Health Room News

Masks in Health Room

At its meeting on Feb. 24, 2022, the Howard County Board of Education voted to make face coverings optional, based on the Maryland State Department of Education’s off-ramp option one for school districts to lift mask requirements.

All students, staff and visitors will be able to choose if they wish to wear a mask in HCPSS buildings. While optional in buildings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health experts continue to recommend face masks as a precautionary measure. 

Per the CDC, masks are required in healthcare settings, so students and staff must continue to wear a mask in school health rooms. 

Vaccination requirements for current 6th Grade students - 2022/23 School Year

COVID-19 Test Kits

All students received a COVID-19 test kit to bring home.  We encourage the use of at-home tests prior to returning from Spring Break. Reminder that all students and staff are to remain home if they are experiencing symptom(s) associated with any communicable disease, including COVID-19. Details on daily health checks are available online.  If your child is exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms, please use your test kit as an additional mitigation effort to keep our schools and offices healthy, and/or access one of many available public testing sites in your area.

Upcoming Covid-19 Vaccine Clinics

For information on upcoming Vaccine Clinics, please visit the HCPSS website.

Communicating with our Health Room regarding Positive Covid-19 Test Results:

When emailing our Health Room regarding your child's absence due to a positive Covid-19 test result or close contact to a positive case, please provide the following information:

Positive Test:

•         Date tested
•         Date the symptoms began (if any)
•         Vaccination status
•         Type of Covid test taken and date

Close Contact to a Positive Individual if not Vaccinated:

•      Date of exposure (if close contact)
•      If your child is a household close contact - can the positive family member completely isolate from the child
•      Has your child had a confirmed positive Covid-19 test within the last 90 days

 Updated COVID Mitigation Efforts

Student Medication

If your student is returning to school and will have medication in the Health Room, please have your child's doctor complete the medication form and epipen form (if applicable).   Please contact the Health Room to coordinate a time to drop off the completed medication forms and the medication.   Our School Nurse, Kassandra Wanless, may be reached in the Health Room at 410-880-5916 or by email, Kassandra_Wanless@hcpss.org