Health & Wellness

The Emily Northcross Health Center is staffed by two resident nurses, a third nurse, and one part-time nurse. Routine care is provided during designated hours.

Emergency care is available 24 hours a day. The Health Center number is 540.687.4430. The nurse’s cell phone number is 703.963.4352.

• Completed health forms found on the Magnus Health System are mandatory for participation in academics, activities, sports, and for staying overnight on campus.

• All medications, whether prescribed by a doctor or available over the counter, must be registered with the nurse, kept in the Health Center, and dispensed by the nurse. Exceptions: Students may keep a one-month supply of birth control pills, daily multi-vitamins, inhalers, epipens, and topical gels or creams in their dorm room. Violations of this policy is considered Prohibited Conduct and will result in disciplinary action.

• Parents are asked to schedule routine medical and dental appointments during school vacations.

• Urgent or emergency medical appointments will be made through the Health Center. The Health Center will provide transportation and the family is responsible for the cost of transportation.

• Telehealth appointments should take place in the Health Center or Counseling Office. 

• Parents of day students are responsible for scheduling and transporting their daughters to routine medical/dental appointments.

• All students leaving for health appointments must leave from the Health Center and are required to report to the nurse immediately upon return.

• If a student misses school for medical reasons, the student must provide a doctor’s report or parental notification to the nurses.

• When a day student becomes ill, we request that she remain at home or, if she becomes ill during the school day, that parents come to pick her up as soon as possible. 

• In some cases of serious or longer term illness, we may request that boarding students return home to recover before returning to campus.

• If a student becomes ill or injured while at school, she is expected to go to the Health Center to be assessed. To ensure proper care and supervision, we do not allow students who are unwell to return to their dormitories during the academic day.

• Students admitted to the Health Center will be required to turn in all technology to the nurses. No laptops, cell phones, iPads, or Apple Watches will be permitted to be used in the Health Center during the academic day.

• Medication Times

  • Monday through Friday: 7:30am to 9:00am (morning meds)

  • Saturday and Sunday: 11:00am to 1:00pm (morning meds)

  • Every Day: 9:00pm to 9:30pm (evening meds)

• If a student is not coming to take her medication at the proper times, this will be addressed by the Health Care Team and the Office of Student Life. Parents may also be notified. 

• If a student arrives at the Health Center after 9:00am during a scheduled class, she is recorded as “unexcused late” for the class. If she is deemed too ill to attend school, her absence will be excused.

• If a student needs medical attention after sign in for the night, she must notify the Health Center and the dorm parent on duty before leaving the dormitory for the Health Center.

• If a student is admitted to the Health Center, she may NOT leave until discharged by the nurse.

The Director of Wellness Education and Programming works closely with the Health Center and the School Counselor to provide students social and emotional support, including  short-term school counseling services that address personal or academic needs. Students and families may request counseling support through the Health Center, directly with Counseling Support via email (counselor@foxcroft.org), or by phone (540.687.4504). 

Confidentiality

In compliance with ethical and legal guidelines, Counseling Support endeavors to maintain strict confidentiality with students and their families. Limits to confidentiality include concerns for safety or threat of imminent harm to self or others. When a safety concern arises, Counseling Support is obligated to provide appropriate means of crisis intervention which may mean breaching confidentiality agreements.   

Community Referrals and Long-term Counseling

At times, a student may require an elevated level of counseling intervention to address clinical or therapeutic needs. The Director Wellness Education and Programming works in collaboration with families to identify appropriate community resources that can provide an elevated level of care. Counseling Support does not provide long-term therapeutic intervention for students or their families. 

Crisis Intervention

When a student presents in crisis, she may be supported in the Health Center until a parent can arrange to pick her up for an assessment. A student may not return to campus without a medical professional’s clearance and a care plan. All care plans are reviewed with the Student Support team, including the Health Center and Counseling Support, to assess if the School has the resources to support the student. In some cases, a medical leave of absence would be granted and a return to school plan created once the student has received appropriate support and clearance from a medical professional. 

In general, all information regarding a student’s medical information is private. There may be times, however, when the Health Center or Counseling staff must release information from the student’s medical file in order to facilitate proper medical care. The staff may also need to call medical providers to discuss the student’s care. 

The Health Center staff and Director Wellness Education and Programming recognize both the importance of a student’s privacy and the obligation to keep parents informed about issues that may affect the School’s ability to act in a responsible manner and to support the student. Also, due to the unique nature of a boarding school, it may be necessary to share information about the health and wellbeing of a student with appropriate school personnel. The Health Center staff and Counseling Support will work with the student in most cases to develop a plan to communicate her needs with appropriate parties when warranted. There are limits to confidentiality, including but not limited to when a safety concern presents with a student or other member of the community. 

In addition, in accordance with Virginia State law, all school employees are required to report suspected abuse or neglect of children under the age of 18. School employees having a reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect must immediately report such knowledge or suspicion to the Head of School and to Child Protective Services (CPS). Suspicion or belief may be based on factors including, but not limited to, observations, allegations, facts, or statements by a child, a victim or a third party. Such suspicion does not require certainty or probable cause to report to CPS. 

The safety and health of our students is our primary concern, even when a situation involves prohibited conduct. If a student is caught using or in possession of prohibited substances, the student will face disciplinary consequences. When a student has a concern about alcohol or drug use or possession that raises immediate safety concerns, the student may seek safe harbor from the school’s health care team for herself or for another student. While there will be consequences related to drug or alcohol use, a student’s immediate health and safety will be the first priority. Students who, in good faith, report another student’s alcohol or drug use may also expect lesser consequences to any rule violations that occurred in relation to the incident. 

The Health Center will work to determine if students are currently under the influence or if any substances or items need to be confiscated. The Administrative Duty Officer (ADO) and an additional adult on duty will usually be responsible for searching the students’ room or belongings and conducting any other investigation into the incident to inform next steps. A member of the Student Support Team will contact parents, and along with the Head of School or her designee, inform them of required steps for the student to remain enrolled: 

• An evaluation may be required by an addiction specialist (the School can provide a list of approved providers).

• A medical leave of absence may be granted/required for the student to receive appropriate treatment and/or develop a care plan before the student may return to school. 

• A care plan likely includes required counseling and/or attendance at a support group, such as Alcohol Anonymous for Teens.

• The School expects permission to be given for the Student Health Team to talk with the therapist/addiction specialist and for there to be freedom for full disclosure.

• A condition of continuing at school will likely include random, periodic drug testing and room/belongings searches. 

• Additional consequences likely include a room or dorm change and loss of leadership positions. 

• The student will receive a formal warning that if the student is again found under the influence or in possession of alcohol or drugs, she will be reported to the Head of School and likely be dismissed from the School. 

The student may be disciplined for a violation of a Major School Rule,, but would, under most circumstances, face lesser consequences if seeking Safe Harbor. In most cases, a student will still appear before the Honor Council, but will likely be able to remain a student at Foxcroft. A student may also be disciplined for other related offenses including but not limited to lying, destruction of evidence, bullying, retaliation to students who come forward, or other major school rules. The student may also be compelled to participate in a restorative process with community members impacted by her actions. 

This disciplinary process will be separate from the health and wellness support response and may involve the Dean of Students, Assistant Head of School, Head of School, and Honor Council. Access to school counseling services may continue during this period to support the student in this process.