Welcome Back!

Welcome back! I'm so excited to start a new school year, and can't wait to see returning students as well as all our new Ospreys! It's a busy time of year for everyone with lots of new things happening and lots of things to remember.

Here is a summary of the top 5 things that are helpful to your school nurse during the school year:

1. Updated Contact Information  Please update your students online records with important phone numbers and contact information in case you need to be reached during the school day. It's helpful to teach your child your phone number. Have an emergency contact, or backup person who can get your child if you're not able to.

2. Share Medical Information Immunizations your child has received, changes to medications, or updates to your child's medical history. This all helps me better care for your child at school.

3. Get Important Paperwork If your child takes medication at school, please remember I need a new physician order. This includes all prescription medications, inhalers, and Epi-Pens. I also need updated Asthma Action Plans and Allergy Emergency Action Plans for students with asthma or life-threatening allergies. These forms can be faxed from the MD to me at 264-5901.

4. Follow the 24 hour rule for illness Please keep your child home 24 hours after they've had a fever (100.5 or higher) without the use of fever reducing medication (Tylenol/Advil)  and 24 hours after vomiting or diarrhea occurs. This is important to help reduce the spread of illness to other children and adults at school. Also, please let me know if your child is diagnosed with a communicable illness, such as strep throat or the flu. This helps me track illnesses in school and keep others healthy.

5. Send extra clothes! If you have a child who is very busy on the playground or seems to be a magnet for mud puddles, please send them with extra clothes in their backpack including socks and underwear. I have very limited clothes available in the health office and don't like to send muddy kids back to class!

Feel free to contact me with any question, updates, or concerns for the school year! I can be reached via email at Josie.Lang@colchestersd.org or by phone at 264-5904. Here's to a healthy school year!

Best,
Josie Lang, RN