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 **Policy JLCJ\\
-Exclusion of Students from School for Illness\\
+Concussions and Head Injuries\\
-School Board Approved: March 18, 2013**\\
+School Board Approved: February 20, 2023**\\
-The School Board adopts this Policy to provide guidelines and pertinent information to inform and educate coaches, athletes, and parents/guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury including the dangers associated with continuing to play after a concussion or head injury. This Policy will apply to all students in the Jaffrey-Rindge School District grades Pre-K- 12.\\
+The Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District is committed to ensuring the safety of students while at school and when participating in any school-sponsored events. The Board is aware that head injuries, including concussions, can happen to any student, not just an athlete, and that the risk of catastrophic injuries or death is significant when a concussion or other head injury is not properly evaluated and managed.\\
+The first section of this policy applies to all students of the District who experience or are suspected to have experienced a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, whether in school or out, while the second section pertains to student-athletes, and other students participating in school sports or other district athletic activities. \\
-The School District will also implement NHIAA recommended guidelines for the management of head injuries and concussions for athletic programs and activities within the scope of this Policy for students in grades 6-12 including cheerleading and dance squads and any other competitive athletic activities as identified by the administration.\\
+**Provisions Relating to All Students Who Have Experienced a Concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury**\\
+__Definitions:__ For purposes of this policy, the terms below will have the ascribed meanings:\\
-All coaches, including volunteers, will complete training as recommended and/or provided by NHIAA, New Hampshire Department of Education and/or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\\
+  * "Head injury" means injuries to the scalp, skull, or brain caused by trauma, and shall include a concussion which is the most common type of sports-related brain injury.
+  * “Health care provider” means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise statutorily authorized by the state to provide medical treatment (physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, licensed physician's assistant, or dentist).
+  * “Student-athlete" means a student involved in any intramural sports program conducted outside the regular teaching day or competitive student sports program between schools in grades 4 through 12.
+  * “Sports" means intramural sports programs conducted outside the regular teaching day for students in grades 4 through 12 or competitive athletic programs between schools for students in grades 4 through 12, including, without limitation, all NHIAA sanctioned activities, including cheer/dance squads, or any other district-sponsored sports or activities as determined by the board or administration.\\
-Annually, prior to the student-athlete’s initial practice or competition, the School District will distribute to all student-athletes covered by this Policy and their parents/guardians a head injury and concussion information sheet.\\
+__Duty to Report:__ All District employees shall report any accident or incident which involves a student head injury. The report should be filed in the same manner provided under Board policy EBBB as for that of any accident requiring first aid. Additionally, Teachers should report to the school nurse (or administrator in charge if the nurse is unavailable) if the student appears to have any difficulty with academic tasks that the teacher believes may be related to concussion. The school nurse will notify the student’s parents of guardians and treating health care provider. \\
-Each spring, the athletic director or designee shall review any changes that have been made in the NHIAA guidelines for concussion and head injury management. Any updated procedures will be adopted and used in the next school year.\\
+__Return to Learning Protocols:__ After a student has suffered a concussion, whether in school or not, before full resumption of academic work, the building principal or their designee will work with the school nurse, a student’s parent/guardian, medical provider, teacher(s) and other appropriate district staff, to establish a graduated learning reentry plan.  The plan will support the student’s full return to academic activities, and ease the stress of making up past work while engaged in present work. The plan must include:\\
-**Removal from Practice or Play and Protocol for Return to Practice or Play**\\
+  * Step-by-step instructions and details for students, parents/guardians and school personnel.
-Any coach, official, licensed athletic trainer, or health care provider who suspects that a student-athlete has sustained a concussion or head injury in a practice or game shall immediately remove the student-athlete from play.\\
+  * Time frames for physical and cognitive rest within first few days post-injury and throughout the recovery as needed.
+  * Guidance on graduated return to extracurricular athletic activities and classroom studies, including classroom accommodations or modifications.
+  * Frequency of assessments by the school nurse, school physician if applicable, neuropsychologist or athletic trainer until full return to the classroom and extracurricular athletic activities are authorized.
+  * Any provisions relative to “return-to-play” for student-athletes.
