school would dismiss the students at the regular time (2:45 p.m.)-- Provided the general area is deemed safe.

Emergency Response Plan

Students, in addition to fire drills, practice earthquake drills.

In the event of a serious earthquake (or other emergency) occurring during regular school hours, the following procedures would occur:

• The building would be evacuated and students would be moved to the lower blacktop area.

If the Henderson school building were declared safe:

• Students not picked up by parents or emergency contact person would be taken back to their classes.
• The remaining students would be dismissed at the regular time if buses were running.
• If buses were not running at 3:05 p.m., the remaining students would be assembled in a classroom, and kept there until a parent/emergency contact picked them up. (Children who usually walk home would be kept at school.)
• In the event that Henderson School was declared unsafe (major damage to the area would have occurred and roads would appear impassable).
  • Students will remain on the lower blacktop area until picked up by a parent, relative or emergency contact person.
  • At the end of the school day, or earlier, if directed by the Provincial Emergency Coordinator, students would be taken to the designated Reception centre.