Support Your Child’s Health This Summer and Beyond
As we approach the end of another school year, we look ahead to warmer weather and long summer days. Summer is a great time to schedule your student’s well-child checkup.
You may wonder, “My child is healthy—why do they need a checkup?” These visits play an important role in your child’s overall well-being. They help track developmental milestones, identify potential concerns early, and provide guidance on growth and development. They also give you the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns.
Checkups are also a great time to update vaccinations, discuss illness and injury prevention, and review healthy habits such as nutrition, hygiene, exercise, and sleep. They are helpful for completing required school health forms, including Asthma Action Plans, EpiPen plans, and other documentation needed for fall registration.
Regular visits also help build a strong, trusting relationship between your child and their healthcare provider, making future visits more comfortable and ensuring a better overall experience.
Vaccinations are an important part of your child’s health. In Minnesota, students must receive required immunizations or submit a valid exemption to attend school, including public, private, online, and homeschool settings. Proof of immunization or an exemption must be submitted before the first day of school.
Immunization records are especially important for students entering Kindergarten, 7th grade, or 12th grade, when age-appropriate vaccines are required. If submitting an exemption, you must indicate which vaccines you are declining, and the form must be notarized. Medical exemptions require documentation signed by your child’s healthcare provider.
Exemptions cannot be filed for vaccines your child is not yet eligible to receive. For example, a kindergarten student cannot be exempt from 7th- or 12th-grade immunizations; a new exemption form must be completed at that time.
A complete vaccination schedule and exemption forms are available on MCC’s website under the Health Office Immunization page (“Are Your Kids Ready?”). If you need help obtaining your child’s immunization records from Minnesota or South Dakota, please contact the Health Office. If your child was vaccinated in Minnesota, you can also sign up for Docket to access records, or request them directly from your provider’s clinic. For questions or concerns about vaccinations, please consult your healthcare provider.
Summer is also a great time to complete sports physicals for students participating in school athletics. These are required every three years and must be submitted to the Athletic Department before the season begins. Forms can be turned in at the start of the school year, even if the sport occurs later.
Watch for MCMC’s annual sports physical day! Minnesota State High School League physical forms for the 2026–2027 school year are typically posted on MCC’s Activities page in mid-May.
These final weeks of school are busy and exciting and will go by quickly. Please note the Health Office is not staffed during the summer months. Emails and voicemails will be returned when we reopen in August.
Enjoy your spring and summer!
Desirée Haupert CCMA
Health Services and Wellness Coordinator
Murray County Central Schools