Southeast Texas Resources developed by the LCM School Health  Advisory Council 4-19-2023. 

Have you ever been asked if Orange has a food bank or learned about someone who needed assistance with paying their utility bills, but had no idea who could help? 

Our Southeast Texas Resource Guide will help you answer those questions and so much more. 

Coordinated School Health is a process which brings a school community together to teach children healthy life style behaviors. Effective school programs reinforce positive healthy behaviors in a school setting and makes clear that good health and learning go hand in hand.

CATCH stands for Coordinated Approach To Child Health (formerly known as the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health).
It is a Coordinated School Health Program designed to prevent sedentary behavior, poor dietary choices, and tobacco use through changes at the elementary school level. CATCH sought to determine if multi-component health promotion efforts targeting both children's behaviors and the school environment, including classroom curricula, food service modifications, physical education changes, and family reinforcement, would reduce chronic disease risk factors.
CATCH demonstrated that behaviors such as eating food high in fat and physical activity can be changed. CATCH was the largest school-based health promotion study ever done in the United States.
CATCH has been approved by the Texas Education Agency as a program schools may use to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 19 (now known as Senate bill 1357).
CATCH was cited in the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity as a "Program that Works."
The Texas State Board of Education approved the CATCH materials as a diabetes education program that a district may use in their health curriculum.
CATCH meets the Texas Education Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) guidelines for both Health Education and Physical Education guidelines.
(All information taken from CATCH Program Information Packet, 2003)
If you have any questions about CATCH, please contact one of our campus nurses.

It is the policy of the Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD Health Services Department that all students will be provided with a campus health clinic, staffed by a professional nurse (or in her absence, a designated district employee), to provide care for students who may be injured or become ill during the school day. The following information related to use of the nursing clinic:

Emergency forms, which are to be completed and signed by parents, are distributed to each student at the beginning of the school year. At least three emergency contacts should be identified on the form. Any special health needs should also be listed on this form. Health information on the emergency form may be shared with faculty or staff so that they may appropriately respond to the student's health needs.

Procedure for emergency visit to the nurse:
Students may come at any time if a life-threatening health concern is noted. No pass is needed if student has a special health need, difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, or is bleeding. Students having an emergency will be seen immediately on arrival to the nurse office. Parent will be notified and student will remain with nurse until parent arrives.

Procedure for non-emergency visits to the nurse:
All students must have a pass from his/her teacher, indicating teacher permission to see the nurse. Students will be seen in order of arrival to the nurse office. Students who are in the clinic without a pass from a teacher will be subject to disciplinary action unless an emergency situation exists.

If a student feels ill and wants to call home, he/she needs to report to the nurse to call home. STUDENTS ARE NOT TO USE CELL PHONES OR GO TO OTHER SCHOOL OFFICES TO CALL PARENTS. Students going to the nurse will be evaluated and then parents will be called. Students who go home after contacting parents without seeing the nurse will be given an unexcused absence for the classes missed and is subject to disciplinary action.

Fever guidelines:
For health purposes, students having a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater) are not to be sent to school. They should remain at home until they have been fever free, without the use of medication, for 24 hours.

Physician's Excuse for Absences:
After a student's tenth absence in a school year (excused or unexcused), a physician's excuse is required. As an alternative, if a student is sick and needs to stay home, he/she should see the nurse before the tardy bell rings that morning to have his/her absence that day verified or denied for an excused absence.

Medicine at School:
District employees will not give a student prescription medication, nonprescription medication, herbal substances, anabolic steroid, or dietary supplement with the following exception:
Authorized employees, in accordance with policy FFAC, may administer:

Prescription medication provided by the parent, along with a written request, and in the original, properly labeled container.
Medication from a properly labeled unit dosage container filled by a registered nurse or another qualified District employee from the original, properly labeled container.
Nonprescription medication provided by the parents, along with a written request, and be in the original, properly labeled container.

Herbal or dietary supplements provided by the parent if it is required by the student's individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan for a student with disabilities. All herbal or dietary supplements must be accompanied by a physician's order.

