January 2012

Happy 2012!!!!! Our Clinton School Resolution is to continue our C.A.T.C.H. initiative to eat healthy and stay active. During these winter months it might be hard to “get outside and play” sometimes, but there are fun ways to be active inside as well: put the music on and do some fun family dancing, have a family aerobics class, take turns leading the class, play follow the leader through the house… be creative and have fun.

Winter is also time when we start to see an increase in student illness. Just a few reminders:

• If your child is not feeling well or has vomited in the morning, please keep him/ her home.
• Your child must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. If I send your child home with a fever they may not return until they are fever-free for 24 hours.
• All medications, even over-the-counter medications, must have a medication permission slip signed by both you and your child’s doctor. You can find this permission slip on the district web site.
• Dress your child appropriately for the weather. We go outside as much as possible for recess, because fresh air and activity are so important for good health.
• Finally, sometimes the heat in the building varies, so dress your child in layers so that if they feel too warm they can take off a sweatshirt or sweater and have a cooler shirt underneath.

As always please feel free to stop in or call me with any questions or concerns. Here’s to a fantastic 2012!!!

Your Nurse,
Joann Harrigan

March 2011
March is Nutrition Month. How many times have we all heard that ―breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Research
actually supports this notion. Breakfast provides the nutrients and energy needed to concentrate in school. Students who eat
breakfast get better grades, pay more attention in class, and even behave better. So how do we fit time in for breakfast?
* Set the alarm 10-15 minutes earlier
* Decide what to have for breakfast the night before
* Make it healthy and kid friendly

Here are a couple of fun breakfast and snack ideas:
Egg in a basket: Coat a frying pan with non-fat cooking spray, make a hole in a piece of whole wheat bread, put the bread in the pan and crack an egg into the hole. Cook two minutes, flip, and cook until the egg is set and slightly browned.
Smoothie time: Take 4 strawberries, 1 banana, 1 container of low-fat vanilla yogurt, 1 cup of orange juice and blend with a few ice cubes. Enjoy!

It’s also important to make dinnertime family time. Here are some ways to enjoy meal time together:
* Talk about the events of the day or weekend plans
* Have each person share one interesting thing that he/she learned
* Play a name game
Spending relaxing time together during meals will help to build
healthy nutrition habits.

Important Dates
March 20-26 is National Poison Prevention Week. Use this time to talk about household safety. Make sure all household chemicals and cleaners are properly and safely stored.
On Saturday, March 26th, St. Barnabas Hospital is holding a “Playing it Safe” program. They are offering free cardiac screening for young athletes ages 6 to 18, and free concussion screening for young athletes ages 12 and older. Appointments are necessary, so please call 1-888-724-7123, prompt 4.

Stay healthy and here’s looking forward to spring!

Your Nurse,
Joann Harrigan

March 30, 2010

“The New Thing”………very disturbing

After seeing the burn marks on two of our fifth graders arms, and learning how they got there I felt the need to share this information.
The students each had a burn mark on their forearms.
I was told they were Ice and Salt Burns.
The students told me that this is “the new thing”.
Salt is poured on to the skin,
an ice cube is then placed over the salt and held there until it melts.
The challenge is to see how long you can withstand the burning feeling this causes.
A burn is made on the skin.
This is very scary.
As I researched, I found that some children have actually caused third degree burns.
This of course can lead to serious infections.
You can Google Ice and Salt Burns for graphic and disturbing images and videos.
Please share this information so we can educate our children and keep them safe.

Joann Harrigan
Clinton School Nurse
973-378-7686 ext.5003

March 25, 2010

We have had several cases of head lice in our school. Please view the slides on head lice for some useful, itchy information.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day will be on Saturday, April 17th. Spider- Man will be there. They are inviting families to take the “Put Play in Your Day- Family Challenge” visit there website, smountainymca.org

As the warm weather teases us, spring allergies are in full bloom. Many students are visiting me with itchy eyes and rumnny noses. If your child suffers from these seasonal allergies, please be sure to give them their allergy medicine as needed. Please remember that I can not administer any medication (including over the counter meds) without a written note from both you and your child’s physician. Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns.

Joann Harrigan
Clinton School Nurse
973-378-7686 ext.5003

February 12, 2010

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. This is a great time to encourage dental hygiene for your children.

There are many fun ways to encourage your child to brush his/her teeth.
-Make a fun chart, put a star for each time your child brushes, at least once in the morning and once in the evening.
-Sing fun songs while brushing, try the alphabet backwards or Happy Birthday backwards or make up a silly song of your own.
-Make it a family affair– brush teeth together
Good oral hygiene is so important for our overall health. Germs and bacteria left in the mouth can lead to tooth decay and other illnesses. A healthy diet low in sugar, consistent brushing and flossing, and regular denatl visits are crucial.

