LEONARDTOWN, MD (August 6, 2014) – The St. Mary’s County Public Schools will begin classes August 20 and parents are reminded that, along with school supplies, there are other important items to add to their back-to-school lists for school enrollment.
Certified copies of birth certificates are required to register children for public schools. In order to avoid a last-minute rush, parents are encouraged to apply for a birth certificate for their child as soon as possible. Certified copies of birth certificates for children born in the State of Maryland may be obtained at the St. Mary’s County Health Department while you wait, Mon. – Fri. from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.) at a cost of $35 per certificate. The Health Department is located at 21580 Peabody Street in Leonardtown. For more information about how to apply for a birth certificate, please contact the Vital Records Office of the health department at 301-475-4330 or online at www.smchd.org.
Also, parents are reminded that new immunization requirements in Maryland will impact many school-aged children in St. Mary’s County. Proof of complete primary immunizations against certain childhood communicable diseases is required for all students in preschool through the 12th grade. The law requires that students who do not provide proof of vaccination within 20 days of entrance be excluded from school. For students entering kindergarten and 7th grade, the new immunization regulations require the following:
- Proof of a second dose of varicella (chicken pox) vaccination is required for students entering kindergarten.
- Proof of Tdap vaccination, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough), is required for students entering 7th grade.
- Proof of one dose of MCV4 (meningitis) vaccination, is required for students entering 7th grade.
Parents are encouraged to contact their primary health care providers as soon as possible to ensure that their children are up-to-date on their immunizations. The St. Mary’s County Health Department will be holding in-school vaccine clinics at each of the four public middle schools, and a clinic at the health department on Monday, Sept. 8 from 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. For more information about back-to-school vaccination requirements in Maryland, visit the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) website.