Health Office News!!! Cheryl DiLisio RN Ann Hudson RN cdilisio@johnsonschool.org ahudson@johnsonschool.org ph-781-581-1600x4 fax- 781-581-0440 *Reporting an absence to the Main Office: Call #781-581-1600 and dial "2" to report your child absent. All calls must be before 8:30 am each day your child will not be in school. You may leave a message if your child is sick or injured and the secretary will forward this to the Health Office. Please note your child's symptoms on the recording if they are ill with a fever or other contagious illness. This will allow us to track multiple illnesses in a classroom or in a group of students and inform parents if a classroom is has a particular concern. *Effective communication between the Health Office and parents is extremely important in order to help your child in the event of an illness or injury. You may leave a message any time of day/night, even weekends, to update the Health Office with any information we need to be aware of regarding your child. We will return your call as soon as possible. We are better able to care for your child if we have the specific information available to us. Also, please make sure the home phone, work and cell numbers on file are the most recent and up to date. Call the main office if any changes are made during the school year. We have 14 students at our school that are allergic to Nuts, wheat, eggs, and many other food items. Strict avoidance of the allergen is the ONLY was to prevent a life threatening allergic reaction. Due to the nature of peanut/nut products, it is more challenging to prevent contamination of surfaces in the classroom, cafeteria, bathrooms, keyboards and other areas in the building. **Please remember that all of our classrooms are NUT FREE regardless of whether there is a student in that classroom/grade with a nut allergy. This includes products which state "may contain traces of" nuts/peanuts/tree nuts or "manufactured in a facility which processes" nuts/peanuts/tree nuts. Scroll down to read further details of our Johnson School Life Threatening Allergy guidelines. Parent information/resources and Medical forms now available to download!- click to bring you to the bottom of the web page where you will find copies of medical forms, newsletters, and parent information/resources that are available for you to view at home. You may also download and print all forms to return to the Health Office. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ January/February updates.....Remember the 24 Hour rule of thumb! Return to school guidelines: Students may return to school after the following 24 hours without temperature (and without taking fever reducing medications such as Tylenol or Advil/Motrin) 24 hours without nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (and tolerating a normal diet) 24 hours of receiving medication (such as antibiotics, eye ointments)If your child still seems tired, pale, with little appetite, not tolerating solid foods, and generally "not him/herself", PLEASE do not send him/her to school. Some viral illnesses may take longer before your child is well enough to return to school. Classroom infection guideline reminders..... click HERE to read more information in previous news updates Pre-School Registration information ** Health documentation due by April 1, 2012 If you are registering your child for our Pre-School program for school year 2012-2013 please refer to the packet of information you received regarding health forms and immunization documentation required for entry into Pre-School per Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidelines. Please call the Main office if you have not received the packet of registration materials. Click HERE to go to the Pre-School webpage and download all forms. Kindergarten Registration Information **Health documentation due by May 11,2012 If you are registering our child for our Kindergarten class for the school year 2012-2013 please refer to the information packet you will receive soon regarding required health information and documentation per Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidelines. *new changes in effect for immunizations* Letter to parents of incoming Kindergarten students 3/21/2011 Health Requirements for Kindergarten admission signature form 3/21/2011 Life Threatening Allergy/Peanut/Nut restriction letter Influenza reminders- Get Your Flu Shot! it's not too late! click HERE to bring you to the influenza updates on this webpage! Meningococcal Disease- At first, Meningococcal disease can look strikingly similar to a cold or flu, but in just a matter of hours it can kill. Doctors believe that's what happened with a 12-year-old Boston Latin Academy student last month. One young patient has survived the illness and has a warning message. Click on the link to watch the video about this vaccine preventable disease. video: Meningococcal Meningitis Let's stay healthy!!  This is described as: 1. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. 2.If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow and not your hands. 3. Throw your used tissue in the waste basket. 4. Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer if no soap/water is readily available.  **Studies have shown that school absenteeism due to illness is reduced when children practice good hand washing.
