News

Winter is just around the corner, and the colder months bring both the joy of the season and a few health and safety challenges. As your school nurse, I wanted to share some friendly reminders to help keep our students safe, healthy, and ready to learn this winter.

1. Dressing for the Weather

Children are often outside for recess, waiting for buses, or participating in outdoor school activities. It is important they are dressed appropriately to keep warm.

Please ensure your child comes to school each day with the following items as the weather requires:

• Warm coat or jacket
• Hat that covers the ears
• Gloves or mittens
• Weather-appropriate footwear (e.g., boots for snow/ice)
• Scarf or neck covering

Tip: Putting an extra pair of gloves/mittens and socks in their backpack can be a lifesaver if one pair gets wet! If you need assistance with winter clothing, please contact me and I can connect you with resources.

2. Staying Healthy and Preventing Illness

The winter season is also the peak for colds, flu, and other illnesses. We can work together as a school community to prevent the spread of germs.

• Handwashing: Reinforce the importance of frequent handwashing with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cough/Sneeze Etiquette: Teach children to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their bent elbow, not their hands.
• Hydration and Nutrition: Encourage plenty of water, healthy meals, and adequate sleep (at least 8 hours per night) to boost immunity.
• Chapped Lis are also a problem so please send lip balm or vaseline in their back pack for them

3. When to Keep Your Child Home

The most important prevention measure is keeping sick children home. A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and will likely spread their illness to others.

Please keep your child home if they have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever: Temperature of 100°F or higher. Your child must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication (like Tylenol or Motrin) before returning to school.
• Vomiting or Diarrhea: Children should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning.

If your child becomes ill at school, we will call you to pick them up immediately. Please ensure your contact information on file with the school office is current.

By working together, we can ensure a healthy and productive winter for all our students. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at 630-736-4243 [email protected].