In certain emergency situations, the District will maintain and administer to a student nonprescription medication, but only if:

• In accordance with the guidelines developed with the District's medical advisor and
• When the parent has previously provided written consent to emergency treatment on the District's form.

A student with asthma who has written authorization from his or her parent and physician or other licensed health care provider may be permitted to possess and use prescribed asthma medication at school or school-related events. The student and parents should see the school nurse or principal if the student has been prescribed asthma medication for use during the school day. (For further information, see policies at FFAC.)

The nurse designee may not give oral medication (including Tylenol) unless it is sent to school by a parent/guardian. All medications to be given at school should be accompanied by a note from the parents.

If possible, all medication should be given at home by parents. However, if a student needs to take any medication during school hours (including Tylenol, Advil, etc.), the medication should be brought to the nurse's office, with written permission from a parent or guardian. The student shall not carry medication with him/her or administer it to himself/herself unless specified by a physician.

Prescription medication should have affixed a prescription label-including the student's name, the name of the drug, and directions concerning dosage. For legal purposes, written permission must be obtained from both a parent or guardian and a physician if medication is to be taken longer than ten school days. Non-prescription medicines, such as Tylenol, Advil, etc., should be brought to the nurse's office in the original container labeled with the student's name. Those students who may need to take non-prescription drugs on a frequent basis should bring a small, sealed container of the medicine, labeled with student's name, to keep in the nurse's office during the school year. A note from the parent/guardian authorizing the administration of the medicine shall accompany the medication.

Students who need to take medication at school will observe the following guidelines:

Long Term Medication (2 or more weeks)

• Parent or guardian should bring the prescription bottle with a proper label and a written request from the physician to the nurse's office. Written permission from parent/guardian is required.
• Thereafter, if it is not possible for a parent to personally bring the medication to school, a note from the parent stating the amount of medication being sent is required.
• Students transporting medications to school must take it to the nurse's office immediately upon arrival at school.

Short Term Medication (less than 2 weeks)

• Written permission from parent or guardian is required.
• Medication must be administered by school personnel.

Prescription medication must be in original prescription bottle with proper label. (Note from parent indicating the amount of medication being sent to school is required.)

Non-prescription medication must be in sealed, original container.

If a student must carry medication, such as an asthma inhaler, a physician's request should be filled in the nurse's office.

Students are advised that it is against state and federal laws to be in possession of controlled medication (medicine that requires a doctor's prescription) while on a public school campus; therefore, it is important that these guidelines are followed.

A school health advisory council (SHAC) is an advisory group of individuals who represent segments of the school and community. The group acts collectively to provide advice to the school system on aspects of their school health programs.

School systems often use advisory councils to provide advice to them on a variety of topics. It is important to emphasize that such councils are advisory in nature; formed to provide advice to school districts. These groups are not part of the administrative structure of the schools. They do not have any legal responsibilities within the school system.

The SHAC addresses all components of a comprehensive school health program (health instruction, healthful school environment, health services, physical education, school counseling, food service, school site health promotion for faculty and staff, and integrated school and community programs). It is also instrumental in: educational program planning, liason between school and community, and development of health activities in the district (health promotion, health fairs).

SHAC membership can include: parents, students, medical professionals, social service agencies, business/industry, volunteer health agencies, churches/synagogues, hospitals/clinics, public health agencies, civic and service organizations, colleges/universities, public media, attorneys and law enforcement officials, schools, youth groups, professional societies, and government officials.

In the 2013-2014 School Year our School  Health Advisory Council met for 2 regular meetings and 1 electronic meeting. For the electronic meeting the SHAC shac members were sent information and were requested to respond with questions and comments to Susan Bayliss the Director of Health Services and serving as the SHAC coordinator for the school district. There was also 1 electronic meeting with  conducted with the coaches/pe teachers concerning wellness policy update. Input was received from the staff and is being used as we update our Wellness Policy.

If you are interested in participating in the LCMCISD School Health Advisory Council, please contact Kelly Meadows, RN, at Little Cypress Intermediate School (409-886-4245, ext. 5) or one of the campus nurses. Names of potential members are being collected at this time and will be submitted to the school board for approval on October 13, 2014 for the 2014-2015 LCM SHAC.