Healthy Tidbits from Nurse Kay
Health information for school and home. April 2024
Important Notes
Kindergarten and Pre-K Enrollment
Kinder and Pre-K round-up is coming on April 18th! Please make sure to check in with me when there to make sure you have all necessary forms for the health office. Vaccination requirements for Pre-K and Kindergarten students are linked here on the Kansas Department of Health's webpage.
Can't wait to see all of our new TRAILBLAZERS!
7th Grade Immunizations
If your current 6th grade student is missing the required Tdap, Meningococcal, and/or Hep A, you would have received an email from the nurse through skyward at the end of February. If you haven't already, please send in your student's updated immunization records.
If this mandated Kansas requirement is not met by 1st day of 7th grade, your child will be excluded from school until completion of the requirement.
How to use Skyward for Health Updates
Did you know?
Warmer Weather
SMELLY SMELLS ALL AROUND
Warm weather is here and so is body odor! Please encourage good hygiene at home with your children. Showering, brushing teeth, clean clothes, deodorant (if needed), and clean shoes. I have spray deodorant in my office for the times your child forgets or needs a refresher during the day.
Bike safety
Bike Helmets for Kids: Parent FAQs
Helmet safety tips
- Adopt the simple saying, “Use your head, wear a helmet.” Children should always wear a helmet for all wheeled-sports activities.
- When skateboarding or long boarding, your child should wear a skateboarding helmet.
- Parents also should wear a helmet for every ride. Children learn from watching you so model proper behavior.
- When it is time to purchase a new helmet, let you children pick out their own; they will be more likely to wear them for every ride.
- Helmets should sit comfortably on the head all the way around, sitting level and stable enough to stay in place during violent shakes or hard blows.
- Rest the helmet level on the head, not tilted.
- Make sure the straps of the helmet form a “V” under the ears when buckled.
- Have the strap underneath the chin fit comfortably snug.
- Secure the helmet to the point that twisting and tugging cannot remove it.
- Always replace a helmet after a crash. Damages may not be visible, but the foam can lose its integrity.
Water is VITAL!
We need water every day to stay healthy and at our best. Please send your child with a water bottle every day to school and wash it in the dishwasher regularly to keep it clean. Students should ONLY have water in their water bottles as well. No juice, soda, or other beverages.
If a student doesn't drink enough water, they can have issues in school such as stomach aches, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and toileting, among others (link).
Healthcare Resources
Healthcare Resources
Additionally, there are a number of other places that offer free or sliding-scale healthcare for all:
- Vibrant Health KC (formerly Turner House)
- Johnson County Health Department
Vaccine information here: https://www.jocogov.org/department/health/immunizations
Screenings
Dental, Hearing, and Vision Screens are completed for this school year and if your child did not pass, a referral form was sent home with your student. Please reach out to me with any questions.
*** If you have made an appointment or been seen by a provider following a referral, please let me know so that I may update that on your child's health record in Skyward. ***
All screenings can be seen on your child's skyward account.
SMSD Illness policy
This is always linked at the bottom of my newsletter, but here is a quick reminder.
Illness while at school
If a student becomes ill at school, they must come to the nurse. A parent/guardian must be contacted before students can leave the building. It is important to keep phone numbers updated so you may be reached in the event of an emergency.
To protect your student and prevent the spread of disease, please keep your student home when any of the following conditions are present:
- Temperature of 100 degrees or greater
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Severe sore throat or pain with swallowing
- Severe headache
- Severe cough
- Undiagnosed rash or skin lesions or sores that are weeping or draining
- Any suspected or doctor-diagnosed contagious disease
Students may return to school when they have been free from fever (without medication), vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours.
Students who are physician diagnosed with influenza must remain out of school for 5 days following the onset of symptoms.
- The new respiratory illness guidelines for Covid, RSV, and other general respiratory illnesses is as follows:
- Both must be true to return to school/work:
- Symptoms are getting better and no fever for 24 hours without aid of medication.
- Upon return to normal activities, take additional precautions over the next 5 days.
If in doubt about sending your child to school, contact the school nurse or your child's doctor.
Donations/ Needs
Nurse Office Needs
Supplies that the nurse's office can use.
- Peppermint lifesavers
- Children's chewable acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
- Underwear- Boys (Size 6,8) Girls (Size 12,14,16)
- 3oz paper cups
Nurse's Amazon wish list for BA. Click here.
Clothing Donations
Children clothing needs are:
- pants and shorts (all sizes). leggings/sweat pants/athletic pants preferred over jeans (but will also take jeans)
- Really Need All boy sizes of shorts/pants
- t-shirts (all sizes)
- Shoes (all sizes, closed toe preferred)
A little about me
My loves at home are my husband Ben, daughter Alaina, and my dog Lily.
I love hanging out with my little family. I also enjoy exploring KC, crafting, movies, and Husker/Chiefs football. Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday.
I am excited for another great school year and getting into the classrooms this year.
Links to SMSD district Health services pages are linked above.
Kay Dickey, BSN, RN
Email: kaydickey@smsd.org
Website: https://brokenarrow.smsd.org/
Location: 5901 Alden Street, Shawnee, KS, USA
Phone: 913-993-2302