Cheetah Pride Press
January 17, 2025
Nurse Notes
We have lots of illnesses going around Memorial school right now! Here are some guidelines that are helpful for families:
Please let us know if your child is diagnosed with any illness or injury (such as strep, flu, pink eye, fracture/broken bone, lice, pneumonia, covid, etc.) as the nurse office tracks illnesses and sends notification letters home if there are 2 or more cases in a specific classroom. Please be specific with any of the symptoms your child is experiencing.
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
Mild headache and/or stomachache
Fatigue
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
Fever (100.4 degrees or higher. May only return to school after 24 hours of no fever WITHOUT fever reducing medications)
Vomiting (Even once. Must wait 24 hours after last vomit episode to return to school)
Diarrhea (may return to school after 24 hours since last episode)
Chills
General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness, and/or muscle aches
Frequent congested, wet, or croupy cough
Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
Please remind your child(ren) about good hygiene habits:
Wash hands frequently
Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing/coughing and then wash hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring them to school. Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on returning to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom. Please send in a copy of the doctor’s clearance, as needed. Thank you in advance for helping to make this year at school as healthy as possible.
Medications
Every medication that is brought into school requires a “Medication Authorization” form to be signed by the student’s doctor and parent/guardian and the medication in original packaging with prescription label is to be brought in by a parent/guardian, not in the child’s backpack. No child may carry their own medications at the Elementary level. Please use a large ziplock bag for the medication plus the medication order, and label the bag with your child’s name before dropping off. Any controlled medications will need to be counted and signed off with the RN and parent so please allow for a few extra minutes at drop off.
Please note: COUGH DROPS count as medications and are not allowed in school. All over-the-counter medications also need a medication order from your provider.
Food
We have several students with severe food allergies, therefore we highly recommend non food items to share for birthday celebrations. We ask for at least 48 hours advance notice. A great resource for allergy free snacks is the Safe Snack guide at https://snacksafely.com/safe-snack-guide/. We appreciate your assistance in keeping our school safe.
Health Concerns
If your child has a new health concern which you would like to speak to the nurse about e-mail kwilliams@easthamptonct.org and mlemire@easthamptonct.org at any time.
If you have any specific concerns that arise during the school year (such as stitches, concussions, broken bones/fractures, etc) it is best that you send in a doctor’s note with dates, guidelines and restrictions, so we can all be on the same page and keep your child safe.
Respectfully,
Katie Williams, RN
and Ms. Michelle Lemire
kwilliams@easthamptonct.org, mlemire@easthamptonct.org
Your Health Office Team
Memorial Elementary
Phone 860-365-4020
Fax 860-365-4024
Students, parents, and community members have access to an anonymous tip line on the front page of the school district website to report self-concerns, mental health concerns of a friend, or concerns of violence. Simply click here or view on the website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/.
Memorial Elementary School Contact Information
Email: jbauer@easthamptonct.org
Website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/o/memorial-school
Location: 20 Smith Street, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: 860-365-4020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ehmemorialschool