Please teach and encourage your child to wash their hands frequently
and especially after coughing or sneezing, before and after meals, after
using the bathroom, and after playing outside. December news.... We hope you have a safe and healthy Holiday Season!! Mandated MDPH Screenings: A reminder to all parents that you will receive MDPH mandated screening referrals for  Postural, Growth and Hearing/Vision Screenings by the end of December if your child did not meet the guidelines set by the MDPH. If you do not receive a referral letter, your child has passed the screening. However, all parents of children in Grade One and Four will receive, in the mail, a Growth Screening report with your child's specific results and Height, Weight and BMI information before the December school vacation week. If you do not receive this, please contact the Health Office. Postural Screening Program Postural Screening letter to parents Grade Three students were sent home with a letter in October with MDPH forms for physical exams due prior to entry into Grade Four. A physical exam must be completed by your child's physician anytime during the present school year between September 2011 and August 2012. The physical exam and a copy of the immunization certificate must be submitted. Please provide the forms to the Health Office after the exam is completed, you should not wait until he/she starts fourth grade. Please click on the link to read the letter again. The forms are also available at the bottom of this webpage under "medical forms available to download". click to read Grade Three October 201 parent letter
November Updates....  Vision and Hearing Screening update FAQ's on overweight children in US Nutrition and activity information Postural Screening Program October News.....  Required Physical Exams: MDPH requires the Health Office to have a copy of physical exams in the student's School Health Record for our Pre-K and Kindergarten students, and again before entering Grade Four. A letter was emailed home on 10/5/11 with information to our present grade 3 students so you have plenty of notice and time to collect the information requested. You may download the letter by clicking on the links below. If you have any other questions, please call x4 and we can discuss it further. Grade three physical exam- letter to parents 10/5/2011 Grade four missing physicals- Letter to parents 10/5/2011 MDPH mandated Vision and Hearing screenings will begin mid October for all of our students starting Kindergarten and working up to Grade 6. When completed, you will receive a referral form from the Health Office if your child failed the screening according to the guidelines set by the MDPH School Health Unit. More information to come...... There has been a recent increase in the number of
absent
students due to fever and cough. A large number of students have
been diagnosed with pneumonia since the return to school in September. We would
like to remind you of the school guidelines which may assist you if you
are trying to determine if your child should come to school. A letter
was emailed home to all parents on October 17, 2011 with information. click HERE to read email letter sent to parents on 10/17/2011 CDC poster "Cover your Cough!!" CDC "Stop Germs at School!!" Remember the 24 Hour rule of thumb! Students may return to school after: 24 hours without temperature (and without taking fever reducing medications such as Tylenol or Advil/Motrin) 24 hours without nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (and tolerating a normal diet) 24 hours of receiving medication (such as antibiotics, eye ointments) The Johnson School staff realize there are times when it is
in the best interest of your child to keep him/her home from school due to
illness. The Johnson School must try to provide a healthy environment for all students and staff members in the school. Young children are notoriously good at
spreading germs. Parents know their children best and can help to determine if
the child is well enough to remain in school for a 6 ½ hour school day. Therefore, the goal of the sick child guidelines
is to assist the parent/guardian with the decision to keep their child home
from school due to illness or infection. **A note from your physician may be required for your child to return to school if diagnosed with a contagious illness or hospitalized due to an illness. (ex. influenza, pneumonia) Please check with the school nurse prior to returning to school if you have any questions. Your child’s physician can help you determine if your child is able to return to school, however it is important to make sure they are truly feeling better and able to make it through 6 hours of the school day. If they still seem tired, pale, with little appetite, not tolerating solid foods, and generally "not him/herself", PLEASE do not send them to school. With viral illnesses it may take longer before your child is well enough to return to school. Sick Child GuidelinesStudents should not attend school if: · The student has a temperature. The student may return to school after having a normal temperature for at least 24 hours while not taking any fever reducing medications (ex. Tylenol or Motrin). · Antibiotics are prescribed. The student may return to school after taking the antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours and without a temperature over 100 degrees F for at least 24 hours without taking any fever reducing medications. · They seem tired/lethargic, pale, with little appetite, and generally "not him/herself”. · The student is vomiting. The student may return to school approximately 24 hours after symptoms resolve, and is able to tolerate a normal diet. · The student has diarrhea. The student may return to school approximately 24 hours after symptoms resolve, and is able to tolerate a normal diet. · The student has an undiagnosed rash. A rash may be indicative of many things, frequently of illnesses that are contagious. Therefore, a student will be excluded from school until a physician evaluates and determines the nature and contagiousness of the rash. A note is required from the physician upon return to school. · The student has severe cold symptoms, upper respiratory infection, a persistent cough, a runny nose that they cannot manage by themselves &/or contain with tissues, or other symptoms that would interfere with effective school participation. · The student is diagnosed with a communicable disease or illness. (ex: Influenza, Pneumonia, Strep Throat, Pertussis, head lice, Chicken pox (Varicella), impetigo, scabies). Please contact your school nurse before sending your child back to school. CDC s newly released report on Traumatic Brain Injuries Nonfatal
