Most of the medical card is completed by the medical staff (nurse, nurse practitioner etc.). However there are portions that need to be completed by the classroom teacher. It is important that this information be current and accurate. 

	You would list the current school year (2002/03).
	You should insert the appropriate borough code (K, Q, X, M, R).
	This is your current class designation (i.e. K-220).
	This is your school number (i.e. 124).

If you have observed any of these behaviors, or are aware of any problems (i.e. the child receives speech therapy or the parent informs you that the child suffers from seizures) you should place a check in the appropriate box. If you have not observed any difficulties and are unaware of any pre-existing conditions then you should write "NSN" or "Not So Noted" straight down the row of boxes.

If a child is absent for a surgical procedure (i.e. tonsillectomy) or has been diagnosed while in your class you should note the information in this section. You should mark the dates of the absences (10/14/03 - 10/28/03) and the reason (tonsillectomy). You must also sign your name and title next to the entry.

	The student's name, birth date and ID number are written on the front of the medical card.
	However, in order to avoid future confusion you should take a few minutes to fill in the same information on the inside section of the card.

The school year and grade designation should be entered in this section.

In some schools this is completed by the medical staff. Early grade teachers generally complete this section themselves. Some teachers, especially upper grade teachers, send a survey home with each child requesting the information from the parents.

If your school does not have a procedure to complete vision testing for the students, you should borrow an eye chart from the medical office. In order to check the far vision you need to mark off a spot 20 feet from the eye chart. The side of the eye chart has numbers beside each line. It is advisable to start at level 20. Have each student cover first one eye, then the other and read the line. Then have the student read the line with both eyes. If a student can read line 20 then there is no need to test further - the student has 20/20 vision. If the student cannot read that line, then progressively move up the chart until the student is able to read a line with fewer than 2 errors. That is the student's far vision (i.e. 20/30).

Hearing tests are administered by personnel other than the classroom teacher. You should receive a list of your students' results (Pass or Fail). Indicate the results in the box with a "P" or an "F."

When a student returns a dental form, which has been completed by a dentist, you should indicate this by placing a check in the box.