26 Days Till School: Schedule Your Child's Back-to-School Physical

Each day of the month leading up to the first day of school, Oakland Township Patch will bring you useful back-to-school information, tricks, trends and tips.

If you haven't scheduled your child's kindergarten physical yet, you may want to do so this week, as doctor's offices often get busy with back-to-school physicals in the weeks before school begins.

"Kids need a physical when they enter kindergarten, and then (for) whatever sports," said Nancy Limback, Lake Orion Community Schools pupil accounting specialist.

To enter kindergarten, all children are also required to have a vision screening or to submit a waiver because of religious reasons, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Often, this screening is administered in preschool.

Children are also required to be up to date on all of their immunizations, and the parent or guardian of a child enrolling in a school for the first time (including kindergartners) must submit a certificate showing that the required immunizations have been given, according to the MDE.

Parents or guardians may also submit a physician-signed waiver acknowledging that the required immunizations could not be given because of medical contraindications, or they may submit a signed waiver stating that for religious or other reasons, the immunizations have not been given.

Here are downloadable immunization schedules recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• For a detailed immunization schedule for children from birth to 6 years old, click here or view the attached document.
• For a detailed immunization schedule for children 7-18 years old, click here or view the attached document.
• For a detailed catch-up immunization schedule for children from 4 months to 18 years old, click here or view the attached document.

To download a blank Michigan High School Athletic Association Medical History form, click here or view the attached document.

Countdown to School

• 31 Days:
• 30 Days:
• 29 Days:
• 28 Days:
• 27 Days: