Tampa Catholic High School

The Health Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the school year. The school nurse, Mrs. Ester Ackerman, BSN, RN can be reached at 202-544-1618 x150.


For your child’s safety, we request complete health information on the Student Health/Emergency Card in TADS, including any conditions and medications. As changes occur during the school year, please notify the school nurse. This information is confidential and may only be shared with other school personnel if relevant to safety or education.


All students must be completely immunized in accordance with the immunization requirements set by the District of Columbia Department of Health and the Archdiocese of Washington in order to attend school in DC.

  • Student Absence or Tardy Protocol

    On days when students are absent or significantly tardy, parents MUST call the school office (202-544-1618) no later than 8:45 a.m. on the day of the occurrence. They are to give the student’s name, grade, and reason for the absence or tardy. If the office does not hear from the parent, a call will be made to ascertain where the child is. When an email is sent to the student’s teacher regarding an absence, tardy or early dismissal, please include attendance@stpeterschooldc.org to notify the school nurse, principal, and front office staff. A student must present a written note of explanation, signed by the parent, upon returning to school after an absence. For all health appointments, a note from a licensed healthcare provider’s office must be submitted for an excused tardy, early dismissal or absence. A student is considered absent if not present for four (4) hours of the day. This also includes half days.

  • Student Illness Protocol

    If a student becomes ill during the night or in the morning before coming to school, parents are to keep their child at home. The parent must contact the school to inform the necessary personnel of their child's absence. Our faculty and staff will also observe each student daily for symptoms of illness and possible contagious diseases or conditions.


    The student will be excluded temporarily from school until cleared by a healthcare provider, if required, and symptoms have resolved. This includes, but is not limited to, the list below:

    • Contagious illness symptoms such as fever (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater), repeated vomiting or diarrhea, worsening or severe sore throat.
    • Persistent or sustained coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
    • Any new onset of rash accompanied by fever (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater).
    • Redness, swelling of the conjunctiva, irritation and/or discharge from one or both eyes.
    • Skin lesions with drainage that cannot be covered or contained by a waterproof bandage.

    The student will remain at home for at least 24 hours and until symptoms resolve and must be fever-free without fever/pain reducing medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen) for 24 hours before returning to school.


    Please refer to the Parent-Student Handbook for additional information.

  • Student Medication

    Students may not have possession of any type of medication, prescription or over-the-counter (OTC). Only students requiring emergency medications (e.g., epinephrine, inhaler, or insulin) will be allowed to self-carry if a written order has been issued by the licensed healthcare provider (LHCP). St. Peter School assumes no responsibility for any medication administered by the student to him/herself.


    Please refer to the Student Medication Policy in the Parent-Student Handbook for complete details.

  • Food Allergies

    Numerous St. Peter School students have allergies to certain foods, particularly peanuts and tree nuts. For these students, an allergic reaction can be serious and sometimes life-threatening. Please keep this in mind as you prepare your child's snack and lunch and avoid sending in food or other products containing peanuts, peanut butter, or nuts/tree nuts. Tree nuts include, but are not limited to, walnut, almond, hazelnut, cashew, pistachio, and Brazil nuts. These are not to be confused or grouped together with peanut, which is a legume, or seeds such as sunflower or sesame (FARE – Food Allergy Research & Education). When shopping for food, read the ingredients label to ensure the item does not contain peanuts or tree nuts. Students must not share or trade food.

  • Health Forms

    ADW Allergy Agreement & Action Plan

    ADW Inhaled Medication Authorization

    ADW Student Medication Authorization

    Family Food Allergy Health History

    DC Health HPV Vaccination Opt-Out Certificate

    DC Health Oral Health Form

    DC Health Universal Health Certificate

  • Head Lice Policy

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, DC Health, and the National Association of School Nurses support the following procedures for schools; click here for the full SPS Head Lice Policy:

    1. Identify if head lice are present when a student complains of an itchy scalp, particularly behind the ears and at the back of the neck. 
    2. If any live head lice are found, a parent or guardian will be informed and may pick up the student to begin treatment. 
    3. A student may remain in school until the end of the day with live head lice if he/she can refrain from direct head contact with other persons. Prompt and proper treatment should then be given at home.
    4. If only nits are found, a parent or guardian will be informed to pick up the student at the end of the day, inspect for head lice and begin nit removal of those found within ¼ inch of the scalp and/or begin head lice treatment. The parent is to continue monitoring for re-infestation for 10 – 14 days.
    5. Parents and guardians will be asked to inspect all members of their household, to carefully follow the directions of the chosen treatment, and to monitor the effectiveness of the chosen treatment for 10 – 14 days.
    6. Students can return to school the next day if the parent confirms that proper treatment has begun.
    7. Regular inspections will be made at the beginning of the next school day to detect if treatment was effective.
    8. If two or more students from that class are found with active head lice, the school administration will instruct class parents to conduct a head screening of their child at home and on a regular basis.

    Parents who suspect the presence of head lice on their child(ren) should inform others who may have been in close contact with their child(ren) and inform the school nurse so that the school can be on alert of others who may demonstrate symptoms of head lice.

  • School Health Legislation

    Under the Healthy Schools Act of 2010, DC law requires all students attending Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 in public, public charter, private or parochial schools in the District of Columbia to have an annual physical and to submit a DC Universal Health Certificate, completed and signed by a physician or advanced practice nurse, to the school. The health certificate is valid for 365 days.


