Health and Immunization Requirements
A child must be five years old on or before August 31, 2018 to begin
kindergarten.
Each child entering a North Carolina public school for the first time
must submit proof of a health assessment to the school’s principal
within 30 calendar days of the child’s first day of attendance. All
children entering kindergarten this fall must have a health physical
completed on or after August 28, 2017. The assessment must
be submitted to the principal on kindergarten assessment forms
provided by the N.C. Department of Human Resources and the N.C.
Department of Public Instruction. Kindergarten health assessment
forms are available at elementary schools, the Gaston County Health
Department and all pediatrician offices. Students who do not meet the
state requirements for immunizations and a health assessment will
not be allowed to remain in school.
North Carolina law requires the following immunizations for
students:
• 5 DTP/DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough) - If the fourth
dose is on or after the fourth birthday, fifth dose is not required.
• 4 Polio – IPV - 3 doses are acceptable if the last dose was given on
or after the fourth birthday.
• 1 HIB (Haemophilus Influenza B) - Must be given at 15 months of
age and before five years of age. Not required after age five.
• 2 Measles - One dose after the first birthday and before 16 months,
and second dose before enrolling in school. Usually given as MMR
(measles, mumps, rubella).
• 2 Mumps - One does after the first birthday and before 16 months,
and second dose before enrolling in school. Usually given as MMR
(measles, mumps, rubella).
K12 Payment Center
Did you know…?
K12PaymentCenter provides convenience and information
to manage school meal accounts.
Visit www.k12paymentcenter.com to make deposits or
monitor your student’s meal account.
Gaston County School Nutrition offers K12PaymentCenter,
a state-of-the-art online service that provides you the
convenience and information you need to manage your
student’s meal account. This feature speeds up serving lines
in the cafeteria, eliminates the need to send checks or cash
to school, takes away your concerns about lost or forgotten
lunch money, and ensures that your child will receive a
nutritious meal.
At no cost, K12PaymentCenter enables families to:
• Create a free, secured account to manage your student’s
cafeteria account
• Check your student’s current account balance
• Monitor the items your student has been purchasing in
the cafeteria
• Create settings to receive email notifications when the
account reaches a low balance
• For a small program fee of 3.5% per transaction
K12PaymentCenter allows any family to:
• 1 Rubella - One dose on or after 12 months and before 16 months. • Make a prepayment into your student’s meal
account using a check, credit card, or debit card at www.
k12paymentcenter.com
• 3 Hepatitis B - Required for all students born on or after July 1,
1994. • Funds deposited through K12PaymentCenter are usually
available for student use within 24 hours
• 2 Varicella (Chicken Pox) - Required for all students born on or after
July 1, 2015. • Create settings to automatically replenish your student’s
account when it reaches a low balance
Immunization Requirement for Seventh Grade
Students should be up-to-date on all the vaccines required for
kindergarten entry. In addition, students need one dose of Tdap
vaccine (Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis-Whooping Cough) and one dose
of meningoccal conjugate vaccine. To create a new account, log into www.
k12paymentcenter.com. Follow the onscreen directions and
register your student using his or her Student ID number.
The Student ID number can be obtained by contacting your
school’s Cafeteria Manager or the School Nutrition offices
at (704) 836-9110. If you encounter difficulties completing
the registration process, a help desk is available by email at:
[email protected].
Administering Medicine to Students
The Board of Education recognizes that students may need to take
medication during school hours. School personnel may administer
medication prescribed by a doctor upon written request of the
parents. To minimize disruptions to the school day, medicine should
be taken at home rather than at school whenever possible. Medication
taken at school should be administered in compliance with Board
Policy 6130.
Please contact the school nurse if you have questions about student
immunization records or health requirements.
• Get information about Meningitis: http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/
diseases/meningitis.html
• Get information about the Flu: http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/
diseases/flu.html
Parent Teacher Magazine• September/October 2018• 7