Healthy News

Healthy News!

As the new school nurse, I am thrilled and feel honored to be a part of the Oak Haven community. I am looking forward to working with the Oak Haven faculty, staff, students, and families and am eager to get to know all of you!

I can be reached at Oak Haven from

10:30AM – 2:30 PM each day.

Please feel free to give me a call or stop in!

Click below for more info!

Breakfast is Served!

Cold and Flu Season!

Emergency Care Card

Children Need Their Sleep!

Winter Weather

Hand Sanitization

When to Keep Your Child Home Due to Respiratory Illness

Wellness Policy

News From the Health Office

Cold and Flu Season!

And once again we have entered the cold and flu season! Three simple ways to stop the spread of germs include:

Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
Clean hands often – The CDC recommends hand washing with soap and warm water for about 15 seconds. That’s about the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice!
Remind children to practice healthy habits.

Does my child have the flu?

The flu is serious! Call your pediatrician at the first sign of flu symptoms, which typically come on suddenly, including:

High fever
Chills
Head ache, body aches, ear ache
Nausea, vomiting
Dry cough

Prevention against the spread of the flu and other germs and viruses:

The main way illnesses like the flu and the common cold spread is by tiny droplets sprayed into the air when someone coughs or sneezes. Children should be taught to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue or your upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing. Throw away used tissues immediately.
Wash hands thoroughly and often. That means using soap and water and washing for 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when hand washing is not possible.
Every Oak Haven classroom has hand sanitizer dispensers in place for students to use every time they enter or exit the classroom!

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Hand Sanitization

R.I. Department of Health

and

R.I. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. It is best to wash your hands with soap and clean running water for 20 seconds. However, if soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based product to clean your hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on skin and are fast acting.

When washing hands with soap and water:

Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces, including the fingers.
Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend!
Rinse hands well under running water
Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet

Remember: If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based gel to clean hands.

When using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

Apply product to the palm of one hand
Rub hands together
Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.

When should you wash your hands?

Before preparing or eating food
After going to the bathroom
After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has gone to the bathroom
Before and after tending to someone who is sick
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After handling an animal or animal waste
After handling garbage
Before and after treating a cut or wound

In order to minimize the spread of infectious diseases among our schoolchildren, the HEALTH Director of the Commissioner of Education mandate that as soon as possible hand-sanitizing gel and appropriate dispensers be placed in every classroom and all other rooms in which students may congregate, such as libraries and lunchrooms, in all public and nonpublic schools in Rhode Island. Effective: January 8, 2007

David R. Gifford, M.D., MPH, Director Peter McWalters, Commissioner

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When to Keep Your Child Home Due to Respiratory Illness

R.I. Department of Health

and

R.I. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Mild illnesses are very common during the school year; however, there are very few illnesses that mandate exclusion from participation in school. The case of a contagious respiratory infection is one of these illnesses. In cases of respiratory infection, children should stay home from school or childcare until the fever is gone and they feel well enough to attend.

Children with respiratory illnesses should be excluded from school when:

1. The illness severity prevents the child from participating in school activities.

2. Fever [Temperature greater than 101 degrees orally], excessive sleepiness, difficulty breathing, persistent cough or other signs suggesting severe illness is present.

Given the recent identification of increased cases of respiratory illness, parents are urged to err on the side of caution when deciding to send their children to school when they are exhibiting signs of respiratory illness. If your child exhibits any of these symptoms at school, be prepared to have the school nurse contact you to take your child home. Parents should contact their own child’s physician if they have specific questions regarding which illness a child has, whether their child fits the criteria for school exclusion, and management of any underlying or complicating situations.

Sources: The Pediatric Group (Princeton, N.J.), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The American Academy of Pediatrics and the R.I. Department of Health

David R. Gifford, M.D., MPH, Director Peter McWalters, Commissioner

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Emergency Care Card

Our primary aim is to prevent accidents through close supervision and teaching safety in the school, however if an accident should occur, or if your child becomes ill at school, the parent or guardian will be notified. For this reason, I remind you, to make sure the emergency contact information in the school office is up-dated anytime there is a change!

1. This information on the green Emergency Care Card is vital and must be kept current. Keep your listing of phone numbers up-to-date throughout the year, i.e. home phone, work phone, cell phone, and the number of at least one person to call in an emergency when we are unable to contact either parent.

