Jamestown School Health Office

Arlington Public Schools health services are provided by the School Health Bureau of the Public Health Division of Arlington County’s Department of Human Services. The mission of the School Health Bureau is to provide students and their families with preventive and early intervention services that enable the student to learn to the best of his or her potential. Our School is staffed with a School Health Aide. Additionally, we have an assigned Public Health Nurse (PHN). School Public Health Nurses cover anywhere from 1 to 3 schools.

Contact

School Health Office Phone: 703-228-8354

School Health Aide:

Melissa Bermudez

Email: mbermudez@arlingtonva.us

Tel: (703) 228-8354 (Mon-Fri)

Public Health Nurse:

Lee Harper-Chen, RN

Email: lharper-chen@arlingtonva.us

Work Phone: (703) 228-8368 (Tues & Thurs)

Work Cell (voice only, no texts): (703) 364-9043

Please contact the school health office and the school attendance line for all absences related to illness.
The school health office will be open Monday-Friday during school hours by appointment.
All medications must be dropped off by a parent or guardian. Please call the school health office for an appointment to drop off medications or update your student’s health information.

School Health Entry Requirements

Per the Code of Virginia (§ 22.1-271.2. Immunization requirements (virginia.gov) and § 22.1-270. Preschool physical examinations (virginia.gov)), students must meet school health entry requirements. School health staff will be following up with parents of students who are missing required vaccines and physical examinations. More information about school health entry requirements is available online.

School Health Entry Requirements for New Elementary Students

Physical Examination done within 12 months prior to starting school – School Entrance Health Form (Physical Exam Form)
Students will need a new physical exam when rising from Pre-K to Kindergarten.
Immunization Records – https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/immunization/requirements
Tuberculosis (TB) test or screening done within 12 months prior to starting school

Link for More Information

Arlington Public Schools:

Illness Procedures

Students should stay home if they show signs of illness the night before or the morning of school. Please do not administer medications such as Advil/Tylenol to a student having a fever or discomfort and then send them to school. The clinic staff will call parents/guardians to pick up students if they show signs of illness while at school that interfere with their ability to participate in school activities, such as fever, persistent stomach or headache, persistent vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, etc. Students who may have a contagious illness should not be in school.

Clearance to return to school after illness:

In general, students may not return to school until they have been fever-free and vomiting/diarrhea-free for 24 hours without the use of medications, with other symptoms improving, and are well enough to participate in school activities.

Students diagnosed with a bacterial illness such as bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) or strep throat may return to school when they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours and are feeling better.

Students experiencing COVID-like illness should be tested for COVID-19 before returning to school. There is no requirement to submit documentation of the test result. If the result is positive, families are encouraged to follow the APS guidelines for isolation and exiting isolation before sending students back to school: https://www.apsva.us/health-safety/covid-19/

For more information visit the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

Injury Accommodations

Injury Accommodations: If your student suffers an injury and would need accommodations in school such as limited P.E., please submit a doctor’s note to the clinic. This will enable the clinic staff to inform all teachers.