We want to make sure you know that we are doing all that we can to ensure the health and safety of everyone at Makaha Elementary. We are here to support you and your family as we navigate through the school year, so please reach out to us if needed. Our contact information is below, and we are available through phone, text, and email.

We are hoping this newsletter will be a good tool for you, with some valuable information and resources for things like rent assistance, health questions, and food distribution.

Be sure to check back often because this newsletter will be updated once or twice a week (minimum) while the pandemic is here.

We have lots of new information to share below, including information on Flu shots and and exciting new program Kinsa FLUency School Program!

We will be monitoring the Covid-19 situation carefully and follow all guidelines set by our district and State Health Department. The intent of this newsletter is to share information from credible sources, and to offer some helpful tips as we manage ourselves and our families during the stay-at-home order. As you explore the information below, note that along with infographics and videos, there are clickable buttons and links that will take you to websites containing further information.

Can you also do us a favor and let others know about our newsletter? Mahalo!

Families who signed up for a Free Kinsa thermometer can visit our drive-through pick up location outside of the Kindergarten building. You must have received a confirmation email from Kinsa regarding your order or you will not receive a thermometer.

Please call the health room if you are not sure about your order/registration going through, or if you need help completing the process: (808) 307-7423.

Free Grab-and-Go school meals are now available at 203 public schools through December 18. Children ages 18 and younger can receive free meals regardless of if they are enrolled at the distribution site, are public school students, or eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program. Meals at other schools will be distributed on normal serving schedules and pricing rates.

Meal distribution will be at lunchtime only. Only one meal pick-up will be allowed per child per day at these locations. Pick-ups will include one lunch for that day and one breakfast for the following day. Please contact your school for meal serving times.

Pick-ups will be available Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and designated school breaks, at drive-thru lines at the campuses listed below and walk-up lines where possible. Dine-in options will not be offered.

Families have the option to visit their nearest participating school to ensure that sites can prepare the appropriate number of meals consistently each day to prevent shortages or waste.

Meals may be picked up without children present but parents and guardians must provide one of the following verification documents:

• Official letter or email from school listing child(ren) enrolled
• Recent student report card(s)
• Attendance record(s) from parent portals of school websites
• Birth certificate(s) of child(ren)
• Student ID card(s)
• Driver’s permit(s)/license(s) for high school students
• State-issued ID of the student

For prescribed meal modifications, send an email to specialdiets@k12.hi.us or call (808) 784-5500.

From October 1, 2019 to April 4, 2020, there were between 410,000 and 740,000 flu hospitalizations and between 24,000 and 62,000 flu deaths in the U.S. Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea; similar to symptoms seen with COVID-19.

Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths on the health care system. Getting your flu shot also helps to conserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19.

If you think you have the flu, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Parents, please help to keep our school and community safe from the spread of COVID19. We ask for your kokua in screening your child(ren) every morning before school.

If your child has any of the following symptoms or displays ANY type of illness, please keep them home.

IF your child presents with symptoms of illness in school, you will be contacted and arrangements must be made for your child to be picked up within ONE HOUR.

**Be sure the school has updated contact information (current and working telephone numbers) and have multiple emergency contacts on file in the health room to help facilitate release from campus**

Mahalo for partnering with us

Click the button below to read the article above, containing information on what temperature is considered a fever, when to call your doctor, and how to use various types of thermometers properly.

Students and families can call the hotline from anywhere. The nurse will provide a basic triage assessment over the phone regarding the caller's health concern or question about their child. The caller may receive basic health advice or information and, with parental consent, may be scheduled for a telehealth visit with an HK nurse practitioner. Families may also request to make an appointment with a specific HK nurse practitioner. Students will be referred to the appropriate medical and/or mental health care and can connect with other service providers such as HIDOE support staff such as counselors, social workers, and behavioral health specialists.

HIDOE students' information will be kept in the Health Office Anywhere (HOA) which is HIDOE's school-based electronic health record. HOA keeps a record of visits to the health room and is HIPPA and FERPA compliant. Additionally, the HK nurses document telephone visits and telehealth visits in a medical record system known as Epic. Epic allows the nurse practitioners to communicate with your child's regular doctor.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is a medical visit through videoconferencing or sometimes just a phone call with the healthcare provider in a different location from the patient. You may be familiar with videoconferencing with your family or friends through various apps.

Whether you can do a telehealth medical visit by telephone depends on the type of service you need and sometimes on the health insurance that you have.

Accurate advice and information is critical for community resilience. This page has links to trusted sites that are continually updated:

One Oahu

Below you can see some of the information available on this site:

Connect with an Information and Referral Specialist by phone, text, chat, or email.

Click here if you want to be taken to the website

7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week, or search their database online 24/7.

The ʻOhana Help Desk will provide self-service and chat support for families experiencing issues connecting to HIDOE systems remotely from home. It will be able to assist with connectivity-related issues, access and security issues, device support and general IT support.

Help is available (through multiple languages) by phone at 643-DESK (3375) Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m. The help desk will be closed on state holidays. Online help and information is available 24/7.

Due to Covid19 safety concerns and limited space in the health room, this year we will not be able to provide extra clothing to students, for whatever reason. If you feel your child needs a change of clothing in school please speak to his/her teacher to see if a spare set can be kept in the classroom. Mahalo for your understanding.

Beginning Fall 2020, additional immunizations will be required for all students entering childcare or preschool, kindergarten, 7th grade and post-secondary school, and for students entering school in Hawai'i for the first time. See the requirements here:

New vaccination and health requirements

Hawaii Keiki nurses like myself work in the health room with the School Health Assistant (SHA) in supporting your child's health and education. When your child is sick at school I can treat your child and decide if your child needs to go home or can stay at school. I can: care for your child's allergies, asthma, and other medical conditions, give your child medication when needed, and offer advice about health topics.

The care your child receives doesn't replace the care your child gets from the doctor or clinic. Also, even though you've signed the consent form, we won't treat or give medications to your child without talking to a parent or guardian first.

There is no cost to you, and before a Hawaii Keiki RN can care for your child, we need your permission. You may review the consent form through the link below, fill it out, and return it to your child's school.

Hawaii Keiki Consent Form

Emergency Action Plan (EAP): If your child has a serious medical condition such as Asthma, Severe Allergy (requiring the use of Epinephrine injection), Diabetes, or Convulsions or Seizures, please consider having and Emergency Action Plan in place, so that school staff may understand how to assist your child, should a medical emergency occur while at school.

If your child needs and EAP or you would like to renew your current plan for the 20-21 SY, please email me at dmersberg@ucera.org. You can also text or leave a message for me at (808)439-1307. Please contact me if you have any questions or just want to learn more about EAP.