Medical Forms & Student Health
Annual Medical Update, action plans for anaphylaxis, asthma and other conditions, medication at school, sick bay, immunisations, head lice, when to keep your child at home and the infectious disease exclusion periods.
Keeping students safe and well depends on the College having accurate medical information and the right paperwork before it is needed. This page sets out what we ask of families each year, how we manage medication and illness at school, and when a child should stay home. Our First Aid Officer, Mrs Deb Sutherland, is based at the Junior Office and is happy to talk through any individual situation.
Annual Medical Update — every January
Each January every family is asked to complete the Medical Update form on the Parent Portal (Forms > Medical Update) for each child. The 2027 update opens in the first week of January and is due by Friday 12 February 2027. It covers allergies, asthma, medical conditions, medications, dietary needs, Medicare and ambulance cover, doctor's details, emergency contacts and consent for paracetamol. Please update it at any time during the year if something changes — camp and excursion staff carry a printout of exactly what is on this form.
Action plans — due at the start of the year
Students with anaphylaxis or allergy, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy or another condition that may need emergency treatment must have a current action plan signed by their GP or specialist, using the standard template (ASCIA for allergy/anaphylaxis, the Asthma Australia plan for asthma). Plans are due at the office by Friday 12 February 2027 for next year, and the medication named in the plan (EpiPen, Ventolin and spacer, glucose) must be in date and handed in with it. Anaphylaxis plans are displayed in classrooms, staff rooms and the canteen. Students without a current plan and in-date medication may not be able to attend camps or excursions until it is provided. See the Anaphylaxis & Allergy Aware Policy and Asthma Policy. St Mary's is a nut-aware school; the canteen sells no nut products.
Medication at school
- Complete a Medication Authority Form (Portal > Forms) for any medication to be given at school, including antibiotics and short courses. Staff cannot administer medication on a verbal or emailed request alone.
- Medication must be in its original pharmacy-labelled packaging with the student's name, dose and times, and handed to the Junior or Senior Office — not carried in school bags. Exceptions: students in Year 3 and above may carry their own Ventolin or EpiPen with a plan on file.
- Paracetamol is only given where consent has been ticked on the Medical Update and a parent has been contacted by phone at the time.
Details are in the Medication & First Aid Policy.
Sick bay and what happens if your child is unwell at school
Sick bays are at the Junior Office and the Senior Office, staffed by first-aid-trained office staff. A student who feels unwell rests in sick bay for up to 30 minutes. We will phone you if your child has a fever, has vomited, has had a head knock (every head injury is reported, however minor) or is not improving, and ask that they be collected within an hour — please keep emergency contacts current. For anything serious we call an ambulance first and you second.
Immunisations
- Prep enrolment requires an Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (via myGov) under the "No Jab, No Play" rules;
- Year 7: HPV and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) are given at school by the Wattle Ranges Shire Council immunisation team. Round 2 is Thursday 17 September 2026.
- Year 10: Meningococcal ACWY was given on Wednesday 6 May 2026 — catch-ups are available through Council sessions.
- See Immunisations for the Senior program details.
Head lice
Head lice are a normal part of school life. If a case is identified, all families in that class are notified (without naming the child) and asked to check that night. Treat with conditioner-and-comb or a pharmacy product; your child may return as soon as treatment has started. Tie long hair back. See the Head Lice Policy.
When to keep your child at home
Please keep your child home if in the last 24 hours they have had:
- a fever of 38°C or above, or have needed paracetamol to bring a temperature down;
- vomiting or diarrhoea — stay home until 48 hours after the last episode;
- conjunctivitis with discharge;
- an undiagnosed rash — see your GP first;
- a heavy cold or cough that means they cannot take part in lessons or play;
- any of the conditions in the table below.
Remember to report the absence before 9:00am — see Absences & Late Arrivals.
Infectious disease exclusion periods
These follow the Victorian Department of Health minimum exclusion periods for schools. "Contacts" means other children in the household or class who are not themselves unwell.
| Condition | Exclude the child who is unwell | Exclude contacts? |
|---|---|---|
| Chickenpox | Until all blisters have dried — usually at least 5 days after the rash appears | No (immunocompromised contacts should see their doctor) |
| Conjunctivitis | Until discharge from the eyes has stopped | No |
| Gastroenteritis (vomiting/diarrhoea) | Until there has been no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 24 hours (College asks for 48 hours) | No |
| Hand, foot and mouth disease | Until all blisters have dried | No |
| Head lice | Until effective treatment has begun (may return same day) | No |
| Impetigo (school sores) | Until antibiotic treatment has started and sores are covered with a watertight dressing | No |
| Influenza and flu-like illness | Until well — at least until fever and symptoms have gone | No |
| Measles | For at least 4 days after the rash appears | Unimmunised contacts excluded until 14 days after the first day of the rash in the last case, unless immunised within 72 hours |
| Mumps | For 5 days after the onset of swelling | No |
| Whooping cough (pertussis) | Until 5 days after starting antibiotics, or 21 days from onset of cough if not treated | Unimmunised household contacts under 7 excluded for 14 days from last exposure, or until they have taken 5 days of antibiotics |
| Ringworm / tinea | Until the day after appropriate treatment has begun | No |
| Rubella (German measles) | For at least 4 days after the rash appears | No (pregnant contacts should see their doctor) |
| Scabies | Until the day after appropriate treatment has begun | No |
| Streptococcal infection incl. scarlet fever | Until the child has received antibiotics for at least 24 hours and feels well | No |
| COVID-19 | Until acute symptoms have resolved — the College recommends at least 5 days from onset | No |
If your child is diagnosed with any of these, please tell the office so we can inform other families where required (your child is never named). For anything not covered here, contact Mrs Sutherland.