O So Good News - May
May 7, 2021
Principally Speaking...
Happy Spring, we are so excited to be celebrating so many different people this month. Educators, nurses, cafeteria workers and of course all the special women in our lives.
The time is flying and we can't believe that we are already having conversations about end of the year activities and placement for next year.
In accordance with social distancing guidelines and recommendations we are planning events for the students to celebrate the spring and the end of the school year. These events will be for the students, unfortunately, the events will need to be student based without parent volunteers. Information about these events will be forth coming.
Remember: May 14th - Early Release 1:20
May 27th - Early Release 1:20
Sincerely Yours,
Lisa M. Farrell
Happy Staff Appreciation Week
First graders during science lesson - we love learning about the moon
Math Madness! Magical Lily Pad game in action
Nurse's Corner
From Nurse Gildea and Nurse Crough
Warm weather and sunshine make us think of the days of summer. We would like to take this time to remind parents that proper shoes are very important to students at Joseph Osgood School. During a typical day, children will be on the playground running and climbing, walking up and down stairs and participating in gym class. Flip flops and some sandals are not a safe or effective shoe for them to be wearing during these activities. Cuts, abrasions and injury can happen when your child’s foot is not protected during these activities. Please send your child to school in properly fitted shoes or sneakers to help provide them with a fun and safe environment in which to play and learn.
A couple other things of note this time of year:
Seasonal allergies, sometimes called "hay fever" or seasonal allergic rhinitis, are allergy symptoms that happen during certain times of the year, usually when outdoor molds release their spores, and trees, grasses, and weeds release tiny pollen particles into the air to fertilize other plants.
If your child develops a "cold" at the same time every year, seasonal allergies might be to blame. Allergy symptoms, which usually come on suddenly and last as long as a person is exposed to the allergen, can include: sneezing, itchy nose and/or throat, nasal congestion, clear, runny nose and coughing.
These symptoms often come with itchy, watery, and/or red eyes. Kids who have wheezing and shortness of breath in addition to these symptoms might have allergies that trigger asthma.
If reducing exposure isn't possible or is ineffective, medicines can help ease allergy symptoms. These may include decongestants, antihistamines, and nasal spray steroids. If symptoms can't be managed with medicines, your doctor may recommend taking your child to an allergist or immunologist for evaluation for allergy shots (immunotherapy), which can help desensitize kids to specific allergens.
If your child has a pollen allergy, keep the windows closed when pollen season is at its peak, have your child take a bath or shower and change clothes after being outdoors, and don't let him or her mow the lawn.
And lastly, the dreaded tick-
Most tick bites are harmless and don't need medical treatment. But some ticks (like the deer tick, wood tick, and others) can carry harmful germs that cause diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. The deer tick is tiny, no larger than a pencil point. Other ticks are larger and easier to find on the skin.
After kids play outside, check their skin and hair -- especially the scalp, behind the ears, around the neck, and under the arms. When playing in wooded areas, kids should wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and tuck pant legs into their socks. Use an insect repellent with at least 10% to 30% DEET for protection against bites and stings in kids older than 2 years, always carefully following the directions for application.
Call your health provider if--
The tick might have been on the skin for more than 24 hours, part of the tick remains in the skin after attempted removal, a rash of any kind develops (especially a red-ringed bull's-eye rash or red dots on wrists and ankles), the bite area looks infected (increasing warmth, swelling, pain, or oozing pus).
Symptoms like fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck or back, or muscle or joint aches develop.
More helpful information on removing a tick and when to seek medical care can be found at https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/tick-bites-sheet.html
Stay safe and enjoy Spring!
-The Osgood Nurses