Health Office

The Westlake Elementary Health Office is staffed by a Health Clerk from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. daily. Health Clerks are certified in both CPR and First Aid. The Health Clerk is responsible for administering first aid; responding to health emergencies and performing lifesaving measures, if needed; distributing doctor-prescribed medications; apprising parents of any illness or injury on campus during school hours; and maintaining student health records including ensuring student vaccinations are up to date and compliant with school district and state requirements, and following up on state mandated vision, hearing, and health screening results. The Health Office is available to students throughout the school day. When the Health Clerk is not present, care is provided by the other front office staff members.

CVUSD also employs District Nurses. The District Nurses are licensed health care professionals who provide specialized medical services that include medically required personal care; administering vision and hearing screenings; overseeing school infection control standards; communicating with students’ families regarding continuing infectious diseases; assisting families with obtaining outside healthcare services; providing Human Growth & Development classes; and collaborating with parents of students who have special health care needs, and developing individualized plans of care for those students while at school. The credentialed school nurse is uniquely qualified in preventive health assessment and referral procedures.​

Health Screenings

• Oral Health Assessment - To make sure your child is ready for school, California law, Education Code section 49452.8, now requires that your child have a dental check-up in either kindergarten or first grade, whichever is his or her first year in public school. Assessments that have happened within the 12 months before you child entered school also meet this requirement. The law specifies that the assessment must be done by a licensed dentist or other licensed or registered dental health professional. 

• Report of Examination for School Entry - To protect the health of children, California law requires a health examination for school entry. The REPORT OF HEALTH EXAMINATION FOR SCHOOL ENTRY report (a.k.a. 1st Grade Physical) needs to be filled out by a doctor, signed and dated by both the doctor and a parent/guardian, and returned to school. This form is valid for examinations which occur AFTER the child is 4 years and 3 months of age and must be completed BEFORE the 90th day following the start of the child's 1st grade year. If you do not want your child to have a health check-up, you may sign the waiver form found at the CHDP website, or click HERE to download the waiver form. The most convenient time to have this form completed by your child's pediatrician is at his or her five-year physical.

• Vision and Hearing Screenings - Students in grades Kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grades will have their hearing and vision assessed by CVUSD employed certified health professionals. Parents will be notified should their children be identified as needing further testing by a licensed health professional.

Immunizations

According to California Law (SB 277), all students attending public school in California are required to be fully immunized. Personal Beliefs Exemptions are no longer accepted. Students who have not been fully immunized are required to provide a Medical Exemption letter from his or her doctor specifying the medical reason for the student being under-immunized. 

Incoming Transitional Kindergarten students who are missing immunizations due to their birth dates falling after the first day of school must supply a temporary exemption letter from their pediatrician indicating which immunizations are missing and the appointment date the immunizations will be administered. Failure to provide the temporary exemption letter will result in the child not being allowed to begin class on the first day of school. The required immunization may be found on the Shots For School website.

Medication at School

Students who require medications to be kept and administered at school will need to have an AUTHORIZATIONS FOR MEDICATIONS TAKEN DURING SCHOOL HOURS, SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND FIELD TRIPS form completed and signed by both a parent/guardian and the child's physician. Please review the School Medication Guidelines & Procedures form for more details.

Students with Asthma, Food/Bee Sting Allergies, Cardiac Issues, Diabetes, Seizures or Shunts will also need to have their doctor complete an Individual Health Care Plan form. To download these forms, please see the quick LINKS located to the left of this web page. 

Temporary Disability

California requires all students to take physical education. Some students, however, may have a temporary illness or physical injury that prevents them from fully participating. In an effort to make this situation as smooth as possible, please have a doctor complete the linked Readmission to School of Student with Temporary Disability form.  Please sign the form.  Do not send your student to school with an un-prescribed appliance, i.e. wrap, brace, sling, boot, crutches, etc. without this form. This is essential to ensure that the student is participating as much as possible in physical education without being in danger of causing any further injury or preventing proper healing.

Parents must advise the Front Office and their child's teacher in writing if their child has sustained a minor injury or illness which does not require a visit to the doctor, but for which the parents feel their child should be restricted from physical activity. Children who are restricted from P.E. will also be restricted from recess. Without a doctor's note or completed Readmission to School of Students with Temporary Disability form, students will only be allowed to sit out of P.E. and recess for a few days.

Human Growth & Development Education

At the elementary and middle school levels, a program is presented to students in grades 4, 5, and 6 to provide them with an understanding of the changes in their physical development. By becoming familiar with this process, young people can better cope with normal physical and emotional changes. The program also emphasizes the importance of proper rest, nutrition and physical exercise while growing. The Human Growth & Development presentations are conducted by one of our district's registered nurses. Please review the linked Parent Information Human Growth & Development document. Parent consent is required for students to attend the film.