    Therefore, complete physicals with up-to-date immunization records are required every school year for every grade. Your child's physical exam can be scheduled at any time during the year, particularly near his/her birth date, but must be performed each year within 365 days of the previous exam. If your child is required to have specific immunizations for a particular age group or grade, we must have documentation that he/she has received the vaccine(s) by the first day of school or on file in TADS. If your child is not compliant with required immunizations by the 20th school day, he/she will not be allowed to attend in-person classes.


    Dental exams are recommended every six months or annually for all grades. The DC Oral Health Assessment Form must be submitted once per school year.

Health Blog

Supporting your child’s mental health during the holidays

December 4, 2024
By Jessica Chamoun, Intervention Specialist The holiday season is a time for joy and celebrations. However, for many children, the changes in routine may elicit anxiety and stress. The holidays can also cause overstimulation in children, who may feel overwhelmed by all the various events taking place. Parents may see increased meltdowns, withdrawal from activities, or even changes in behavior, and children may need extra support during this busy time of the year. Here are some ways you can support your child’s mental health during the holiday season: Keep routines. With exception to special occasions, such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, try to keep routines as consistent as possible. Strive to maintain eating and sleeping schedules like those your child follows during the rest of the school year. Limit screen time and social media. Before the start of the holidays, establish rules regarding when and how your child can use screens during the break. Set limits on how much screen time your child can have access to throughout the day. With vacation downtime, it can be easy for children to fall into the habit of using their screens more frequently. Get outside. Plan outdoor activities that the whole family can enjoy. This can help minimize screen time, foster more family time, and create meaningful experiences and memories. Encourage downtime. Scheduling quiet time for your child can reduce overwhelming feelings. Ensure that your child has time to relax and unwind by reading, listening to music, or even engaging in calming activities. Practice gratitude. Have your child focus on the positives in their lives by practicing gratitude. Encourage them to notice and write about the things they are thankful for this holiday season. Gratitude charts or Gratitude jars are great activities that can be used at home to help your child express gratitude and promote family discussions about what you are grateful for (click on the gratitude links for resources). Click here for additional resources.

Tips for Managing Test Anxiety

October 3, 2024
By Jessica Chamoun, Intervention Specialist A common form of performance anxiety that affects students of all ages is test anxiety. This occurs when students fear they won't do well on an assignment or test they consider crucial. Test anxiety is a common learning challenge that students may face and often has the potential to negatively impact performance. It can be brought on by high expectations, a fear of failing, performance pressure, or perfectionism. Here are some tips on how you can help your child cope with test anxiety: Preparation is key. Help your child develop good study habits that include scheduled study time for each day. This will help your child stay on track and avoid procrastinating, ensuring that they are well prepared. Children feel more confident walking into a test when they have prepped thoroughly. Study in chunks. During study sessions, help your child concentrate on smaller, more manageable portions of content, rather than studying intensively to absorb large amounts of information in a short amount of time. Teach your child to have a positive attitude. Instead of thinking of the worst-case scenario, teach your child to visualize themselves being successful. Moreover, encourage your child to use positive self-talk. Children can benefit greatly from reframing as a coping mechanism for their anxious thoughts. By teaching them to replace positive thoughts for negative ones, we can help them improve their feelings. Examples of positive self-talk include: “I can do it,” or “I’ve got this.” Practice calming strategies. With your child, brainstorm different calming strategies that might be helpful to use before, during, and after an assessment. Calming techniques such as belly breathing, counting to ten (either forwards or backwards), or mindfulness exercises, such as the five senses grounding technique can help your child be more aware of their surroundings and decrease anxious feelings. Debrief after the test. Have a conversation with your child after their test or after they receive their grade. Inquire about their feelings and how they think they could do better the next time. Remind them of the supports they have at school. Remind your child of the support they have at school and to ask their teachers for help when needed. Encourage your child to reach out to his or her teacher for tips on how to improve their study skills. Click here for additional resources.

Healthy Coping Skills

November 2, 2023
By Jessica Chamoun, Intervention Specialist Having strong feelings such as anger, frustration, and anxiety is very normal and often unavoidable. One of the most crucial things we can do to promote children's growth and well-being is to educate them on how to manage uncomfortable emotions with appropriate coping skills. Coping skills help kids understand and manage their emotions; however, they are learned and need practice. Here are some tools and techniques you can use with your child to help them manage their strong feelings and decrease stress: Practice belly breathing with your child. Practice belly breathing with your child. Belly breathing is known to increase oxygen levels and decrease heart rate. Instruct your child to breathe in slowly from their nose, hold and then slowly out through their mouth. A fun way to guide children through belly breathing exercises is to have them pretend to smell a flower or blow out candles. Use the five senses grounding technique. Have your child think about five things they can see, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste. Practice using positive self-talk. Teach your child to recognize negative self-talk and encourage them to be more positive. Provide them with positive phrases to say when they are experiencing strong or uncomfortable feelings. Children develop positive thinking skills by learning to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones. Using positive self-talk also has a positive impact on mood, instills confidence, and builds resiliency. Encourage your child to engage in a calming activity. Activities such as reading a book, journaling, painting, drawing, playing, or listening to music, or going for a walk in the outdoors can be very effective in helping your child regulate their emotions. Want more information? Click here for additional resources.
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