School Nurses

John F. Kennedy School (PreK-K) -
Elizabeth "Liz" Tanguay-Collins
207-282-4134

Biddeford Primary School (K-2) -
Cassie Jacques, RN
207-282-8285  

Biddeford Intermediate School (3-4) -
Alexandria Oliver, RN
207-282-5957

Biddeford Middle School (5-7) -
Gloria Fickett, RN
207-282-6400

Biddeford High School/APC (8-12)
Center of Technology -
Molly Small, RN
Jessica Wasco, RN
207-282-1596 

 Dayton Consolidated School (PreK-5)-
Jennifer Aguirre, RN 
207-499-2283 

Links and Forms

Asthma Action Plan   

Dental Hygiene Program Permission Form

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan

Immunization Exemption Form

Medication Policy - Biddeford

Medication Policy - Dayton 

Pertussis (aka Whooping Cough) Letter
--Pertussis Fact Sheet

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) Fact Sheet

Understanding Seizures

The Biddeford & Dayton School Departments will use this page to keep families informed of health-related information (immunization requirements, medication administration, protocols around illness, and more).  Thank you for your assistance in assuring the safety of all of our students, and we appreciate you putting your trust in us to care for your child. If you have any questions regarding the information below or during the school year, please feel free to contact your children's school nurse directly.                           

Immunization Requirements

Maine law around immunizations has removed the philosophical and religious exemptions from school immunization requirements.

As a result, unless your child has laboratory evidence or reliable documentation from a healthcare provider of immunity or a medical exemption completed by a qualified healthcare provider, all students MUST receive the required vaccines* below prior to the start of school:

• Required for PreK entry: 

  • 4 DTaP (3 DTaP if 4th is given on or after 4th birthday) 

  • 3 Polio (2 Polio if the 3rd is given on or after the 4th birthday) 

  • 1 MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) 

  • 1 Varicella (chickenpox) or reliable history of disease 
    

• Required for Kindergarten entry: 

  1. 5 DTaP (4 DTaP if 4th is given on or after 4th birthday) 

  2. 4 Polio (3 Polio if the 3rd is given on or after the 4th birthday) 

  3. 2 MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) 

  4. 2 Varicella (chickenpox) or reliable history of disease 
     

• Required for 7th-grade entry: 

  • 1 Tdap

  • 1 Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4) 

    
    

• Required for 12th-grade entry: 

  • 2 MCV4, only one dose is required if the 1st dose is given on or after 16th birthday

* Each immunization entry must include: vaccine type, date administered, and the name of the provider.  Please call your doctor's office today to prevent a delay in starting school.

Dental Clinics

Services are FREE to those with MaineCare, self-pay fees are listed on the permission form, and other dental insurance can be billed. To participate, please fill out this form to complete it online or contact the School Nurse for a paper form.

Medications / Food & Insect Allergies

Please review the district policy on medications: BIDDEFORD Policy & DAYTON Policy. 

Should your child need medication at school, please contact the school nurse, and we will be happy to assist you.  Please do not send medications to school with your child; schedule a time with the School Nurse for drop-off.  Children are not allowed to carry any medications (prescription or over-the-counter) at school without a physician, school nurse, and/or parent authorization. In the case of emergency medications, such as inhalers and EPI PENS, that determination will be made by your child's healthcare provider and school nurse. 

• Asthma Action Plan    

• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan

If your child has a food or insect allergy, please discuss this with the school nurse. It is important for us to have a treatment plan at the start of each school year by a physician and medications (if needed) on file in the event of an emergency.

School Protocol Around Illness & Return

There has been an increase in the number of reports of children in Maine, and across the U.S., with respiratory illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, enterovirus, influenza, and COVID-19. Our School Nurse would like to remind parents and guardians of the following:

 Encourage children to stay home if they are sick to help prevent illnesses in the school setting:

• COVID-19: Individuals should stay home until 24 hours after fever resolves without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms are improving. Updated Guidance.

• Influenza: Individuals should stay home until 24 hours after fever resolves without the use of fever-reducing medications. Fact Sheet.

• Pertussis: Individuals should stay home until they have completed five (5) days of antibiotics. Fact Sheet.

• Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV): Individuals with RSV are usually contagious 3 to 8 days. Most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two. Fact Sheet.

• Colds: There is no standardized recommendation for returning during/after a cold. Individuals with colds are typically infectious for 4-7 days after symptoms begin.

Please contact the school nurse if you have questions or concerns about your child.

Please refer to the chart below for guidance:

When we send children home and when to stay home:

• Any symptom listed above. 

• Injuries that may require further medical attention or parent instruction.

• Chronic medical conditions that may require further evaluation or parent instruction. 

• Any other condition for which the health staff determines a medical evaluation is necessary.

Returning to school after illness or injury:

• When returning to school, students must be well enough to participate in all activities and be fever free with symptoms improving for 24 hours. If there is a specific restriction from some activity, there must be a note from the student’s health care provider stating the restriction and the expected duration of the restriction.

Head Lice

Please check your child’s hair frequently throughout the year. In the event that your child has head lice, please treat him/her and comb their hair with a lice comb (metal lice comb is recommended) daily for four (4) weeks after initial treatment. Also, please notify the school nurse. If your child will be absent from school, please notify the school office.