Hello, Carpenter Hill Families!!

I am Nurse Marika, and am so excited to be returning to Carpenter Hill again this year as your School Nurse! I have been at Carpenter Hill for 1.5 years, have been a School Nurse for 7.5 years, and have been a nurse for 20 years now. My background in nursing also includes Adult Intermediate Care, Infection Prevention, and Occupational Health. I have 2 degrees - one from UT-Austin, and my nursing degree from UT Medical Branch in Galveston.

My husband and I live here in Buda, with our 2 children (also students in Hays CISD), and our two dogs. I am excited to continue to serve this community of Carpenter Hill students and their families, as well as get to know all of you! Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss your student's health needs or if you have any questions. I am here to partner with you and assist in any way I can to have a successful and healthy rest of the school year!

School nursing is a professional registered nursing specialty that involves identification, assessment, prevention, and intervention to remedy or modify students' health needs. The nurses' goal is to promote the optimum health of students and the students' abilities to achieve their individual educational goals by keeping students in school.  

Nurses monitor required immunizations, perform mandated health screenings, track communicable diseases, plan for emergencies and provide direct care to students. Please see the main Student Health Services page to learn more about the Hays CISD District Health Services: Hays CISD Student Health Services

Medications at School  

• All medications must be kept in the Nurse’s Office. Exceptions are only made for certain medications if a student has a physician’s order to carry the medication and has been cleared to do so by the Nurse.

• All medication (including over the counter and prescription) must be in the originally marked labeled container and must be provided by the parent or guardian.  

• Any prescription medication must have a medication authorization signed by the parent, and orders from the student’s medical provider in order to administer it at school.

• FDA-approved over the counter medications may be given with parent permission for only 5 consecutive school days. If the medication is needed for longer than that, an order from your child’s medical provider will be needed.

• Medications cannot be expired.

• More information regarding medication guidelines and medication forms can be found on the District page here: Medications at School

Communication from the Nurse

• When your student is seen in my office for a minor visit, a nurse pass with information about their visit will be sent home with the student.

• For more urgent needs or concerns, I will be contacting you by phone. Please ensure that we have current phone numbers and contact information for you. It is critical that we are able to contact you if your child is ill or there is an emergency.

• You can provide any updates in contact information by emailing: CHES.Attendance@hayscisd.net

Illness

• Keep your child home if they are ill. Students must be kept home if they have a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, are vomiting, having diarrhea, undiagnosed rash, reddened eyes with thick drainage/crusting, or a draining wound that cannot be covered/contained. 

• Please do not send your child to school after giving them fever-reducing or anti-diarrheal medications. These medications may cause resolution of symptoms in the short-term, but your child is likely still contagious to others.

• When your child is home with an illness/injury, please send an email to account for their absence and any doctor’s notes to CHES.Attendance@hayscisd.net

• For additional guidance from the district, please visit this link: Communicable Diseases/Exclusions from School

Community Resources

• This guide from the Hays County Health Department is a comprehensive source of information: 2026 Hays County Resource Directory

Marika Veregge, RN
Carpenter Hill Elementary School
(512) 268-8509 ext. 42605
Email Marika Veregge