+  * A plan for communication and coordination among school personnel and with the parents/caregivers and the student’s medical provider.\\
-A student-athlete who has been removed from practice or play shall not return to practice or play on the same day and until he/she is evaluated by a health care provider and receives medical clearance and written authorization from that health care provider to return to practice or play. “Health care provider” means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise statutorily authorized by the State of New Hampshire to provide medical treatment and is trained in the evaluation and management of concussions. The student-athlete shall also present written permission from a parent/guardian to return to practice or play.\\
+Section 504 or other such accommodations or modifications when appropriate will be developed in accordance with applicable law and Board policies.\\
-Even if the student-athlete has medical clearance and written parental permission to return to play, the student-athlete must also be cleared to play under this Policy and the School District’s guidelines and protocols for return to play.\\
+__Concussion Awareness and Education:__ To the extent possible, the District will implement concussion awareness and education into physical education and/or health education curriculum.\\
-If the student-athlete exhibits signs and symptoms of a concussion after returning to practice or play, the student-athlete will not be allowed to continue the activity and the parent/guardian will be notified.\\
+**Provisions Relating to Students Participating in Sports and Athletic Programs**\\
+Consistent with the National Federation of High School (NFHS) and the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA), the District will utilize recommended guidelines, procedures and other pertinent information to inform and educate coaches, youth athletes, and parents/guardians of the nature and risk of concussions or head injuries, including the dangers associated with continuing to play after a concussion or head injury.  \\
-**Concussion Awareness and Education**\\
+__Compliance with NHIAA Procedures and Protocols:__ All coaches, officials or licensed athletic trainers will comply with NHIAA recommended procedures for the management of head injuries and concussions.\\
-To the extent possible, the School Board encourages the administration to implement concussion awareness and education in the School District’s physical education and/or health education curriculum. The administrative decision will take into account all relevant considerations, including time, resources, access to materials, and other pertinent factors.\\
+__Immediate Removal from Play and other NHIAA Protocols:__ Any coach, official, licensed athletic trainer, or health care provider who suspects that a student-athlete has sustained a concussion or head injury in a practice (including tryouts or trainings) or during a competition shall immediately remove the student-athlete from all physical activity.  \\
-**Academic Issues in Concussed Students**\\
+__“Return to Play”:__ A student-athlete who has been removed from play shall not return to play on the same day, nor until:\\
-In the event a student is concussed, regardless of whether the concussion was a result of a school-related or non-school-related activity, School District staff should be mindful that the concussion may affect the student’s ability to learn. In the event a student has a concussion, that student’s teachers will be notified. Teachers should report to the school nurse if the student appears to have any difficulty with academic tasks that the teacher believes may be related to the concussion. The school nurse will notify the student’s parents and treating physician. Administrators and School District staff will work to establish a protocol and course of action to ensure the student is able to maintain his/her academic responsibilities while recovering from the
+  * a Return to Learning Plan has been established consistent with paragraph A.3 of this policy.
-concussion.\\
+  * they are evaluated by a health care provider and receives medical clearance and written authorization from that health care provider stating the student-athlete is symptom free and may return to play
+  * the student-athlete’s parent/guardian provides written permission for the student-athlete to return to play.\\
-Section 504 accommodations may be developed in accordance with applicable law and School
+The District shall limit a student-athlete's participation as determined by the student's treating health care provider, unless, based upon the judgement of the coach or licensed athletic trainer greater limitations are appropriate.\\
-Board policies.\\
-**Legal References:**\\
+If symptoms of a concussion recur, or if concussion signs and/or behaviors are observed at any time during the return-to-activity program, the coach must immediately remove the student-athlete from play. Depending on previous instructions, the athlete may need to be re-evaluated by the health-care provider, or may have to return to the previous step of the return-to-activity program. \\
+__Parent Information Sheet:__ On a yearly basis, the Athletic Director shall assure that a concussion and head injury information sheet is distributed to each student-athlete and the athlete's parent/guardian prior to the student-athlete's initial practice (including try-out) or competition. This information sheet may be incorporated into the parent permission sheet that allows students to participate in extracurricular athletics.\\
+__Coach Training:__ All coaches, including volunteer coaches, will complete training in head injury and concussion management as recommended and/or provided by NHIAA, New Hampshire Department of Education and/or other pertinent organizations. \\
+__Annual Review of NHIAA Concussion Protocols by Athletic Director:__ No less than annually, the Athletic Director or their designee shall review any changes that have been made in procedures required for concussion and head injury management or other serious injury by consulting with the NHIAA and the District's on-call physician. The Athletic Director shall take steps to implement the then current procedures and protocols as soon as possible.\\
+**Legal References:** \\
 //RSA 200:49, Head Injury Policies for Student Sports\\
 RSA 200:50, Removal of Student-Athlete\\
-RSA 200:51, Limitation of Liability\\
+RSA 205:51, School Districts; Limitation of Liability\\
-RSA 200:52, Definitions\\//
+RSA 200:52, Definitions\\
+RSA 200:63, Head Injuries; Return to Learning and Plan//\\
 {{ :jlcj_concussions_and_head_injuries.pdf |Download}}\\
 [[section_j|Section J]]\\
 [[start|Policy Manual]]

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