Welcome to the Franklin School Health Office
 WELCOME TO SCHOOL YEAR 2018-19! I look forward to meeting new students and families, and working together to strive for a healthy and successful year for all! Please check this site often for news about illness trends, health tips and health education initiatives. ATTENTION FIFTH GRADE PARENTS - 12/5/18 : SCOLIOSIS SCREENING will be held on Tuesday, December 11th (Girls) and Wednesday, December 12th (Boys). Please see your child's backpack for more information. If you do not want your child to participate in this state mandated screening, you will need to provide physician documentation of the date and result of latest screening before these dates. VISION INFORMATION - 11/15/18: Vision problems are the fourth most common disability in the United States, and can have a profound effect on academic achievement in young children. Sometimes the only indication that a child is experiencing vision issues is in their behavior including signs of fatigue, poor attention and others. Most eye problems can be corrected if they are diagnosed and corrected early, which is why annual screenings are so important in the early childhood years. For more information on your child's vision needs please see here. OCTOBER 15th is GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY! Handwashing is the single best illness protection mechanism known to mankind. Please remind your whole family and make sure to reinforce this important health habit at home. FLU SEASON IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING! - 10/15/18: As the weather cools and students start to spend more time indoors, we start to see a dramatic increase in illness; including colds, flu, strep throat and the dreaded stomach bug. The CDC recommends that all children age 6 months or older as well as adults get flu shots, and vaccine is now readily available from your child's pediatrician or any of the local pharmacies in our area. North Andover will be conducting a Family Flu Clinic on Tuesday, October 30th at the North Andover High School Field House from 5-7 PM. For more information about flu please check here. ASTHMA ALERT - 10/3/18: Late September and early October is often considered the peak season for asthma flare-ups. If your child may need to use an inhaler at school, please remember to provide the nurse with a completed Asthma Action Plan or the North Andover Public Schools Consent for Medication Form. Inhalers should be brought to school in a prescription labelled box with a spacer if needed. For more information about asthma and fall allergies please see this article from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOOL SCREENINGS: Vision and hearing screening will soon be underway for all Franklin School students. In addition to vision and hearing, grade one and four students have growth screenings (height, weight and BMI) as well. If for any reason you would like to exclude your child from any of these screenings, please send a note to the school nurse. While we very often do pick up vision or hearing issues during the screenings, please understand that screenings are not the same as having a more thorough, diagnostic exam performed by an eye doctor or audiologist. If your child does not pass the school vision or hearing screening, you will be notified that your child needs to be referred to a specialist for further evaluation. It is important to make an appointment and return the referral form to the health office when completed so that we can keep your child's health record up to date and to make any additional recommended educational accommodations.
If you would like to obtain the results of your first or fourth grade child's growth screening (BMI), please feel free to contact the school nurse.
| Franklin School NurseElizabeth Marshall, BSN RN NCSN |
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