SPS RN TEAM NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2020
Here's to a year of great adventures!
Hello Stoughton!
I hope this newsletter finds you & your family well during this extraordinary year. The start of this school year is unlike any other, but the SPS RN Team has taken the sage advice from Dr. Marcus and we are stepping into this school year with excitement for a year of great adventures. We are so excited to see our wonderful staff and students again and are ready to support this community in a safe and healthy return to school. As expected, there are a number of new updates and requirements related to student health and safety that you will find here. Please reach out to your school nurse with any school health related concerns.
With gratitude,
Danielle Gallan, MSN-PH, RN
When to Stay Home
In order to ensure the safest return to school we will need to work together to keep each other healthy and well.
Please keep your child home if they are not feeling well. Contact your school nurse to report the illness. If your child stays home for other reasons please make sure to report the absence to the school office. Based on your child's symptoms, the school nurse may require a note from your child's physician clearing them to return to school.
Below is the full list of symptoms for which children and staff should stay home and consult their primary care physician.
❏ Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
❏ Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
❏ Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
❏ New loss of taste or smell
❏ Sore throat
❏ Headache when in combination with other symptoms
❏ Muscle aches or body aches (not due to other known cause like exercise)
❏ Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
❏ Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
❏ Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms
Mask Requirements
Masks are among the most important single measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. We require students, from kindergarten and above and all staff to wear face masks that adequately cover both their nose and mouth. Gators and bandanas are not considered suitable replacements for face masks. Our preschool students are strongly encouraged to wear masks. Masks are required for all students and staff to enter any school building. Exceptions will be made for students with medical challenges who are unable to wear masks/face coverings. These exemptions must be documented by a licensed professional and submitted to the school nurse. While not a substitute for a mask, the use of face shields will be discussed with the family of students who are medically exempt from wearing a mask. If a student who does not have a medically documented exemption refuses to wear a mask, the student will be sent to the office and an administrator will work with the student to provide a mask break and help them feel comfortable wearing the mask. Even if students are spaced six feet apart in classrooms, the use of masks is still required unless students are eating lunch or taking a mask break.
COVID Testing Sites
Visit mass.gov/covid-19-testing to find a testing site near you. Under test site locator, enter the zip code, for example, 02072, for Stoughton. Twenty testing sites are in the 02072 area. Under the testing site name, the following information can be found: the address, hours of operation, if the site accepts MassHealth, tests children, minimum age, if it has drive-thru services, if an appointment is required, if you need to call first, if it has free testing for uninsured, if testing is available for non-residents, and if there is a charge for non-resident testing. A link to the testing site’s website is available, as well.
SPS RN Team
Danielle Gallan, MSN-PH, RN, Supervisor of Health Services~ 781-344-4000 ext 51264
Suzanne Barrett, BSN, RN, NCSN Stoughton High School~ 781-344-7001 ext 2131
s_barrett@stoughtonschools.org
Donna Kaplan, MEd, BSN, RN, South Elementary School~ 781-344-7004 ext 2
Sue McDonnell, BSN, RN, NCSN, O’Donnell Middle School~ 781-344-7002 ext 6161
s_mcdonnell@stoughtonschools.org
Sheray Williams, BSN, RN, Gibbons Elementary School~ 781-344-7008 ext 2
s_williams@stoughtonschools.org
Jennifer Slade, BSN, RN, Dawe Elementary School~ 781-344-7007 ext 2
Emilie Driscoll, BSN, RN, Wilkins Elementary School~ 781-344-7005 ext 2
e_driscoll@stoughtonschools.org
Theresa Staulo, BSN, RN, Hansen Elementary School~ 781-344-7006 ext 2
Noelia Woodward, BSN, RN, Jones Early Childhood Center~ 781-344-7003 ext 3
FAREWELLS and WELCOMES
In turn, we are fortunate to gain two outstanding additions to our RN Team. We are thrilled to welcome Emilie Driscoll to the Wilkins clinic and Sheray Williams to the Gibbons clinic.
Physical Exams
Per the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, an in-person physical exam within one year before the start of school is required for any new students entering SPS. Students seeking to participate in athletics should have documentation of an in-person physical exam conducted annually prior to their participation in competitive athletics.
Please submit updated physical exams to your respective School Nurse for students entering 4th, 7th or 10th grades. At this time, telemedicine visits are acceptable for these students if the last physical exam on file is not older than four years. Otherwise, an in-person physical exam is required for students entering these grades.
Medication (or special health care need) in School
If your child requires medication to be administered routinely or as needed during the school day, or has a special health care need, please contact your School Nurse to
schedule a time to formalize a care plan, transfer the medicine safely and provide all necessary paperwork. Parent and prescriber permission forms are available on the SPS website: https://www.stoughtonschools.org/district/health-services/pages/medication-schools.
Influenza Vaccine
Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, per the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the influenza vaccine or an exemption will be required for all students by December 31, 2020.
Any questions or concerns on the influenza vaccine should be directed to your school nurse.