2. Be sure the individuals on the back of the card have access to transportation and live within a reasonable distance from the school. They may be contacted in an emergency and they are the only individuals to whom your child will be released during the day. Please make sure they know they will need to bring ID with them. We will check ID’s until we get to know everyone. Thanks for understanding this is for your child’s protection.

3. Court documentation must be provided annually when student release/visitation is not to be granted to a parent.

4. No medication, either prescription or over-the-counter, can be given without a doctor’s written order.

5. Up-to-date immunizations for incoming Kindergarten students and all newly registered students must be in by the first day of school.

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Children Need Their Sleep!

...And just a word about our students and sleep! The ideal amount of sleep for school-aged children is 9 to 12 hours per night. When children don't get enough sleep, they can't concentrate on their schoolwork, they have trouble remembering things, they can become irritable and fidgety, and they become more vulnerable to colds and flu.

Here are some important things you can do to ensure that your child gets enough sleep every night of the week, including weekends:

Make time. Don't allow their lives to get so full of sports, hobbies and other activities that they can't get everything done without shorting themselves on sleep.
Set a regular time for bed each night and stick to it. Saying "good night" at the same time each night will ensure a good night's sleep. The human body functions best on a regular timetable.
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. A warm bath, listening to soothing music or reading a book can help a child fall asleep.
Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that can affect sleep. It can be found in cola, chocolate, tea and some sports drinks.
Create a cozy sleep environment. Keep your child's room cool, quiet and dark (a night light is OK).

It's hard enough for children to get by with too little sleep for one or two nights, buts it’s even more difficult when sleep deprivation becomes a nightly habit. Remember, the more sleep your child gets, the more sleep you can get!

Winter Weather!

When winter weather arrives, children will need warm coats, hats, gloves, mittens, and boots to play outside.

All children will be going outside to play at recess when the temperature permits and warm clothing will be necessary. Staff on duty will make the decision if students have a shortened recess due to weather. Please see that your child is dressed appropriately for the changing weather conditions to play outdoors. This will include boots, hats, scarves, and mittens, when necessary. Students who remain inside must have a valid request from the doctor. Please do not send a note from home requesting your child to stay indoors. Generally if children are well enough to attend school, they are well enough to be able to go outside for recess.

Please let my office know if you need assistance in getting these clothing items for your child(ren). We are here to help!

Breakfast is Served!

In today’s fast paced life style there can be a tendency for us to eat little or no breakfast. Quite often, children seen mid-morning in the nurse’s office complaining of a stomach ache or headache, have not had breakfast. Even when rushed, a child can drink a glass of milk or juice and eat a slice of bread or some crackers. Sometimes breakfast is skipped because a child does not like standard breakfast foods. Please remember to stress to your child the importance of the breakfast meal and suggest some variation from the routine menu. Many of these can be prepared quickly for an “on the go” meal. Here are some variations from the routine which include fruit or fruit juice for sustained energy as well as needed vitamins.

Cereal with fruit and milk
Toasted cheese sandwich, orange juice
“Leftovers” from the night before
Peanut butter and banana sandwich, milk
Yogurt mixed with fruit, sprinkled with granola
Cheese, fruit, whole grain crackers
Mixed nuts, raisins, glass of milk
Egg salad sandwich, fruit juice

And don’t forget breakfast

is served every morning in the

Oak Haven cafeteria!

(Chartwells Breakfast: $1.25)

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Wellness Policy

The state Wellness Policy officially goes into effect January 2, 2007. RI and Coventry Public Schools has been working to make our school a healthier place for your child. Coventry and Oak Haven School have set goals for nutrition education and physical activity and has established nutritional guidelines for foods sold or served at school to promote a healthier school environment!

Parents are essential partners in the health and wellness of children and can support our new wellness policy in the following ways:

Parents are encouraged to follow nutrition guidelines when providing food for classroom parties and school events.
PTA is asked to support non-food fundraisers.
Students are encouraged to make nutritious food choices and parents can support that effort by providing healthy choices when packing snacks, drinks and bag lunches.
Students should wear clothes and shoes that are comfortable for physical activity.

The district Wellness Policy can be found on Coventry Public School's Website.

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