Updated August 2025
Emergency Contact Information
Access to up-to-date contact information at all times for each student is essential to out students’ safety. In the event of an emergency, the office will call an ambulance before calling the parent / guardian. The parent/guardian must review their child’s emergency and medical information during annual enrollment, and update the school’s front office if there are any changes.
Physical and Emotional Information
Critical to supporting every student, parents/guardians must inform the school if a child has been injured physically or emotionally. Having this information will ensure that the school makes appropriate accommodations for the child (e.g. not going to health & fitness if physically injured or providing any other support the child may need, taking additional care in supporting a child who has just experienced a death in the family, or knowing about an injury that happened over the weekend while playing). Parents and guardians are asked to share this information with their school’s front office so that they can confidentially notify any other team members who need to be aware of current and ongoing situations.
First Aid
The DC Department of Health and Children’s Hospital provide school nurses to both of our campuses. Our ES and HS share a full-time nurse and our MS maintains at least 24 hours of coverage per week. Each school has additional staff members trained and certified in medication administration and first aid to supplement our school nurses. If a student is hurt or complains of an illness, teachers, administrators, and our front office teams can provide simple treatments (bandaids, ice packs, etc.) or provide the student with a pass to be seen by the nurse. The Front Office or School Nurse will call the parent / guardian to pick up their child in the event of a more serious injury or illness, and the student will be kept in the office until the parent / guardian arrives.
Illness
In order to maintain a healthy school, E.L. Haynes follows the D.C. Municipal Regulations on all communicable diseases in schools (Title 5, Section 209). We encourage all students and staff to use tissues for coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently, and not to share combs and hats. The School Nurse or operations staff will contact a student’s parent/guardian if they are exhibiting any of the following symptoms to recommend possible referral for medical examination: sore throat, runny eyes, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weeping/draining sores that can’t be covered, fever, chills, severe or chronic cough, rash, and jaundice. Students will be sent home (and may not return until the proper conditions are met) for all illness listed in Title 5, including but not limited to: conjunctivitis/”pink eye”, impetigo, measles, ringworm, rubella, meningitis, mumps, whooping cough, strep, tuberculosis, and chicken pox.
Parents must pick up their child within two hours of being notified that their child is sick with a contagious illness. E.L. Haynes may request that the parent/guardian provide a doctor’s note showing that their child is no longer contagious. Please notify the front office if you discover that your child may have been exposed to a contagious disease.
Students may not attend E.L Haynes if they have any of the following signs or symptoms:
- Any illness that prevents the student from participating comfortably in the school program
- Any illness that results in a greater need for care than staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children
- Fever (above 100 degrees)
- Difficulty breathing (i.e. uncontrolled asthma attack)
- Lethargy, extreme irritability, persistent pain, or other sign of possible severe illness
- Vomiting (two or more times in the past 24 hours)
- Mouth sores associated with drooling (i.e. herpes stomatitis)
- Contagious rash (chicken pox, impetigo, scabies, ringworm of the scalp)
- Rash with fever or behavior change
- Infectious conjunctivitis (pink/red eye with white or yellow eye discharge)
- Untreated head lice (active nits)
- Sore throat and swollen glands to the point of discomfort and difficulty eating
- Persistent cough that interferes with activities
If your child is not feeling well in the morning, particularly if he or she has a fever of 100 degrees or more, do not send them to school. Parents/guardians should not send their children to school within 24 hours of vomiting or running a fever of 100 degrees or higher. Students should not return to school until 24-36 hours after beginning the course of antibiotics.
If the school nurse or E.L. Haynes staff/faculty suspect or learn of a student with a communicable disease, contagious symptoms or any of the above sign/symptoms the student must submit a physician’s note indicating that they are eligible to be in school. Students will not be permitted to return to school activity without a physician’s clearance.
Immunizations
Students must be up to date on all immunizations recommended by the District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH). If you do not want your child immunized for medical or religious reasons, you must fill out the appropriate exemption forms available from the nurse. Students who do not have all of the immunizations up to date will not be permitted to attend school.
Communicable Disease
The District of Columbia DOH does not permit students to remain at E.L. Haynes if they have a communicable disease or symptoms of a communicable disease. Parent(s)/guardian(s) should notify the school’s nurse within 24 hours after the student has developed a known or suspected communicable disease. If a student is found to have signs or symptoms of a communicable disease, a notice will be sent home indicating the disease and nature of the illness. The names of the students will not be provided. All information about communicable disease is confidential.