Traumatic Brain Injuries Related to Sports and Recreation Activities
Among Persons Aged 19 Years United States, 2001 2009, published in the October 7th issue of CDC s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, shows that the number of sports- and recreation-related Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) emergency department visits varied by age group and gender:
Learn More
CDC's head injury fact sheet for parents CDC's head injury fact sheet for athletes CDC's parent and athlete quiz CDC's website link for concussion and traumatic brain injury Massachusetts Department of Public Health- new law on sports related head injuries from August, 2010 Other items.....  “Stop Bullying Before it Starts: A Bullying Prevention Program” on November 17th Juvenile Justice Unit ~ Essex County District Attorney’s Office 12-1:30 pm on the Davenport, 4th floor Board Room in Salem Hospital. Back to top Please remember that all of our classrooms are NUT FREE regardless of whether there is a student in that classroom/grade with a nut allergy.  **If the product states "may contain traces of nuts" or "manufactured in a facility which processes nut products", then those products would not be allowed in the classrooms either. As an added safety measure, in the cafeteria students will be asked to sit at a designated table if their lunch contains any peanut/nut products. After eating, they will be given a moist towelette to remove any food particles from face and hands before leaving the cafeteria. Life Threatening Allergy letter to parents Click HERE to read the Nahant Public Schools- Life Threatening Allergy Planning Guidelines Video to Teach Non-Food Allergic Families about Food Allergies
This
6 minute slideshow with audio is created to increase food allergy
awareness in all parents in the school community. It highlights basic
facts about food allergies and the constant need for prevention and
preparedness. The presentation is designed to help foster an
understanding and supportive community.
The
awareness module for parents has options at completion, to learn more
about prevention, preparedness, label reading, and how to give an EpiPen
(you can get to these on the home page as well).
- The main site's link is:http://www.allergyhome.org/schools/ http://www.allergyhome.org is a great site to learn more about allergies, asthma, eczema and others  September 2011- Welcome back!  Screenings....... State mandated screenings for hearing and vision will start in early October. The process will begin with the Kindergarten students and move up the grades from there. If you receive a referral letter as a result of the screenings, please contact your pediatrician and discuss scheduling a follow up exam as soon as possible. After the visit, please return the completed referral form with the results of the exam to the Health Office to file in the student's health record. If you do not receive a referral letter, your child has passed the guidelines set by the Massachusetts Department of Education. Reminders..... Grade 4 students who have not yet sent in their physicals which were due prior to entering Fourth Grade, please call the Health Office to discuss as all forms must be sent in before December 2011. Please contact the Health Office if there is a problem with insurance which will complicate the deadline. Grade 3 students will receive information in October and forms regarding the mandated Fourth Grade Physicals which are due before entering fourth grade next fall. The exams should take place during the 3rd grade school year or over the summer prior to entering grade 4. You can submit the physicals at any time during the 3rd grade school year when completed, or mail to the school over the summer. Pre-School students are required to submit the most recent physical exam. Remember to send a copy of your child's latest physical to the Health Office after each annual visit. When your child is ready for Kindergarten it will be a lot easier for you as the majority of the necessary forms will already be completed and turned it! Let's stay healthy!! This is described as: 1. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. 2.If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow and not your hands. 3. Throw your used tissue in the waste basket. 4. Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer if no soap/water is readily available. **Studies have shown that school absenteeism due to illness is reduced when children practice good hand washing.
Please teach and encourage your child to wash their hands frequently
and especially after coughing or sneezing, before and after meals, after
using the bathroom, and after playing outside. Public Health Advisory on Sports-Related Head InjuriesMassachusetts Department of Public Health- new law on sports related head injuries from August, 2010Click to read the advisory and information related to traumatic brain injuries: MDPH Advisory New law on sports related head injuries Information about Free online courses required for parents or legal guardians of children who participate in any extracurricular athletic activity. Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts link to information and video for "Play Smart: Understanding Sports Concussion! CDC's head injury fact sheet for parents CDC's head injury fact sheet for athletes CDC's parent and athlete quiz CDC's website link for concussion and traumatic brain injury Back to Top
Here are several informative websites and
sources. We hope they provide some guidance for you and your family
during this flu season: |
