Health Services

The San Mateo-Foster City Nursing Department serves all students in our school district. For information, questions or to discuss student health concerns, please contact the school nurse for your school.

For nursing services or questions, please contact a school nurse below.

In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

SMFCSD Nursing Staff

Nicole Monozon, RN

nmonozon @smfcsd.net

(650) 350-3203

x 3047

Natalie Mainini, RN

nmainini@smfcsd.net

(650) 477-0130

x 7295

Ashley Circosta, RN

acircosta@smfcsd.net

(650) 385-9362

x 7250

Christina Hirsch, LVN

chirsch@smfcsd.net

(650) 303-4675

x 7297

Nursing Department Fax Number

(650) 655-3394

Contact

Reach out for further information relating to student health.

Suzi Riley

Coordinator of Student Health

sriley@smfcsd.net

(650) 312-7248

Tina (Christina) Giusti

cgiusti@smfcsd.net

(650) 312-7296

When to keep your child home?

Sometimes when your child does not feel well, it is difficult to decide whether or not to send the child to school. Here are some guidelines to follow when making that decision. A child should not be in school when he/she has:

Nausea or vomiting, or has vomited during the night
Diarrhea
Frequent coughing or sneezing
Evidence of a communicable disease such as a rash, fever or unusual sores
A temperature of 100.4 degrees or above. If a child has had a fever, he/she may not return to school until she/he has been fever-free for 24 hours (without taking fever-reducing medication)
Sore throat
Strep throat – must be on an antibiotic for 24 hours and be symptom-free
A new cold or generally feels bad
Unusual watery, burning or red, crusted eyes

First page of the PDF file: Whentokeepyourchildhome-English1

First page of the PDF file: Whentokeepyourchildhome--SPANISH

Health Services Information & Documents

Allergy and EpiPen Requirements

If your child has a life-threatening allergy, please be sure to inform the school and/or nursing staff of your child’s allergen and expected responses. The student’s pediatrician or nurse practitioner should fill out and sign our Medication Administration Form (Formulario de administración de medicamentos) detailing instructions on which medication(s) to administer during an allergic reaction. If your child has a known allergy with potential for anaphylactic response, the parent/guardian must provide the school with two EpiPens to be kept in the school office. The parent/guardian must fill out our Allergy Action Plan Packet with Forms (Paquete Epipen con formularios) and obtain physician or nurse practitioner signature on the form.

School Staff is aware that anaphylactic reactions can be life threatening. Each school has a minimum of two emergency EpiPens available for student use and our staff has been trained on how to administer them. These school EpiPens are for students who have a first-time allergic reaction at school to an unknown allergen.
Our school staff is instructed to assess for a mild allergic reaction (no treatment or Benadryl) vs. anaphylactic reaction (EpiPen + 911).

How to use an EpiPen

Mild Reaction and Symptoms

Mild Reaction and Symptoms

Itchy and watery eyes
Sneezing
Nasal congestion
Stuffy or runny nose
Scratchy or sore throat
Itching, rash, or hives

Mild Reaction Treatment:

Benadryl (if parent has provided along with Medication Administration Form) or assess for symptoms subsiding on their own.
Monitor student’s symptoms to assess whether to wait for symptoms to subside or to administer Benadryl.
If student does not have their own Benadryl supply at school, a call to the parent/guardian for pick up

Anaphylaxis (severe) signs and symptoms:
- Mouth: itching, swelling of the lips and/or tongue
- Skin: Itching, hives, redness, swelling
- Throat: itching, tightness, closure
- Lungs: Shortness of breath, cough, wheeze
- Heart: Weak pulse, dizziness, fainting

Severe Reaction Treatment:

EpiPen
- Junior EpiPen: <55 lbs
- Adult EpiPen: >55 lbs
- When in doubt, use the adult sized EpiPen.
- Priority: maintaining an open airway.
- After administering EpiPen, call 911
Preventing Allergic Reactions:
- Know your child’s allergens
- Read food labels for hidden ingredients
- Avoid cross-contamination (don’t serve bulk foods to a child with an allergy)
- Avoid areas with insects as much as possible
- Be aware of products with Latex, which is a common allergen for students (avoid latex in rubber gloves, balloons, rubber bands, erasers, bandages, etc.)

Concussions/Head Injury

A concussion is a type of brain injury that changes the way the brain normally works. A concussion is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head. Concussions can also occur from a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Even what seems to be a mild bump on the head can be serious.

Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion

Concussions Fact Sheet

Hoja informativa sobre conmociones cerebrales

Danger Signs of a Concussion

Be alert for symptoms that worsen over time. Your child or teen should be seen in an emergency department right away if s/he has:

One pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) may be larger than the other
Drowsiness or cannot be awakened
A headache that gets worse and does not go away
Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
Repeated vomiting or nausea
Slurred speech
Convulsions or seizures
Loss of consciousness (even a brief loss of consciousness should be taken seriously)

Returning to Physical Activities/School Safely

Children and teens with a concussion should NEVER return to sports or recreation activities on the same day the injury occurred. They should delay returning to their activities until a health care professional experienced in evaluating for concussion says they are symptom-free and it’s OK to return to play. This means, until permitted, not returning to:

Physical Education (PE) class,
Sports practices or games, or
Physical activity at recess

How can I help my child return to school safely after a concussion?

