Health & Wellness

We encourage our students to develop skills and lifelong habits of healthy living by providing developmentally appropriate and clinically pertinent data to influence decision-making. Because we believe in the importance of health and wellness education and practices, students across divisions participate in programming on topics including stress, sleep, self care, substance use and abuse, social media and internet safety, human sexuality, reproductive health and social and emotional learning practices. Students are further educated through guest speakers and visits, conversations within advisory groups and a variety of classroom activities.

Physical, psychological, emotional and social aspects of a student’s health and wellness are essential components for growth and success. We partner with faculty and staff to provide a variety of opportunities for education, awareness and practice. Outside speakers, assemblies and gatherings widen the scope of our offerings and further highlight the importance of wellness while developmentally-appropriate curriculum has been thoughtfully planned to revolve around a number of core topics: nutrition, relationships, safety, sleep, exercise, stress and study skills, sexuality, substance use and abuse and social media. Health and wellness is for every member of the community, and we work in cooperation with our Parents Association and school administrators to ensure that families also benefit by providing opportunities to hear from experts on topics such as executive functioning, anxiety and stress reduction.

The Princeton Day School Health and Wellness program has been made possible through the E.E. Ford Wellness Grant.

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Child psychologists, school counselors, medical personnel and various support staff all work in partnership to identify needs, coordinate resources and supervise the academic, social and emotional care of our students. With faculty, advisors, coaches and mentors also in regular communication with the Student Services Team, a strong, holistic support system is in place to ensure an environment where all of our students can thrive.

Staffed by trained registered nurses, our health office is centrally located in the administrative wing of the main building and fully equipped to provide emergency medical care, dispense medication, answer medically-related questions and attend to a wide range of medical issues among the school community. Additionally, a certified athletic trainer is available beginning each afternoon when practices or home games are scheduled.

Office Hours:
8 a.m - 3:20 p.m. Monday to Friday
Tel: 609-924-6700 x1190
Fax: 609-279-2705
Email: healthoffice@pds.org

There are a number of required health forms and general Health Office information for students that vary by age, grade and division. In addition, The State of New Jersey requires certain immunizations be up to date before a student may attend school. These requirements apply to both domestic and international students. These records must be submitted through the Magnus System in English or with full translation provided by August 1. Per NJ state law, students are not permitted to attend school without providing documentation of required vaccinations. 

ALL forms will be available on the Magnus Health Portal for review, download and/or completion which opens to new, incoming families in mid-July. If you have any questions, please reach out!

The best way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases amongst our students is to follow the 24-hour rule. Please see the guidelines below for when it’s best to keep your student home. If your student is out sick for an extended period of time (3 or more days) or out of school due to surgery or injury, please contact the Health Office at 609-924-6700 x 1190. Our office can help facilitate any accommodations that might be needed with the learning specialist in each division when a doctor's note is provided.

Fever: Any student with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will be excluded from school and cannot return to school until fever-free for a 24-hour time period without the use of medication that reduces fever (ie. Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen). Body temperatures fluctuate throughout the day. Children will sometimes wake up fever-free because the body has been at rest all night therefore the body temperature is lower. The fever will sometimes return once the child resumes regular activity. Please be sure to check your student’s temperature several times throughout the day. 

Vomiting: Any student with vomiting will be excluded from school for 24 hours after they last vomited and should remain home until they have the ability to tolerate a normal meal. 

Strep Throat (streptococcal infections): Students must be on antibiotic therapy and fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. 

Pink eye (bacterial conjunctivitis): Students need to be on antibiotic therapy for 24 hours and have no purulent discharge from the eye prior to returning to school. 

Cough: If a student’s cough significantly interferes with their ability to concentrate, they should remain home. 

Diarrhea: Students who have three or more watery stools in a twenty-four-hour period should stay at home for 24 hours after the final watery stool. 

Injury: If your student sustains an injury (e.g., broken bone, sprain, concussion, etc.), please provide the health office with a doctor's note explaining any accommodations or restrictions from PE or sports. Please note that they will need a clearance note to return to normal activities and PE/sports.

We strongly recommend you take a moment to read through the required health notifications below, as they contain important information about the health and safety of your student(s).

Meningitis Vaccine
HPV Fact Sheet
Tick Information
Lymes Disease
Sports-Related Eye Injuries

Required Tuberculosis Testing: Students entering a school in the United States or New Jersey, for the first time, from any country NOT listed on the List of Countries Not Requiring TB Testing, must receive an IGRA or Mantoux tuberculin skin test, unless they meet an exemption criterion. Please read the NJ Tuberculosis Testing Mandate for additional information, including the list of countries NOT requiring TB testing.

Concussion Resources: The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) mandates that all athletes and parents read and sign the Sports-Related Concussion and Head Injury Fact Sheet and Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement Form. Please upload the completed form to your Magnus Health Portal annually. Other resources include information from the CDC and Minds Matter program. If your student has sustained a concussion, your primary care provider must complete the Head Injury Clearance Form before your student can participate in any physical extracurricular or sports activity. 

Child Abuse and Neglect Resources: With regard to possible instances of child abuse, our faculty and staff must follow the laws and regulations of New Jersey. The law in New Jersey requires any citizen of the state who has a reasonable belief that a child is being abused to report their concern to state authorities (New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services) and law enforcement. If you suspect an occurrence of child abuse and/or neglect, please call New Jersey's Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline at 1-877-NJ ABUSE (652-2873) (TTY/TDD use 1-800-835-5510.