Health & Safety

On this page, you will find information about keeping our community safe and healthy-- physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Managing Illness

When to Keep Your Child Home

Families should follow Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) How Sick is Too Sick guidance document.

Students experiencing a fever of 100.4° or higher, diarrhea, or vomiting must remain home for 24 hours after symptoms resolve unless the symptoms are caused by an illness that requires them to stay home longer.

As a general rule, a child who is too ill to play outside or attend extra-curricular activities (e.g. soccer) should not be brought to school.

If a child displays symptoms but is well enough to come to school, we encourage families to send the child to school in a mask to reduce the spread of illness in the classroom. We have plenty of masks to share.

If your child will be missing school due to illness, please email attendance@svcmontessori.org on the morning of the absence.

Communicable Diseases

Parents/Guardians of children who have been exposed to or contracted a contagious disease must notify the school as soon as possible.

The school may inform other families of the illness. We send notifications of cases of communicable diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, and strep.
Please see our family handbook (available in the Quick Links menu) for more information.

Please remember that staying up-to-date on vaccines is the best defense to protect individuals against viruses.

Student medication may not be on campus without an Individual Health Plan (IHP) on file at the school. All IHPs must be completed by a parent or guardian and signed by a licensed physician.

All medications must be delivered to the school office by a trusted adult and will be administered by trained school personnel.
Except for students with a physician-approved, self-carry order, students may not bring, possess, or self-administer medication while at school.
All medication, prescription or over-the-counter, must be non-expired and in the original, properly labeled pharmacy or manufacturer container. Prescription labels must include the student’s name, medication name, dosage, administration time, and prescribing provider.
Supplements, vitamins, and herbal remedies are not allowed at school.
SVCMS cannot provide any medication to students.

Families are always welcome to come to the school to administer medication to their child as needed.

Individual Health Plan Forms

Colorado law requires students attending public schools to be immunized against certain vaccine-preventable diseases unless an exemption is on file. Immunizations protect our children from diseases.

Immunizations

Information on school-required vaccinations are available on the Colorado Department of Public Health website. Immunization requirements, as stated in Colorado law, are strictly enforced for all SVCMS students.

Students in Children’s House must comply before the first day of school.
Students in grades 1-8 district are given 14 days from the date of notification of immunization requirements to comply.

Noncompliance will result in exclusion and/or suspension from school in accordance with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulation (6.CCR-10092).

Vaccinations Required for Students Enrolled in Prekindergarten

Hepatitis B (HepB)
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP)
Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)
Inactivated poliovirus (IPV)
Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
Varicella (chickenpox)

Vaccinations Required for Students Enrolled in K-5th Grade

Hepatitis B (HepB)
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP)
Inactivated poliovirus (IPV)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
Varicella (chickenpox)

Vaccinations Required Prior to Students Entering 6th Grade

Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap)

Exemptions

If your student is not up-to-date on one, some, or all of the school required immunizations your child must have an exemption form filled out and our school must have a copy of the exemption on file.

Please be aware that in the event of an outbreak of disease against which an immunization is required, no exemption or exception from immunization shall be recognized and exempted persons may be subject to exclusion from school.

Nonmedical Exemption

A nonmedical exemption is an exemption to one or more school-required vaccines that does not fall under a medical exemption.

There are two ways to submit a nonmedical exemption.

Submit the Certificate of nonmedical exemption WITH a signature from an immunizing provider in Colorado who is a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, advanced practice nurse, delegated physician’s assistant, or pharmacist OR
Submit the Certificate of nonmedical exemption received upon the completion of CDPHE’s Online Immunization Education Module which can be found on the CDPHE website.

Families claiming a non-medical exemption must submit one annually. Nonmedical exemptions expire June 30th each year. If you submit a Certificate of nonmedical exemption on or before June 30th, it will not be valid for the upcoming school year.

Medical Exemption

A medical exemption is available for students who have a medical condition that prevents them from receiving one or more school-required vaccines. Families are responsible for providing the signed Certificate of Medical Exemption to our school.

A Certificate of Medical Exemption requires the signature of one of the following health care providers, licensed to practice in any state or territory of the United States:

Advanced practice nurse (APN)
Physician (Medical Doctor [MD] or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine [DO])
Physician assistant (PA)

A Certificate of Medical Exemption needs to be submitted only once, unless there is a change in the student’s school or personal information. Please visit the CDPHE website for more information.

Community Safety

SAFE2TELL® is designed to help you anonymously report any threatening behavior that endangers you, your friends, your family, or your community. Safe2Tell® is a state-funded strategic initiative of the Colorado Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General.

Definitions

Bullying is repeated, targeted aggression conducted by an individual (aggressor) or a group (aggressor) against other(s) (targets). It is unwarranted and purposeful written, verbal, non- verbal, electronic or physical behavior (act or gesture) that has the potential to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment.

Cyber-bullying is willful and repeated harassment and intimidation of a person through the use of digital electronics. It includes, but is not limited to: email, instant messages, text messages, and internet postings. Unwarranted contact may take place in, or occur on, social networks, chat rooms, blogs, or cell phone text.

Bullying behaviors fall into two basic categories, direct or indirect. Direct bullying behavior is more physical or verbal in nature than indirect bullying behavior. The following behaviors fit this category:

Punching, poking, pinching, shoving, hitting,
Choking, biting, or spitting
Ganging up or cornering
Calling names or insults
Threatening
Playing mean or embarrassing tricks or telling cruel jokes
Touching, propositioning, or assaulting in sexual ways
Taunting and teasing about race, religion, disabilities, or social status

Indirect bullying behavior is more emotional or passive-aggressive in nature than direct bully behavior. The following behaviors fit this category:

Isolating, rejecting, excluding, or blackmailing
Ranking or rating
Giving hateful looks
Using indecent gestures
Passing insulting or humiliating notes
Writing hateful graffiti
Spreading hurtful rumors or gossip
Manipulating peer relationships

Resources

St. Vrain Community Montessori School expects that all members of our school will treat each other with civility and respect. See resources below related to bullying prevention and interventions:

Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Our primary Title IX policy can be found here, and other policies pertaining to Title IX are listed below.

Our Title IX report can be found here. Reporting to the Title IX Coordinator is NOT a replacement for Mandatory Reporting. To contact the SVCMS Title IX coordinator, please email titleixcoordinator@svcmontessori.org.

SVCMS holds student data privacy and security in high regard and takes action to ensure that our students’ data is handled securely in compliance with the Colorado Student Data Transparency and Security Act (HB 16-1423), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the SVVSD Student Information Privacy and Protection Policy. SVCMS shares necessary personally identifiable information with third party platforms that are required for public schools or by the district as well as carefully vetted third party programs that are specific to SVCMS. Personally identifiable information is shared via secure transfer methods that meet current industry best practices. For more information, visit the Student Data Privacy Page.

Hotlines & Mental Health Resources

If there is an immediate threat to you, your child, or others, call 911 immediately.

Safe2Tell
877-542-SAFE (7233)

Colorado Crisis Services
1-844-493-8255
Text "TALK" to 38255

National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH)
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

National Sexual Assault Telephone and Online Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline
1-866-331-9474

Transgender Suicide Hotline
1-877-565-8860

Love is Respect
1-866-331-9474
1-866-331-8453

Mental Health Resources

NASP: National Association of School Psychologists