In case your child must be absent for the day, please call (619) 243-1400 and leave a message.
Please notify the office about the absence by 8:00 a.m.
Alternatively,
Send us a message to say that your child will be absent.
Prolonged absence
Occasionally, is it necessary for a student to be absent from school for several days because of a visit to friends or relatives, a family vacation, or prolonged illness (e.g. chicken pox or measles). If the absence is expected to last longer than two days and the child is not too incapacitated to perform schoolwork, parents are encouraged to arrange with their child’s homeroom teacher for a set of home study assignments to keep their child from falling too far behind his/her classmates. Parents are requested to inform the school of the need for such home study assignments at least 24 hours in advance.
Student Illness
Flus and Colds.
Flus and colds tend to spread quickly in schools, a fact parents can help prevent by keeping children at home if they have a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and/or they have mucus drainage that is yellow or green in color. Because the school has no facilities for other than routine first aid, a child who arrives at school ill or who becomes ill during the school day must be sent home. Parent(s) will be notified and the child will be made as comfortable as possible under the circumstances until the parent arrives to transport him/her home. If parents cannot be reached, the school will attempt to contact the person(s) whom parents have listed to contact in case of an emergency.
“Contagious diseases”
Children cannot attend school if they have a contagious disease, such as chicken pox, head lice, measles or “pinkeye.” When a child has been absent because of a contagious disease, his/her return to school is contingent upon a note signed by the child’s physician, which indicates that the illness is no longer contagious and that the child is well enough to attend school.
Chronic diseases
The school does not have nursing or other medical staff on site and is not equipped to manage cases of chronic disease that may require such attention. Consequently, children with chronic diseases will be evaluated for enrollment on a case-by-case basis.
Injuries at school
Minor injuries
Parents will be notified by the end of the school day in which a minor injury occurs to their child. Minor scratches and bruises will be attended to by the student’s teacher and/or the administrative office staff.
Injuries requiring medical attention
In the event that a student receives an injury that requires medical attention, but is not greatly painful or life threatening, the school will make every effort to comfort the student, will call the student’s parents or other designated party, and will have the student treated in keeping with the emergency information given the school by the parents.
Medical emergencies
In the event that a student’s injury is very painful, requires immediate medical attention, and/or is life threatening, the school will call 911 for emergency service and will then call the parents in keeping with the emergency information given the school.
Medications
Parental permission is essential
By law, Mt. Helix Academy cannot administer any medication, including prescription medication and “over the counter” medication, to a student without written parental permission. Permission forms for this purpose are available in the school’s administrative office and by clicking for the PDF: TIEE Medication Administration
The only “over the counter” medication Mt. Helix Academy will administer is acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol), and only if the school has signed parent permission.
Prescription medication at school
Prescription medication will be administered only if the school has parental permission and instructions for administration that are signed by the child’s physician, who must be licensed in California. Any change in the prescription or the administration schedule will be made only if the school has signed permission and instructions from the physician. The medication will be kept by the school in a secure location and Mt. Helix Academy will accept for administration only those medications that are in pill or capsule form and are in the original physician or pharmacy container.