Health & Nursing
The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District is committed to providing the best possible health and medical care for students while in our charge.
Preventing Covid-19 In Schools
In order to effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools, we need to work in close partnership with all of our families. You are our most important partners during these challenging times. You can help us keep the schools open in several important ways:
Prepare your student for their return to School: Top 10 Ways to Prepare Your Student for a Return to School.
Complete a daily health check on your student every morning before sending them to school. Be particularly mindful of nasal congestion, coughing, difficulty breathing, and fevers. Here is a link to the Daily Health Check. If your student has any symptoms, please do the following:
- Notify the school right away. Here is a link to the online reporting form: 2021-2022 MRH Student Illness Reporting Form
- Follow the following symptom decision tree used throughout the region by all STL area school districts: Student Symptoms Decision Tree: Washington University
- Contact your primary healthcare provider.
- Get tested by a healthcare professional if your student has 1high risk symptom or 2+ low risk symptoms. Testing is a key part of the strategy to decreasing spread of
COVID-19 in schools. DPH recommends COVID-19 testing for any child with
any high risk symptom, especially upper respiratory symptoms. Even children
with a history of asthma or allergies should be tested. (Source: STL County DPH
Brief 9-8-2021) Please note that the school will not be able to accept home test
kit results for re-admittance to school.
Get Vaccinated: Because no one younger than 12 is currently eligible for vaccination, it
is crucial that all who are currently eligible get vaccinated as soon as possible for the
protection of themselves and young children. (Source: STL County DPH Brief 9-8-2021)
Follow asthma and allergy action plans: If your student has a history of asthma or
allergies, provide a copy of the action plan with the school nurse, and follow all of the preventative steps in the evening or in the morning before coming to school.
- NOTE: However, since COVID-19 triggers allergic/asthmatic reactions, the STL
County Department of Health still requires testing for anyone with upper
respiratory symptoms at school (Source: STL County DPH Brief 9-8-2021)
If we work together, we can safely and effectively keep our schools open for in-person learning.
Reporting Student Absences
As we reopen the schools this semester, our partnership with families will be essential to protect the health and safety of our students and the MRH community.
To that end, we will be requiring additional information from each family regarding student and family health as it relates to any student absence. Effective contact tracing will be dependent on identifying low risk symptoms, high risk symptoms, symptom onset, and potential exposure to COVID-19.
We have created an online reporting form so that families can report their student absence online: MRH Student Illness Reporting Form
We are strongly encouraging families to use this form for reporting student illnesses so that we can be quickly responsive in contacting you about next steps.
If your student is absent for a reason other than illness (eg. family funeral, etc.) please call the school attendance line or email the school attendance monitor.
Health/Wellness Board Policies
The District offers a robust wellness program for students and employees as outlined in Board Policy ADF. Policy EBB deals with communicable diseases, and policy JHC describes the MRH districtwide coordinated student health services program.
Health Forms
Use the following directions for the PDFs listed below:
Download the attached form onto your device or print the attached PDF.
Save it with your student’s first and last name.
Complete the downloaded form.
Send it back to your student’s school nurse as an attachment.
Remember: Forms must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.
Annual Health and Medication Form
MO School Immunization Requirements
Immunizations/Special Needs
If your student has any of the following action plans: Asthma Action Plan, Seizure Action Plan, Diabetes Management Plan, or Allergy Action Plan, you should reach out to your student’s medical team and request an updated action plan for the current school year. These action plans can also be sent to school once you receive them.
We would also like to remind you that students enrolled in the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District are required to have up-to-date immunization records according to Missouri School Immunization Law 167.181 -- even during virtual learning. This applies to all students, whether Maplewood Richmond Heights School District is in tier one, two, or three.
Contact Your School Nurse:
Early Childhood Center Nurse: Michelle Davis
Phone: 314-256-4502
Elementary School Nurse: Kathryn Whitehouse
kathryn.whitehouse@mrhschools.net
Phone: 314-256-7207
Middle School/High School Nurse: Angel Goldberg
Phone: 314-446-3813
Health Services During Pandemic
- MRH Top 10 Ways to Prepare for a Return to School
- Student Symptoms Decision Tree: Washington University
- School Contact Tracing Protocols: STL County Dept. of Health
Family Resources
For up to date St. Louis County Health Department COVID-19 resources, click here.
Face Mask DOs and DON'Ts
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