Our school Health Centre offers the services of a first aid officer and is open every day during school hours, 8.15am to 2.40pm. This is for students who become unwell during school hours or for the treatment of injuries sustained while at school.
If a student is unable to continue at school, the first aid officer or duty personnel will contact whānau to collect the student to take them home.
Medication at school
If a student has medication which needs to be taken during school hours, this should be placed in a clearly labelled bag and provided to health centre staff. Medication will be dispensed by the first aid officer as and when required.
Students who carry epi-pens
We ask that all students who carry epi-pens register this with our nurse, Helen Moore. The scale of our school is such that we need to get to the nearest location to provide support as required. This information will assist us greatly in ensuring timely and accurate treatment. We do have epi-pens located for staff to access around the school.
Defibrillators
Burnside High School also has four defibrillators / AEDs on site. These are located as follows:
-
Pukehinau
-
Hunter Gymnasium
-
Aurora Centre
-
Main Reception
Thank you for working with us to ensure that our students and staff have the right information and equipment during a medical event.
Please ensure that your teenagers are well enough to be at school
If your teenager has hay fever, allergy issues, a headache, runny nose or skin complaints that are not infectious, these are considered mild symptoms that can be caused by a condition or reaction rather than an infectious illness. A child with these symptoms is likely to still be able to attend school.
When to keep your child home to get well and for how long?
You should keep your child at home from school if they are too sick to learn and need time to rest and recover.
You should also keep them at home if they have:
-
fever
-
vomiting and diarrhoea
-
sore throat
-
school sores and other skin infections
-
a new rash or itches
-
head lice (nits) and scabies
-
wheezing or difficulty breathing
-
tested positive for COVID-19
-
another infectious illness and they have been told to stay home by their healthcare provider or public health service.
Most childhood illnesses get better on their own, but if your child becomes increasingly unwell or you are worried, get health advice.
Infectious diseases that can spread easily at school
There are many infectious diseases that can spread easily at school where there are a lot of people together in classrooms. You should always keep your child at home if your healthcare provider or local public health service tells you to do so to prevent the spread of an infectious disease at school.
Sending your teen back to school
As soon as your teenager is well enough to return to school, it is important that they attend to be with their peers and get back to learning. If your child cannot manage full days to begin with, discuss a transition plan with their dean.
In general, a doctor’s certificate or clearance should not have to be provided for your child to go back to their school after being unwell.
You can find this information and more on the Health New Zealand website.
Please remember if you are unwell with cold or flu-like symptoms:
-
speak to your doctor or Healthline (0800 611 116).
-
stay home from school while unwell