Some fun and interesting facts:
-Children smile and laugh about 400 times per day, grown ups just 15; kids have the right idea.
-Each person’s set of teeth is unique, much like their fingerprints.
Right-handed people tend to chew on the right side of their mouth, while left-handed people tend to chew on the left.
-Tooth decay remains the most common chronic disease among children age 5-17.
-Always keep a distance of 6 feet from the toilet and where you brush your teeth and store your tooth brushes, germs from a flushed toilet can travel up to 6 feet.
-Don’t brush too hard, vigorous brushing can lead to eroded tooth enamel.

Keep on brushing and keep those smiles bight. Let’s follow the children’s lead and smile and laugh more often.

Joann Harrigan
Clinton School Nurse

January 7, 2010

Happy New Year to everyone.
May 2010 be a happy and healthy year for all.

Clinton school remains healthy.
Keep up those great handwashing habits.
We have, however had several cases of head lice since we returned from our break.
I am asking that you check your child regularly for any signs of lice and please let me know so we can keep this to a minimum.
Below are some helplful tips.

-If your child complains of an itchy head, this is certainly a time to check for lice.

-Nits (lice eggs) are tiny and vary in color from yellowish to white.
They cement themselves to the hair shaft and will not flake off like dandruff does.

-Live, adult lice are reddish- brown and very difficult to see.

-Encourage your child not to share hats, combs, hair ties etc. as lice are easily spread from person to person by direct contact.

-Lice do not jump or fly.

-Lice cannot survive longer than 24 hours when not in contact with the human head.

The Parenting Center is planning an evening informational session on head lice in February.
Check back for specific date and time.

Joann Harrigan
Clinton School Nurse
973-378-7686 ext.5003

December 1, 2009

I received a reminder from the National Reye’s Syndrome Foundation today reminding parents not to give aspirin and aspirin containing products
to children with the flu.

For more information, please see their site.

November 24, 2009

We are starting to see a slight increase in the number of students with coughs and fevers. Again we are asking for your continued cooperation in keeping your child home when he/ she is not well. Please do not medicate a fever in the morning and send him/her in to school. Not only may others be exposed, your child is at greater risk for increased infection. Please remind your children to wash their hands and cover up those coughs and sneezes.

The weather is changing so please remember to dress your child apprpriately for the weather. It is time to break out the heavier jackets and hats. We love to go outside for some healthy fresh air at recess and we want everyone to be comfortable on those chilly days.

I am in the process of doing the required annual screenings.
I have just completed hearing screening for our students.
If I find a concern during any of these screenings I will contact you so you can follow up with your private physician.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Below are some tips for prevention and also some information about an upcoming Dental program. Have a safe and healthy holiday season.

PREVENTION TIPS:

“Give Kids A Smile” Program: On Friday, February 5, 2010 the New Jersey Dental School, in conjunction with the New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) and the American Dental Association (ADA), will be hosting their annual “Give Kids a Smile” program from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. During this one-day event, the New Jersey Dental School will provide free dental care for all children ages 12 and under who attend. For more information, please see the event website: http://www.njda.org/gkas/.

Additional information regarding this event can be directed to Dr. Debra Goldsmith, Department of Community Health at (973) 972-4710.

Important Update, 10/22

We are half
through October and thanks to great hand washing and covering up those coughs and sneezes, Clinton School has been healthy.
We are asking for your help to have this continue.
Please keep your child home if he/ she wakes up not feeling well or is sick during the night.
If your child has a fever during the night or in the morning, please do not administer Tylenol or Motrin/ Advil and send them to school.

It is much better to give your child a day of rest at home, than to send him/ her to school sick.
Not only may them make others sick, they may be more susceptible to other germs in the classroom.
Please note that if your child is home sick from school, he/ she may not participate in after school activities such as brownies, boy scouts, after school enrichment etc..
Our goal is to keep all of our students safe and healthy.
Thank you in advance for your cooperationin keeping our school healthy.

October 2009

It is hard to believe we are in to our second month of school.
Along with the changing of the leaves comes the fall allergy season.
Many of our students are affected by these allergies.
If your child has seasonal allergies, please let me know so I can provide the best care for them during the school day.
Remember that district policy does not allow medication to be given during the school day without written orders from the doctor.
This applies to over-the-counter medications as well.

We have had a healthy September.
Our students are doing a great job covering up those coughs and sneezes and washing their hands.
Please encourage them to continue these healthy habits.
We are
working closely with the Maplewood Health Department and the CDC to stay informed and prepared to deal with H1N1 and seasonal flu.
Our goal is to stay informed and keep you informed.
You can check out the CDC website for information and updates.
Also if you Google “handwashing videos”
there are some links to some very cute short videos with Elmo and other favorites.

My office is always open, please stop in or call me with any questions and concerns.

Check back for more updates from the nurse’s office.

Joann Harrigan
Clinton School Nurse
973-378-7686 ext.5003