Wellness & Safety
PSCS will promote a healthy and safe educational environment by providing the following:
School Wellness
PSCS strives to maintain a healthy environment for all students and staff. Wellness is a priority and in an effort to minimize the spread of illness, the following policies will be observed. If a teacher notices a child is not feeling well and is unable to participate in class activities, the teacher will contact the parent/guardian or emergency contact. The parent/guardian or emergency contact will adhere to the teacher’s recommendation as to whether a student can remain in the classroom, or will need to return home. A student must be fever and symptom-free (no vomiting) for 24 hours before returning to school after an illness.
Immunization/Physical Examination Requirements
Kindergarteners must have completed their immunizations and must have a physical examination by the first day of the school year. A health assessment form for the child is available at the school. Those who do not have both the immunizations and examinations completed by the thirtieth day of school will be suspended from school until they have been completed unless the child is exempted by North Carolina law, in which case the parent or guardian shall provide a written and signed exemption form.
Medication
School employees are not allowed to administer over-the-counter medication to students. If a student needs over-the-counter medication, a parent/guardian must come to school and administer said medication to the child during school hours. The parent/guardian is responsible for supplying and retrieving the medication.
School personnel can administer prescription medication with a completed medical authorization form including: doctor authorization, type of medicine, dosage and emergency contact information. All medication must be stored in a lockbox on school grounds.
Safe Outdoor Play
During outdoor play, PSCS staff will be stationed such that all students are visible. Teachers will have class meetings with students in order to discuss specific rules and safety during outdoor play. Rules and guidelines will be posted near outdoor equipment where necessary for safety. PSCS teachers, staff and students will adhere to these procedures. If a child is injured, parents/guardians will be contacted and a staff member will complete an incident report to be kept with the Director.
Allergen Awareness Policy
Pioneer Springs Community School was founded on a philosophy of educating the whole child and valuing each child equally. In order to fully integrate this philosophy into a set of allergy procedures, Pioneer Springs adheres to an ‘Allergen Aware’ Policy. The focus of this program will be to promote allergy awareness to staff, parents and students rather than limiting certain foods or environments to which we expose children. Through extensive research and discussions, having a clearly defined set of roles, responsibilities and individualized allergy action plans provides the safest means to address allergies, while keeping true to the school’s long term vision.
The goals and guidelines outlined in this policy were written to ensure that Pioneer Springs’ constituents (staff, parents/guardians, students) clearly understand the importance of their respective roles in making this policy a success. Pioneer Springs encourages open dialogue to address questions and/or concerns. The goal of this policy is to provide a set of guidelines to ensure our students with allergies have a safe environment in which to learn. Our policy outlines the responsibilities of parents/guardians, Pioneer Springs staff, and students in order to safely mitigate risks associated with allergies.
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
1. Communicate to the Pioneer Springs staff, including both the teacher(s) and administration, your child’s specific allergy prior to the first day of school.
2. Supply the medical records associated with your child’s allergy.
3. Work with the administration to identify a specific action plan for your child including, but not limited to the following:
-medications and steps in administering the medication, including number of EpiPens needed per child.
-emergency contact info
-engaging the child in assisting in their own action plans
4. Teach your child to take age-appropriate responsibility for their allergy including, but not limited to the following:
-recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction and notify an adult immediately
-no sharing of food, drinks or utensils
-stress the importance of hand washing
-stress the importance of understanding the allergy and all the ingredients that may trigger a reaction
5. Follow the ‘Shared-Food Events’ policy outlining the parent/guardian’s responsibility as it relates to providing food for pot luck events, field trips, parties, etc.
Pioneer Springs’ Staff and Volunteer Responsibilities1. A designated administrative team member will meet with the parent to collaboratively build an individual action plan for the student.
2. Communicate the action plan to all other staff members and volunteers who will attend PSCS during school hours.
3. Ensure all applicable staff is capable of administering applicable medications, including epinephrine injections.
4. Create and adhere to an emergency action plan to address life-threatening allergic reactions.
5. Designate a safe place to house all medications to treat allergic reactions. Ensure Pioneer Springs staff is aware of this location.
6. Become familiar with foods and other allergy triggers that may cause a reaction, especially anaphylaxis.
Student Responsibilities
1. Do not share food, drinks or utensils.
2. Properly wash hands after eating and throughout the day.
3. Understand the symptoms of a reaction and immediately tell the nearest adult.
4. Never eat anything with unknown ingredients.
5. Understand his or her responsibilities within the individual action plan, as age-appropriate.
Shared-Food Events
For shared-food events, to ensure safety, nut products are not permitted. For more information and resources, please refer to the PSCS Parent/Student Handbook.
Mental Health Improvement Plan
Consistent with the NC State Board of Education’s policy SHLT-003, School-Based Mental Health, Pioneer Springs Community School is committed to acts in recognition of the importance of mental health for staff, students, and families as the foundation to personal well-being and essential to maximizing access to education.
Click the button below to read the full plan.