When returning to school after a concussion, help your child get needed support. Talk with your child’s teachers, school nurse, coach, speech-language pathologist, or counselor about your child’s concussion and symptoms. Your child may feel frustrated, sad, and even angry because s/he cannot return to recreation and sports right away, or cannot keep up with schoolwork. Your child may also feel isolated from peers and social networks. Talk often with your child about these issues and oﬀer your support and encouragement. As your child’s symptoms decrease, the extra help or support can be removed gradually. Children and teens who return to school after a concussion may need to:

Take rest breaks as needed,
Spend fewer hours at school,
Be given more time to take tests or complete assignments,
Receive help with schoolwork, and/or
Reduce time spent reading, writing, or on the computer

Video on Concussions for Parents

Concussions at School

The district school nurse instructs all staff to take head injuries seriously and to always assess for the possibility of a concussion.

Cold and Flu Season

Please do NOT send your child to school if he/she has or has had:

A fever more than 99.5 degrees within the last 24 hours (must be fever free without fever-reducing medication)
Vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours
Continuous coughing not relieved with cough medicine

As many of our students are getting colds and/or the flu during the school year, we would greatly appreciate your assistance in preventing the spread of illnesses at school. Please help us teach your children health habits to protect themselves as well as others. Here are some helpful guidelines to keep your child healthy:

Plenty of rest and nutritious foods are needed.
Do not eat or drink from the same utensil or container after someone else.
Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
When coughing or sneezing, cover the nose and mouth by coughing or sneezing into a tissue or bent elbow.
Practice frequent hand washing with soap and water, or with hand sanitizer. This is the best way to prevent the spread of germs! Wash hands for at least 20 seconds.

Diabetes Information

Flu Vaccine/COVID-19 Vaccines

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three or four influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. The vaccine viruses are reviewed each year and changed as needed based on international surveillance and scientists’ estimations about which viruses will predominate during the upcoming season.
Flu vaccines have a very good safety record. Over the years, hundreds of millions of Americans have received seasonal flu vaccines. The most common side effects following flu vaccinations are mild, such as soreness, redness, tenderness, or swelling where the shot was given.

Hearing and Vision Screening

SMFC School Nurses provide California state-mandated hearing and vision screens for all students in kindergarten, 2nd, 5th, and 8th grades. Only parents/guardians of students who do not pass the screening will be contacted by the nurse with a referral for further diagnosis and treatment by an optometrist/ophthalmologist or audiologist. A follow up form must be submitted to the school site with appropriate treatment accommodations by a physician.

Annual Vision Screens (grades TK, K, 2, 5, 8, and Special Education initial and triennial evaluations)
Annual Hearing Screens (grades TK, K, 2, 5, 8, and Special Education initial and triennial evaluations)

Immunization Requirements

All students enrolling in SMFC need all state-mandated immunizations to be up to date. California schools are required to check immunization records for all new student admissions at TK/Kindergarten through 12th grade and all students advancing to 7th grade before entry. Parents must show their child's Immunization Records as proof of immunization. To ensure your child can start school, please make sure ALL forms and immunizations are completed BEFORE the first day of school.

On January 1, 2016 SB277 was passed and vaccine exemptions based on personal beliefs, including religious beliefs, for the required vaccines for entry into a California school are no longer valid.

Learn more about School Immunization Requirements

Immunization Schedule:

TK/K Immunization Requirements:

Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP, DTP, Tdap, or Td) — 5 doses (4 doses OK if one was given on or after 4th birthday.
3 doses OK if one was given on or after 7th birthday.) For 7th-12th graders, at least 1 dose of pertussis-containing vaccine is required on or after 7th birthday.
Polio (OPV or IPV) — 4 doses (3 doses OK if one was given on or after 4th birthday)
Hepatitis B — 3 doses (not required for 7th grade entry)
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) — 2 doses (Both given on or after 1st birthday)
Varicella (Chickenpox) — 2 doses

Kindergarten Immunizations:

Due before the first day of kindergarten

1st Grade Health Exam:

Report of Health Examination for School Entry is due before the start of 1st grade, or within 90 days thereafter.

7th Grade Immunization Requirements:

All current and incoming 7th grade students are required by law to have a whooping cough booster (Tdap vaccine) and second varicella vaccine on or before the first day of school. If your child has not had a Tdap vaccine and second varicella vaccine, please schedule an appointment as soon as possible with your doctor and submit documentation to your school office.

Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) - 1 dose (Whooping cough booster usually given at 11 years and up)
Varicella (Chickenpox) - 2 doses (Usually given at ages 12 months and 4-6 years)

TDAP Notice English | TDAP Notice Spanish

K - 1 Medical and Oral Health Forms

Lice Information

Medical Forms

The San Mateo-Foster City School District requires that all paperwork for medication administration at school must be complete and on file before any medication can be provided for a student. Families are responsible for supplying all medication (prescription and over-the-counter) that their child may need. This includes ALL over the counter medications, even cough drops, that will be kept in the school office.

The Medication Authorization Form must be updated annually and submitted at the beginning of each school year. Per California Education Code 49423, any student who is required to take medication during school hours must have a written statement from a physician detailing the name of the medication, the route, dose and time schedules for the medication to be taken.

Prescription medication must be in the original container, labeled with the student’s name, name of prescribing physician, name of medication and instructions. Medication will be stored in the school medication cabinets, and dispensed by trained school personnel.
Over the counter medication must be in the original container and authorized by the parent and physician. Students are not permitted to carry medication, over the counter or prescription, without a current authorization form on file.

Medical forms must be renewed yearly with your medical provider's signature. Forms listed below are also available at all school site offices.

2024 - 2025 Permission for Medication

2024 - 2025 Permiso para Medicamentos

Seizure Packet

Parent Permission to Seek Medical Care

You authorize the school to obtain medical care for your child, as specified in the Parent/Guardian Rights, in an emergency. You understand that the San Mateo-Foster City School District, its employees and its Board assume no liability of any nature in relation to the transportation or treatment of said minor. You further understand that all costs of paramedics, transportation, hospitalization and any examination, X-rays or treatment provided in this authorization shall be your responsibility.