A nurse in every building, every kid’s health on file.

Health Services

Three school nurses cover Monte's three buildings — one at each — and they handle everything from medication-at-school authorizations to immunization records to "should I keep my kid home today?" calls. If you're not sure who to call, call the District Office and we'll route you.

Need something fast? Health forms · When to keep your child home · Immunizations · Medication at school · (360) 249-3942

Our nurses

Alisha Forrest, RN — District Nurse · Beacon Elementary aforrest@monteschools.org

Crystal Raines, LPN — Simpson Elementary craines@monteschools.org

Briana Simbe, LPN — Montesano Jr/Sr High School bsimbe@monteschools.org · (360) 249-1650

When to keep your child home

If any of these are happening, your student should stay home until they're better. Bringing a sick child to school puts other children and staff at risk, and they're not going to be able to learn anyway.

If your child develops any of these at school, we may need to call you to pick them up.

Prevention works. Cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands often, get the yearly flu shot. We see far fewer sick days when families stay on top of the basics.

Common conditions

Quick guidance on the things parents call about most. When in doubt, call the school office or a nurse — we'd rather hear from you than have your child miss school for the wrong reason.

Chicken pox

A child with chicken pox should stay home until all blisters have crusted over — usually 5 to 7 days from the first appearance of the rash. Keeping the school informed helps us watch for spread, especially in classrooms with siblings of medically fragile children.

Head lice

Lice are common, treatable, and not a sign of poor hygiene. Treat at home with an over-the-counter lice shampoo following the package directions. Return to school after the first treatment. The nurse may recheck before re-entry. Wash bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water; vacuum upholstered furniture.

Illness (general)

See the When to keep your child home table above. Two specific reminders that come up a lot: 24 hours fever-free without medicine before returning, and 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea.

Pink eye (conjunctivitis)

If you see thick discharge or matting on the lashes, your child needs to be seen by a provider before returning to school. Many cases need antibiotic drops; viral cases need to run their course but are still contagious. Stay home until the discharge is gone or 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has started.

Medical alert

If your student has a medical condition the school should know about — severe allergies, asthma, diabetes, seizure disorder, heart condition, anything else — tell us at enrollment and again any time the condition or care plan changes. Specifically:

1. Note it on the Annual Health Status Form during enrollment
2. Tell the classroom teacher at the start of each school year
3. For life-threatening conditions, work with the nurse on a written health plan (specific steps staff will take, medications on hand, who calls 911)
4. Update us if anything changes mid-year

The earlier we know, the better prepared we are if something happens.

Health screenings

Washington requires periodic vision and hearing screening at school. We screen every student at the grade levels the state specifies — kindergarten, then again at TK · grades · — and follow up with parents when a screening suggests further evaluation.

Screening is not a diagnosis. If we send a referral letter home, please follow up with your provider. Many issues are easily corrected once identified.

A screening can be skipped at parental request — talk to the nurse if you'd like to opt out.

Immunizations

Washington law (RCW 28A.31.118) requires all students attending school to have a Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) on file before their first day. This isn't a district choice; it's state law, and the state runs an audit each fall. Schools that fall behind face funding consequences and, more importantly, students who fall behind may be excluded from school until their record is current.

What we need

• Medically verified immunization record — your provider can print one, or we can pull it directly from the Washington Immunization Information System (WAIIS) if you've authorized that
• The CIS form, signed
• For students new to a Washington school: confirmation that prior records have been transferred

Required vaccines

Washington's school immunization requirements change occasionally. The current required list (DTaP/Tdap, Polio, MMR, Hep B, Varicella, and others depending on grade) is published every year by the Washington State Department of Health. We send updated requirements home each fall and post the current parent guide on this page.

Current school immunization requirements (DOH) →

Exemptions

Three types are recognized in Washington:

• Medical — must be signed by a healthcare provider
• Religious — must be signed by both a healthcare provider and the parent (with one narrow exception)
• Personal/philosophical — not allowed for MMR since 2019

The Certificate of Exemption form is required for any exemption type.

Conditional attendance

If you're partway through a vaccine series at the start of school, your student may attend conditionally while completing the series — but only if a written schedule is on file with the nurse. Falling off the schedule means exclusion until the next dose is documented.

Questions

Either nurse can pull the current record, identify what's missing, and walk you through next steps.

Medication at school

We'd rather have you give medication at home before or after school whenever possible. When school-day dosing is necessary, the rules are tight — they exist to keep students safe.

Required for any medication, including over-the-counter

• The Authorization for Medication at School form, signed by both the prescribing healthcare provider and the parent/guardian — for prescriptions, OTC, inhalers, EpiPens, supplements, everything
• Medication delivered to school in the original container with a current pharmacy or product label
• Form on file before the medication arrives

Find the Authorization for Medication at School form below or in the Health Services district forms section.

Self-carry medications

A student with a life-threatening condition (asthma, severe allergy, diabetes) may carry their own rescue medication if the form is on file and a healthcare provider has determined the student can self-administer safely. Talk to the nurse — there's a short additional step for self-carry approval.

Storage and administration

Most medications are stored in a locked cabinet in the nurse's office and administered by a designated trained staff member. The nurse logs every dose.

Changes mid-year

If a dose, schedule, or medication changes during the year, we need an updated form. Don't have your student tell the office — please contact the nurse directly.

Concussion information

Under Washington's Lystedt Law (RCW 28A.600.190), any student-athlete suspected of having a concussion must be removed from play immediately and may not return until evaluated and cleared in writing by a licensed healthcare provider trained in concussion management.

This applies to practices, games, and PE. It applies whether the impact happened at school or somewhere else — if a student arrives at school with possible concussion symptoms, we follow the same protocol.

Common symptoms

• Headache or pressure in the head
• Confusion or feeling foggy
• Balance problems or dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Memory problems
• Mood changes — irritability, sadness, or feeling "off"
• Sleeping more or less than usual

Symptoms can appear immediately or hours later. Watch closely in the 24–48 hours after any blow to the head.

After a concussion

1. Rest — physical and cognitive. Limit screens, schoolwork, and physical activity.
2. Return-to-learn plan with the school nurse — gradual reintroduction to academic load, with accommodations as needed.
3. Return-to-play progression — must be in writing from a qualified provider before resuming sports.

Resources

• CDC HEADS UP Parent's Guide to Concussion
• District concussion policy — see Policies below

Coaches, parents, and student-athletes sign an annual concussion acknowledgment form before participation in any school sport.

Forms

If a form you need isn't listed below, check the district forms page or call the nurse.

Health policies

Health-related board policies — communicable disease, medication, mandatory reporting, and others — pull from the board policy manual.

Mental health resources

If you're worried about your student's mental health, talk to the nurse, the school counselor, or a teacher you trust. We can connect you to:

• In-school counseling at every Monte school
• Care Solace — district-provided telehealth and behavioral health navigation TK · confirm if Monte uses Care Solace; otherwise list local Grays Harbor providers
• Washington Recovery Help Line — 1-866-789-1511 (24/7, free, confidential)
• Crisis Connections — call or text 988 for immediate mental health crisis support

You don't need a referral or a diagnosis to start a conversation.

Public health updates

When something contagious is spreading at one of the schools — strep, flu, hand-foot-mouth, RSV — we send a heads-up to families in the affected building. We coordinate with Grays Harbor Public Health for anything reportable.

Contact

Health Services 502 E. Spruce Avenue Montesano, WA 98563 (360) 249-3942 · community@monteschools.org