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.  ILLNESS UPDATE 1/31/19: FLU - Weekly CDC reports indicate that flu is now widespread throughout much of the United States, including Massachusetts. Local pediatricians have reported increased cases of flu and flu-like illness, and this week at Franklin we have had cases reported as well. The good news is that most students have received flu shots this year, so that has helped tremendously to keep the number and severity of cases way down compared to some past years. For more information on flu please see here. WINTER ILLNESS UPDATE 1/10/19: STREP THROAT - We have seen several cases of strep throat reported throughout the school since returning from Winter Break. If your child is complaining of a sore throat, has a fever and/or has vague complaints of headache or stomach ache, we suggest that the child see his/her primary health care provider. Please note that the "rapid" strep test performed in a doctor's office is not as accurate as the lab culture, and strep cannot be ruled out until the final culture result is received. **If you suspect your child may have strep EVEN THOUGH the rapid test is negative, please keep them at home until final results are available.** If they are diagnosed with strep, they will need to stay home until they have received a full 24 hours of antibiotics, have been fever-free (without taking fever-reducing medication) for 24 hours, and most importantly are well-rested and feeling well to complete a full day of school. Because strep is very contagious, I would appreciate your letting me know if your child is diagnosed with it so that I can track it throughout the different classrooms. Thank you for your cooperation! WINTER ILLNESS UPDATE: 12/18/18: As expected, we have seen an uptick in student absences related to illness this week, including several cases of strep throat and the stomach bug. If your child complains of a sore throat and has a fever but no runny nose or other cold symptoms, especially if accompanied by a stomach and/or headache, then they may have developed strep and should be seen by their pediatrician. Please note that many times the "rapid" strep test performed in the doctor's office or clinic may show a false negative result, and that the final result from a strep culture takes up to 48 hours to come back. The best indication of when your child is ready to return to school (regardless of what the rapid test shows) is whether they are fever-free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medication, eating and drinking normally, and are well-rested and ready to tolerate a full day back at school. Once again, HANDWASHING AND AVOIDING TOUCHING YOUR FACE are the single best ways to avoid getting sick. 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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