Students who are not feeling well should not be sent to school. Parents will be notified if a child becomes ill at school. He will be sent home if he has an elevated temperature, if he may be exposing others to infection or if he feels so ill that he cannot participate in classroom activities. Parents are responsible for providing transportation for sick students when they are notified.

Unless we are notified about the absence of a student, school personnel will call the parents of students who are absent each day. Parents are requested to call the school whenever a child will be absent.

Any student returning from an absence must bring a note from the parent/guardian stating why he/she was not at school.

Students returning to school following a communicable illness must be seen by the school nurse before returning to class. In order to return to school a physician's statement may be required for chicken pox, strep, and pink eye.

A physical exam is required for admission to school for all newly transferred students from out of district.

Parents/guardians should be aware of the importance of obtaining a physical exam at least once during each of the student's developmental stages: early childhood (pre-school through grade three), pre-adolescence (grades 4 to 6), and adolescence (grades 7 to 12).

During the course of the school year, your son/daughter will have height, weight, BMI, vision, hearing, blood pressure check and scoliosis screening done.

Requests to have a child not participate in our physical education class will also exclude them from sports. Gym excuses are to be issued by the school nurse. To obtain an excuse you must:

Have a note from a parent for a one or two-day excuse.
Have a doctor's note for three or more days.

Repeated parental requests for gym excuses may require a doctor's note.

Statutes of the State of New Jersey require full immunizations for all students in schools across the state prior to entering school. Parents are urged to contact their school nurse should they have any questions.

To help us in case of emergency, please be sure to fill out the emergency form distributed to your son/daughter at the beginning of the school year and update if needed.

Head Lice Infestation - Head lice infestation can occur at any age and each year 6 - 23 million Americans report having contacted head lice. One of the most prevalent misconceptions about head lice is that it occurs only among the poor and unclean. For many years, it was thought that people only received head lice from unclean environments or because of poor hygiene. Everyone is at risk and if it happens in your family, it is not something that should cause embarrassment. The most important thing is to treat the problem immediately and notify your son/daughter school, in particular the school nurse, and everyone else with whom your child has come in close contact. Presently, the chances are better than ever before of bringing this nationwide public health problem under control. More cases of head lice infestation occur than all other communicable childhood diseases combined. The Newton Schools procedure on head lice is as follows:

a. After a case of head lice is reported to the school nurse or detected by the school nurse, the student will be excluded from school until treated and free of nits (eggs).

b. The student must be seen by the school nurse prior to re-admission to school. If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse.

A doctor's note may be required for re-admission to school.

Any time your son/daughter is given a booster shot, please send a copy to the health office so that it can be updated on their health record.

All students entering the 6th grade must have had the Tdap and meningococcal vaccine.

All school athletic physicals should be performed at the office of your son/daughters own doctor. These forms are to be obtained from the nurse, completed and then submitted to the health office. If you do not have insurance and/or a private doctor, call the school nurse and she will assist you.

All students who participate in interscholastic sports as well as intramurals must have a current physical on file in the nurse's office in order to participate. All questions/concerns should be directed to the school nurse.

Halsted Middle School

Nurse's Corner

Newton Free Clinic

Zufall Health Center (Your Medical Home)

Parent Information

Sussex County Department of Environmental & Public Health Services

HPV Vaccine Questions and Answers for Parents

Meningococcal Invasive Disease

NJ Family Care

About the Health Office

Health Office Information

Regarding Administration of Medication in School