Notes From the Nurse : Children’s health important
Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Alas but yea, school is starting again ! Although the children may not quite be ready, most parents welcome back the routine in their schedules. While everyone is making preparations to return, here are a few things you may need to ponder. Make sure your children are up to date on their immunizations. Laws change almost yearly now. If you are not sure what your child may need, check with the health department or your school nurse. For those wanting to exempt for religious or philosophical reasons, you must apply to the state on a yearly basis. Medical exemptions vary according to condition.
Some children require medication during the school day. Please remember to bring their medication in the prescription container to the school nurse's office and sign a medication administration form. Inhalers need to come in the prescription boxes that are kept in the nurse's office. Make sure you fill out the medical confidentiality form that will come home with your child on their first day of school. This is very important, as well as the emergency contact list for the nurse. The nursing staff wants to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect your children's health and well being while at school.
Next on the list would be a reminder to label clothing. Please try to put your children's names on or in their lunch boxes, jackets, coats and sweaters. We receive an enormous amount of items in our lost and found every nine weeks. We make these items available to retrieve and we remind the students to search for lost items. Parents are more than welcome to come and search, too. We do not have the space to keep these items indefinitely though, and what is left unclaimed, is sorted by the nurses and the rest is given to those in need. In the past, many bags of clothes have gone to our churches or to Helping Hands. We usually go through items every couple of months.
Last but not least, a word about head lice. I tell many parents that if your child makes it all the way through kindergarten to graduation, without having a visit from this pesky critter, you have been lucky. Head lice do not discriminate their hosts. They are not a disease, just a nuisance that takes a lot of effort to eliminate. Please check your children's heads before school starts and treat if needed. Teach them not to share combs, brushes and other children's clothing. Children who have lice and nits (eggs ), will be sent home for treatment. Upon return to school, they have to be accompanied by an adult and cleared through the nurse's office before returning to class. This means do not send them by bus, until cleared by the nurse !
We are all looking forward to a great school year. Please let us know anything we can do to help your children succeed. Feel free to call your campus nursing staff with any questions you may have regarding your children's care while at school. We want everyone to have a safe and healthy experience.
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