- Health Education
- A Safe Physical Environment
- School Counseling, Psychological and Social Services
- Physical Education
- Nutrition Services
- School-Site Health Promotion for Staff
- Family and Community Involvement in School
School Wellness
PSCS strives to maintain a healthy environment for all students and staff. Wellness is a priority and in an effort to minimize the spread of illness, the following policies will be observed. If a teacher notices a child is not feeling well and is unable to participate in class activities, the teacher will contact the parent/guardian or emergency contact. The parent/guardian or emergency contact will adhere to the teacher’s recommendation as to whether a student can remain in the classroom, or will need to return home. A student must be fever and symptom-free (no vomiting) for 24 hours before returning to school after an illness.
Immunization/Physical Examination Requirements
Kindergarteners must have completed their immunizations and must have a physical examination by the first day of the school year. A health assessment form for the child is available at the school. Those who do not have both the immunizations and examinations completed by the thirtieth day of school will be suspended from school until they have been completed unless the child is exempted by North Carolina law, in which case the parent or guardian shall provide a written and signed exemption form.
Medication
School employees are not allowed to administer over-the-counter medication to students. If a student needs over-the-counter medication, a parent/guardian must come to school and administer said medication to the child during school hours. The parent/guardian is responsible for supplying and retrieving the medication.
School personnel can administer prescription medication with a completed medical authorization form including: doctor authorization, type of medicine, dosage and emergency contact information. All medication must be stored in a lockbox on school grounds.
Safe Outdoor Play
During outdoor play, PSCS staff will be stationed such that all students are visible. Teachers will have class meetings with students in order to discuss specific rules and safety during outdoor play. Rules and guidelines will be posted near outdoor equipment where necessary for safety. PSCS teachers, staff and students will adhere to these procedures. If a child is injured, parents/guardians will be contacted and a staff member will complete an incident report to be kept with the Director.
Allergen Awareness Policy
Pioneer Springs Community School was founded on a philosophy of educating the whole child and valuing each child equally. In order to fully integrate this philosophy into a set of allergy procedures, Pioneer Springs adheres to an ‘Allergen Aware’ Policy. The focus of this program will be to promote allergy awareness to staff, parents and students rather than limiting certain foods or environments to which we expose children. Through extensive research and discussions, having a clearly defined set of roles, responsibilities and individualized allergy action plans provides the safest means to address allergies, while keeping true to the school’s long term vision.
The goals and guidelines outlined in this policy were written to ensure that Pioneer Springs’ constituents (staff, parents/guardians, students) clearly understand the importance of their respective roles in making this policy a success. Pioneer Springs encourages open dialogue to address questions and/or concerns. The goal of this policy is to provide a set of guidelines to ensure our students with allergies have a safe environment in which to learn. Our policy outlines the responsibilities of parents/guardians, Pioneer Springs staff, and students in order to safely mitigate risks associated with allergies.
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
1. Communicate to the Pioneer Springs staff, including both the teacher(s) and administration, your child’s specific allergy prior to the first day of school.
2. Supply the medical records associated with your child’s allergy.
3. Work with the administration to identify a specific action plan for your child including, but not limited to the following:
-medications and steps in administering the medication, including number of EpiPens needed per child.
-emergency contact info
-engaging the child in assisting in their own action plans
4. Teach your child to take age-appropriate responsibility for their allergy including, but not limited to the following:
-recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction and notify an adult immediately
-no sharing of food, drinks or utensils
-stress the importance of hand washing
-stress the importance of understanding the allergy and all the ingredients that may trigger a reaction
5. Follow the ‘Shared-Food Events’ policy outlining the parent/guardian’s responsibility as it relates to providing food for pot luck events, field trips, parties, etc.
Pioneer Springs’ Staff and Volunteer Responsibilities1. A designated administrative team member will meet with the parent to collaboratively build an individual action plan for the student.
2. Communicate the action plan to all other staff members and volunteers who will attend PSCS during school hours.
3. Ensure all applicable staff is capable of administering applicable medications, including epinephrine injections.
4. Create and adhere to an emergency action plan to address life-threatening allergic reactions.
5. Designate a safe place to house all medications to treat allergic reactions. Ensure Pioneer Springs staff is aware of this location.
6. Become familiar with foods and other allergy triggers that may cause a reaction, especially anaphylaxis.
Student Responsibilities
1. Do not share food, drinks or utensils.
2. Properly wash hands after eating and throughout the day.
3. Understand the symptoms of a reaction and immediately tell the nearest adult.
4. Never eat anything with unknown ingredients.
5. Understand his or her responsibilities within the individual action plan, as age-appropriate.
Shared-Food Events
For shared-food events, to ensure safety, nut products are not permitted. For more information and resources, please refer to the PSCS Parent/Student Handbook.
Mental Health Improvement Plan
Consistent with the NC State Board of Education’s policy SHLT-003, School-Based Mental Health, Pioneer Springs Community School is committed to acts in recognition of the importance of mental health for staff, students, and families as the foundation to personal well-being and essential to maximizing access to education.
Click the button below to read the full plan.
