No over-the-counter (OTC) medications may be administered by any school designated personnel without specific written instructions from a licensed physician/dentist with the following exceptions: antacid tablets/Tums, cough drops, throat lozenges, acetaminophen(Tylenol)/ibuprofen (Motrin).  Medications are available in the health office to alleviate minor discomforts and are given at the discretion of the school nurse or designated school personnel.  These medications are only dispensed upon submission of an Emergency Care Form signed by the parent/guardian, indicating which over the counter (OTC) medications the student is permitted to take. These forms are available in the school office and must be re-submitted each school year.  

If it is essential that a student receive a prescribed medication at school, the Emergency Medications Policy must be followed.  

1. Contact the school nurse to inform the school of the medication requirements.  
2. The medication must be brought to school in the original pharmacy dispensed container. The container must display:  

• Student’s name  
• Medication name  
• Dosage and time of administration  
• Prescribing physician  
• Name and phone number of the pharmacy  
• The RX number  

A completed Medication Administration Permission sheet must accompany the prescription. The parent and physician portion must be completed. Your physician may fax instructions and authorizations to the school. The fax Number is 412-690-2316.

The Medication Permission forms are effective for the school year they are submitted. A new Medication Permission form is required each school year. A new form is also required if there is a change in the medication and/or dosage. 

The Nurse's Office performs state-mandated health screenings including: Height, Weight, and Vision screening for all students. Hearing screening is performed on all 11th grade students and physicals are performed on all 11th grade students that do not turn in a physical form from their physician. The student's physicals are completed by our school physician.

The City High Nurse's Office can provide referrals for various health issues.  Questions?  Contact nurse@cityhigh.org

Allergy Referrals
Burn Referrals
Cardiology Referrals
Dentistry Referrals
Dermatology Referrals
Developmental Pediatrician Referrals
ENT Referrals
Gynecology Referrals 
Opthalmology Referrals
Orthopedic Referrals

 

City High’s school counselors monitor school attendance for truancy purposes. In addition to phone calls, emails, and meetings with students, letters are mailed to parents/guardians informing them of their child’s absences and City High’s attendance policy.  The first letter is mailed when a student misses 3 unexcused days.  Another letter is mailed after a student misses 5 unexcused days. The second letter asks the parent and student to attend a Student Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to identify barriers interfering with the student’s ability to attend school on a consistent basis.  Focus on Attendance is offered to families who want to participate in preventative interventions.   If the student continues to accumulate unexcused absences following the SAIP meeting, truancy charges are filed with the magistrate and a hearing is scheduled. 

Read More About The City High Attendance Policy

City Charter High School is required by the Child Abuse Services Law to report all cases of suspected child abuse to the Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) including all cases of student-on-student child abuse that occur on school grounds, at a school sponsored event and during travel to and from school. The mandatory report to CYF is in addition to any school discipline and/or charges that may be filed with the local magistrate.  

City High helps provide economic support to our students in the following ways:

• free breakfast and lunch
• vouchers for eyeglasses
• support with buying clothing to fit the business casual dress code

Additionally, City High's Caring Closet is a space where students can find commonly needed personal hygiene items free of charge, such as: shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, body wash, soap, tooth brushes, toothpaste, feminie hygiene products, lotion, etc. 

Students are able to go to it on their own as needed and "shop" for any supplies that they may need such as deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and so on.  Bags are provided as well so that students can be discreet about what they take if they choose to be.  They do not need to ask permission to take something, and everything is free.   

You can help support our Caring Closet by contributing to City High’s Wishlist. 

Donate to the Caring Closet

The Wellness team interacts with a wide range of agencies and organizations, including:

• Community-based institutions and services

• School-based mental health services offered through Pressley Ridge

• Outpatient mental health providers (WPIC, Mercy, AGH, private practitioners) - Includes individual and/or family therapy, crisis management, medication services

• Partial Hospital Program (WPIC, Mercy) - Used to prevent inpatient hospitalization or as a step down from an inpatient hospital stay.  Partial Hospitalization offers various forms of therapy to help stabilize symptoms so that patients can resume their lives.

• Inpatient Hospitalization Programs (AGH, WPIC, Southwood) - Designed to provide treatment, as well as protection from harm to patients who are at significant risk of harming themselves or others and are unable to resume their lives because of mental health symptoms.

• Children, Youth and Families (CYF) and Child Protective Services (CPS) - Provides a wide range of preventive, protection, and supportive services to children and families in need

• RESOLVE Crisis Network (UPMC Children’s Hospital) - Offers mental health crisis intervention and stabilization services. Drug and Alcohol Youth Services (Gateway Rehabilitation, Pyramid Healthcare, SHORES) - A variety of inpatient and outpatient programs aimed at giving adolescents the tools they need to find recovery from their addictions

• ELECT Teen Parenting Program provides services through local school districts to pregnant and parenting teens living within the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. 1-844-SAF2SAY

988: A Direct Link For Suicide Prevention and Crisis Support, Calling or Texting 988 will connect individuals to 24/7 free and confidential support if they are in distress or in need of prevention and crisis resources for themselves or a loved one.