Health & Wellness

NYS Health Screening | Body Mass Index (BMI) Information | Medications in School | Wellness Committee Assessment | Immunization Requirements | Behavioral Health Clinic | Child Abuse Hotline | School Safety

NYS Health Screening

New York State schools are mandated by the Commissioner of Education to require each student enrolled in a public school to have a satisfactory health examination conducted by the student’s family physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner upon the student’s entrance into Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten and grades 2, 4, 7, 9 and 11.

If your child will be entering a mandated grade in the fall, you are required to provide the district with a copy of a physical exam within 30 days of the start of the school year. This physical cannot be any more than 12 months old. If your child plans to play a sport, this exam will serve as a sport’s physical too. Below is a copy of the physical exam form to be completed by the student’s family physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner.

• 2023-24 Required NYS Health Exam Form
• Dental Health Form

Body Mass Index (BMI) Information

As part of a required school health exam, a student is weighed and his/her height is measured. These numbers are used to figure out the student’s body mass index or ‘BMI.’ The BMI helps the doctor or nurse know if the student’s weight is in a healthy range, or is too high or too low. Recent changes to New York State Education Law require that BMI and weight status group be included as part of the student’s school health exam. Our school district has been selected to take part in a survey by the New York State Department of Health. We may be reporting information about the weight status groups for students who were in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and in grades 2, 4, 7 and 10 during the 2020-2021 school year (this year’s Kindergarten, 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th, 8^th and 11^th graders). Only summary information will be sent. No names and no information about individual students are sent. However, you may choose to have your child‘s information excluded from this survey report.

If your child is in one of the grades which will have BMI information reported on the state survey, and you do not wish to have your child’s weight status group information included in the survey, please submit a letter to the school nurse stating this. 

If you have any questions, contact the school nurse for more information.

Medications in School

The following criteria must be met in order for students to receive a prescription or non-prescription medication.

• The school nurse MUST have on file a written order from the family physician in which he/she indicates the name of the drug, the frequency and time element for administering the medication, the dosage and possible side effects.
• The school nurse MUST have a written request from the parent to administer the medication.
• The medication and all refills MUST be delivered directly to the nurse by the parent, guardian or responsible adult.
• The medication MUST be in the original container.
• All of the above rules pertain to over-the-counter medication such as all ointments and all pain medications.

The Medication Permission Form is to be completed by the student’s health care provider.

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Wellness Committee Assessment

The District Wellness Committee met on May 14, 2024 to review the Student Wellness Policy and results of the triennial wellness assessment.

Triennial District Accomplishments

• Community Eligibility Program – provided free breakfast and lunch to all students
• Partnered with St. Peter’s Health Partners, Creating Healthy Schools & Communities – adding workout equipment to the weight room and offering extended program hours through grant opportunities
• Participated in local produce programs (in partnership with other local schools) to provide fresh fruits and vegetables through the USDA commodities program.
• Promoted monthly specials and activities to introduce seasonal fruits and vegetables to students
• Prepared annual Thanksgiving meals for our elementary students
• Developed and launched an app to encourage tracking nutrition and wellness activities through our Cohoes High School Science Department
• Expanded Outdoor Backyard Games Units at Cohoes high and middle schools. Students were introduced to games such as: corn hole, ladder golf, disc golf, Kan Jam, Nine Square, Spikeball, and RampShot.
• Installed bottle fillers in each school cafeteria
• Encouraged outdoor learning whenever weather permitted

Future Goals

• The district plans to expand outdoor learning and eating spaces
• The district will install additional bottle filler stations at each school
• The district will continue to participate in the Community Eligibility Program in all five schools
• The district will continue its partnership with  St. Peter’s Health Partners, Creating Healthy Schools & Communities
• The district will explore opportunities that foster lifetime wellness and healthy choices will be further developed in the curriculum
• The Physical Education department will explore the potential of expanding outdoor winter activities

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School Safety

Maintaining the safety of our students and staff is a main priority of the Cohoes City School District. Learn more about our emergency response procedures and what you need to know about a lockdown situation.

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