High School Health Office: 412-318-1417

• Jennifer Siegle, Certified School Nurse

Middle School Health Office: 412-318-1470

• Alisha Ravenstahl, Certified School Nurse

Highcliff Elementary Health Office: 412-318-1585

• Amanda Lemon, Certified School Nurse

McIntyre Elementary Health Office: 412-318-1625

• Maria Falcone, Certified School Nurse

Ross Elementary Health Office: 412-318-1545

• Kayleigh Oswald, Certified School Nurse

West View Elementary Health Office: 412-318-1505

• Stephanie Reif, Certified School Nurse

Support Nurses

• Cynthia Benoit, LPN Support Nurse
• Brenda Psenick, RN Support Nurse

School nurses are employed for the purpose of rendering such services as prescribed in the Pennsylvania School Code in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The certified school nurse provides nursing care to the school community in accordance with current Pennsylvania nursing standards.

Direct services include:

• Providing and documenting nursing assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Treatment is as prescribed by the school physician.
• Performing and documenting PA state-mandated screenings to include growth screenings, vision screenings and hearing screenings.
• Coordinating and documenting both private and school physical and dental examinations.
• Managing and controlling acute and chronic diseases, including monitoring of required immunizations.
• Delegating appropriately to ancillary staff the performance of care and procedures.

School health services are, in part, intended to be preventative in nature through providing individual health teaching and counseling. The duties and functions of school nurses are determined, in large part, by the health conditions of the population they serve.

The Pennsylvania School Health screening program includes the following:

• Each student is weighed and measured every year starting in kindergarten. In addition, a Body Mass Index (BMI) for age percentile is calculated on all students.
• Each student has a near and far vision test every year.
• Each student has a hearing test in kindergarten and Grades 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11. Hearing tests are done yearly on those identified as special education students. In addition, hearing tests are done yearly on those students identified as having hearing problems.
• Scoliosis screening is done in Grades 6 and 7.

Please consider the following guidelines when making the decision to send your child to school:

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher. Children should be fever free (<100°) for 24 hours off of anti-fever medication before returning to school. 
• Acute cold and/or persistent cough
• Vomiting/Diarrhea - Children should be free of symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Inability to sleep most of the night because they don't feel well.

North Hills School District follows the Allegheny County Health Department guidance to determine when a child should return to school after an infectious illness. Listed below are a few of the more common conditions that affect school-age children.

• Chicken Pox (Varicella) – Exclude from school until all vesicles have dried and crusted.
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye) – Exclude from school until 24 hours after the start of appropriate treatment and all discharge is gone and eyes are dry, or until determined by a physician to be noncommunicable.
• Flu (influenza) – Exclude from school until symptoms are gone.
• Head Lice – Exclude from school until after first treatment. The student may return to school after being checked and cleared by the school nurse.
• Impetigo – Exclude from school until sores are no longer draining.
• Mononucleosis - Student may return to school when fever free and able to resume normal activities.
• Ringworm – Exclude from school until immediately after first treatment. Body lesions that are not dried should be covered.
• Scarlet Fever/Strep Throat - Exclude from school until 24 hours after treatment is started.