Try Something New!

Blogging is a way for me to get information out to a vast audience (both parents and students). Give me some input and let me know if you read my posts.

Let's see how many students at Harrison are interested in being Healthy. Tell your friends to post their name as a comment on the Clinic Blog so we can see how many readers we can get!

I'll give a prize to one random poster next Friday November 12^th…leave your name as a comment and any input you have. You all are Rock Stars!

Reminders!

*Flu Shots are the 2nd best way to prevent infection. The first? HANDWASHING!!!

*Adventure Camp parent meeting coming up Nov 11th.  If you have a child that may need medication during camp please come to this meeting!  Contact Nurse Stephanie with any questions. 

*5th grade screeing is continuing...bring your glasses to school! 

*If you were well enough to start the day at school, you should finish the day at school! 
Wylie procedures are to send kids home with fever over 100.0 degrees or vomiting more than once.   And yes, this needs to be witnessed! 
Nurse Stephanie will gladly let you rest a few minutes in the clinic if needed, but being in class is the best way to ensure academic success!   Be responsible for your health and know when you need to come to the clinic. 

Screening

5th grade students & parents

I am starting hearing, vision, height and weight screenings during PE classes. 

This information will be used to evaluate ablilty to see and hear in the classroom as well as provide information for our Fitnessgram program. 

Students that have glasses -Please BRING THEM to your screening.  :)

Clinic Visits

How many visits does the Harrison Clinic have in an average month?  You might be surprised at the volume of students that come in for various ailments and daily needs.  There can be as many as 35 to 40 kids that come in daily to receive some sort of help in the clinic! 
The most common complaint?  This month it was stomach aches with head aches and sore throats close behind.  Occasionally this complaint can be minimized by good planning and by taking care of ourselves.  Missing time in class can have an effect on grades and learning material that is needed for testing.
Eating breakfast is the number one way to prevent that growly morning stomach discomfort.  Getting enough rest and exercise are both important ways to take care of ourselves.  If you know you have a big test coming up and you're having some anxiousness,  learn some ways to help yourself relax.  Deep breathing, listening to music, yoga or stretching or journaling are some ideas that may help you! 

Quiz #3 Answer

The question was posted outside the clinic this week.  The question was...

Where would you find your patella?

The answer is...in your knee.  It's also called your knee cap!

Reflection

We've been through 5 weeks of school already! 
 I love watching our students walk through the hall, I've seen some great behavior and all our students are able to be ROCKSTARS! 
Some kids have to work a lot harder than others to get to be a Rockstar.  There are many students that struggle with behavior issues or disorders that may require them to learn how to be good citizens and work well as a team.  They may need reminders or modeling to show their true Rockstar behavior. 
 My son struggles with behavior issues and was diagnosed with autism and as a parent it's frustrating and somewhat disheartening to know that they struggle with things that most kids can do easily.  To see a child that struggles learn a new skill or master something that has challenged them is truly a privilege.  At school we get to see this transformation as our students learn and mature.  By staying positive and modeling and reinforcing high expectations we are seeing our most challenged students be successful and reaching their potential.  It's an amazing thing to see this year at Harrison and all staff members are proud of our ROCKSTARS! 

Quiz #2 Answer

Bruxism is grinding your teeth!  It can be caused by stress or anxiety and can contribute to headaches, jaw pain, and muscle tension.  See your dentist for guards that can help protect your teeth and be sure to practice good stress relief techniques.  Nurse Stephanie has lots of ideas for stress relief activities to keep these and other symptoms to a minimum! 

Quiz of the Week #2

Here's the weekly quiz posted outside the clinic:

Does Bruxism keep you awake at night?  Do you know what it is?

Hint:  Maybe you should ask your dentist about it

I'll give the answer on Monday!

Emergency Planning

The recent weather is a great reminder for all families to have an emergency/disaster plan in place.  We all know we should have an emergency kit, but have you taken the time to gather everything and put it in an accessable location?  Are the batteries good?  Have expiration dates been checked?

This can be a simple twice a year check for most households.  Verifing everything when daylight savings time begins and ends each year will ensure you have what you need and it is up to date. 

How do you know what to pack in an emergency kit?  The best resource by far for this information and to
even purchase a premade kit is from the American Red Cross.  At http://www.redcross.org/ you can access a check list of supplies, find out how to make an emergency plan and know what is needed on an emergency contact card.  If you need a checklist or just have any questions about emergency preparedness you can always ask your school nurse! 

Stop Bullying Now

Here's some great info for both kids and parents about bullying.
Check out http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/ for kid friendly advice
and talk with you child about bullying and how to prevent and stop it!

Quiz of the Week #1

I try to give students a health quiz weekly to encourage health awareness and get them involved in clinic happenings.  This week I'm posting a quiz to all blog readers. 

Who am I?

I help students learn and I educate, but I'm not a teacher.
I listen to problems and help work out a solution, but I'm not a counselor.
I'm a first responder to emergencies, but I'm not a fireman or EMT.
I ensure all records are up to date, but I'm not a secretary.
I sometimes give out medications, but I'm not a pharmacist.
I help students with medical needs, like diabetes and cerebral palsy, but I'm not a doctor.
I encourage kids to do their best, but I'm not a cheerleader.
I help kids transition between hospital and school and I help kids get insurance, but I'm not a social worker.
I test hearing and vision to help students succeed in the classroom, I am a mentor, a hand holder, a mom away from home.  I comfort, I ask questions, I listen.  Do you know who I am?

If you haven't guessed, I'm a SCHOOL NURSE!  Many people do not understand the work that I do, some will not even see me more than a few times throughout the school year.  I am here to help students, parents and staff.  I will be here to assist students to do the best they can in school.  It's a lot of roles to fill and I feel very honored to be the nurse here at Harrison.  Parents, we are very lucky to live in Wylie where there is a school nurse at each campus.  You have a health care resource that many families don't have access to.  Stop by and say hello or feel free to ask your school nurse questions.  You will be glad they are there when you need them!   

Medications

I just wanted to add some reminders/tips for parents who have kids that take medication at school.

*  Parents or responsible adult need to bring ALL MEDICATIONS to office or clinic. 
*  Always send medication in prescription labeled bottle or original container.
*  Fill out Medication Administration Request form on Wylie ISD website or pick one up @ school.
*  Only medications that the student needs DURING SCHOOL HOURS will be given.  If medications can be taken before or after school that is our preference and policy. 
*  If an "as needed" medication is taken more than 5 times during the year a physicians signature may be required.
*  No medications containing aspirin will be given to children under 12 per Wylie ISD policy. 
*  Always ask your friendly School Nurse if you have any questions! 

Harrison Clinic News and Info

Hello Harrison students, family and staff!  I'm excited to get information out to everyone, hopefully you will find it useful and will answer questions you may have about procedures here at Harrison.  My name is Nurse Stephanie and I am starting my second school year at the Harrison clinic.  

As the school year progresses I hope to update you on current topics, fun things happening at our school and Wylie health events.   With  the beginning of school fast approaching most people would like to know how to contact me.  I am available Monday through Friday 7:45 to 3:45 and my direct line with voice mail is 972-442-3308.  I will return messages as soon as possible.  Any questions you may have about health conditions, medications or immunizations here at school can be directed to me. 

Welcome to Harrison Health Happenings!