The following communicable diseases must be posted or reported:
- Chicken pox/varicella
- Conjunctivitis, infectious (pink eye)
- Diarrhea: viral, parasitic or bacterial (i.e. E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Rotavirus, Norwalk agent, Enterovirus, Giardia)
- Diphtheria
- Fifth Disease/Erythema infectiosum
- Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
- Herpes simplex virus stomatitis (severe case of oral herpes)
- Impetigo
- Influenza (the flu)
- Lice
- Lyme Disease
- Measles
- Meningitis, viral or bacterial (i.e. meningococcus, enterovirus)
- Mumps
- Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Rabies
- Rubella
- Ringworm of scalp or body
- Scabies
- Stomach virus
- Strep throat/Scarlet fever
- Tuberculosis
- Typhoid Fever
COVID-19 Health and Wellness Policy
E.L. Haynes continue to following guidelines from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), the DC Department of Health (DOH) and other leading experts on COVID-19. We continue to adapt our COVID-19 policy to meet the evolving needs of our community.
Medications
Medication cannot be accepted at the school or administered without a completed Medication Administration Authorization Form. The Medication Administration Authorization Form is available at the Front Desk of our Kansas Avenue and Georgia Avenue campuses. No medications, including over the-counter medications, should be sent to school with your children. All medication must be brought in by a parent or guardian with the authorization form and kept in the Front Office. We strongly encourage parents/guardians to administer short-term medications, such as antibiotics, at home.
Student possession of prescription or non-prescription medication outside of the Medication Policy outlined above is a violation of the Code of Conduct.
These medical policies and procedures are subject to change according to current local, state, and federal policy. Families will be notified in writing when and if there are any changes.
Child and Family Services Agency Mandated Reporting
Every staff member and long-term volunteer at E.L. Haynes is a “mandated reporter” requiring the reporting of any suspected abuse or neglect to D.C. Child Protective Services (CPS). Below is the process and guidelines that E.L. Haynes staff members follow.
Anyone involved in the care and treatment of children under the age of 18 are considered “mandated reporters” and are required to report cases of child abuse and neglect. According to D.C. Code 2-1357, any mandated reporter who fails to make a report will be fined or imprisoned. If child abuse or neglect is suspected, mandated reporters must immediately call D.C. Child and Family Services Administration (CFSA) reporting hotline at (202) 671-SAFE (671-7233).
Mandated reporters must call the CFSA hotline immediately, even if all the information is not available. If requested, reports may be required to follow up with a written report to the D.C. Child Protective Services. Once an abuse report is filed, CPS will assess and investigate the case. CPS determines the nature, extent, and cause of child maltreatment and assesses possible risk to the child if left in the situation. Please note that staff members who report suspected abuse or neglect are not allowed to disclose the report to parents or guardians.
Insurance
Students’ medical needs, including those that may arise on school grounds, must be covered by parents’/guardians’ insurance. Parents/guardians should notify the office if they do not have insurance for their child or have any questions about their child’s insurance coverage. The school may be able to provide information to parents/guardians interested in obtaining health insurance.
Security
To maximize time for student learning and development, E.L. Haynes will be a safe, orderly, and organized school. School-wide expectations for student and adult behavior will be clear and actions taken will be consistent, respectful, and developmentally appropriate.
Emergency Contingency Plan
In the event of an emergency (e.g. a lock-down or evacuation of the building) our main concern is the safety of our students and staff. Parents will be called and notified as to the status of the situation, location of their child, and status of the scheduled activities for the day as soon as possible It is of the utmost importance that we have correct contact information at all times. If your phone numbers change, please notify the Operation Manager for Kansas Avenue campus. If the Kansas Avenue campus must be evacuated, students will walk to our Georgia Avenue campus (located at 3600 Georgia Avenue, NW).
Fire and Safety Drills
Fire Drills are conducted monthly to prepare staff and students for a safe and orderly evacuation of the building in case of an emergency. We conduct an over 500 feet evacuation once a year, lock-down drill twice a year, and severe weather drill once a year.
Transportation
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School does not provide transportation to and from school. Students must be transported by their parents, walk, or make use of the public Metro system. All students are eligible for the Kids Ride Free program on Metrobus, and the $100 monthly subsidy on Metrorail. To access those benefits, students need a D.C. One Card. If special transportation via a private bus is required for field trips, parents will be notified by a permission slip sent home by teachers that must be signed by the student’s parent/guardian to enable his or her participation.
Safety is our main concern, and it is important to be kind to our neighbors. Though we recognize that drop-off/pick-up time can be frustrating, we ask that parents please exercise patience towards each other in order to ensure safety and model kindness for our students. Students walking to and from school are expected to behave like good neighbors and can be disciplined for incident occurring off campus if there is a significant disruption to our school environment.
In accordance with our neighborhood agreement, parents may drop students off using our Kansas Avenue Kiss and Ride, or by parking in our 7th Street lot, and walking students inside. Parents may not drop students off along 7th Street or by pulling into our parking lot. Our security team is stationed in both locations to provide support and directions as needed.
If a student needs to leave early for a doctor’s appointment or urgent matter, family members are asked to let teachers know in advance the student will be picked up early and the adult must sign the log at the Front Office on the 1st Floor. Please note, students will not be released early for any reason starting 15 minutes before dismissal. Students should not be picked up 15 minutes before dismissal except for a doctor’s appointment or urgent matter. See Attendance section above and the School Policies in the Appendix for more details.