Health Office Happenings

Hello APS Families,

On behalf of the APS Elementary School Nurses, we are excited to share our FIRST monthly newsletter with you. Each month we will share health information, APS health office happenings, useful links, and other important information that you need to know.

It has been a spectacular Fall with lots of sunshine and warm days. The children have been enjoying lots of time outdoors. The students will get outside to play, as long as it is not too wet or too cold. Please remember as the days start to get colder, children should be dressed to be comfortable to be outside for 20 minutes. Jackets, hats, and gloves/mittens are recommended. If your family is in need of winter clothing, please reach out to their school nurse. We have lots of resources!

In good health,

Tha APS Elementary Nurse Team

Coughing, sneezing and fevers are making the rounds, as cold and flu season has started right on time. We have seen cases of strep, walking pneumonia, COVID-19, pertussis and other viral upper respiratory infections throughout the district.

The CDC has recently reported that a type of bacterial infection that can cause walking pneumonia, called Mycoplasma pneumoniae, has been increasing in prevalence in the past few months. “Walking pneumonia” is a general term for a mild case of pneumonia and can be caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. This illness can be especially tough for children and adults with a history of asthma or other respiratory conditions. Read more on the CDC website about this illness and what to watch for. While most people will recover without medication, some will develop pneumonia, so it is important to see a healthcare provider for persistent symptoms, like coughing, fever and fatigue.

The best ways to stay healthy include being vaccinated for Influenza, COVID-19, staying up to date with DTaP (Dipetheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis) vaccinations, washing your hands regularly, covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and stay home when sick.

There are times when a student should remain at home for their own welfare and the protection of other students. Your student should remain at home if they have:

• Uncontrollable and/or productive cough
• Fever over 100.4 degrees fahrenheit within past 24 hours
• Vomiting or diarrhea within past 24 hours
• Sore throat and swollen glands
• Undiagnosed rash or skin eruptions
• Earache, severe headache or drainage from eyes

Students should remain home for 24 hours after an acute illness or after starting antibiotics for a diagnosed infection.

They should also be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc).

These absences can be excused with a note from a student's health care provider.

Winter classroom celebrations will be held across the district over the next couple of weeks. As our classroom coordinators and room parents are beginning to plan these events, we would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that food should not be served, provided, or sent home from these events. Classroom celebrations should be focused on fun activities that all can participate in, like games, crafts (please, no hot glue guns for the kindergarteners, we know you understand), or make a gift for a person in need. Thank you in advance for your understanding and for helping to support ALL of the children in Arlington. For more information, please refer to the APS Nutrition and Wellness Policy.

All living things need water to survive. Along with milk, plain water is the best drink choice for kids. Why? It's super healthy with zero calories and no added sugar. It good for the body, keeps joints, bones and teeth healthy, helps the blood circulate and can help kids maintain a healthy weight into adulthood. Being well hydrated improves mood, memory and attention in children . And it's economical—tap water is much less expensive than sports drinks, sodas and juice.

How much water do children need?

To stay well hydrated, children ages 1-3 years old need about 4 cups of fluids per day, including water or milk. This increases for older kids to around 5 cups for 4- to 8-year-olds, and 7-8 cups for older children. It should be noted that these amounts vary by individual. They may need to be adjusted depending on levels of physical activity and environmental conditions like high heat and humidity.

How to help your family choose water

Water doesn't have to be boring! There are plenty of ways to entice everyone in the family to drink healthy and stay hydrated throughout the day. Being a good role model yourself is a great way to help make water part of your children's routine and gets them in the habit of drinking water before they're thirsty.

Here are a few twists to add some fun:

• Infuse water with lemons, berries, cucumber or mint for some added flavor. This is an easy way to keep the whole family coming back for refills.

• Keep fruits and vegetables that are high in water content hand—and there are plenty of them. Some of the best vegetables to choose from are cucumber, zucchini, iceberg lettuce, celery, and tomato. Top fruits include watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and grapefruit.

• Freeze fruit inside ice cubes. It dresses up the drinks at any table, and young children can help fill the trays.

• Delight kids with special water bottles or cups. Whether it is a personalized sports bottle or a fancy cup with an umbrella or swirly straw, adding a festive touch can go a long way.

• Make your own popsicles with pureed fruit for an afternoon cool-down. Make it a fun family activity by using small paper cups. Let your kids decorate them before filling or look for popsicle molds in fun shapes and colors.

We are excited to share that ALL elementary schools in Arlington are now using the Health Portal! SNAP is the electronic health record software that the APS nursing team uses to document all of our interactions with students. Similar to PowerSchool being students’ educational portal, SNAP serves as their electronic school health record.

If you have NOT logged in to the Health Portal, please reach out to your school nurse for assistance.

Why use the Health Portal?

• It is a secure way to ensure confidentiality of health information
• Easy to communicate directly with your student's school nurse
• Easy to update permissions for over-the-counter medications to be given at school, in accordance with the district's standing medication orders
• Easy to upload physicals, doctor's notes, and medication orders
• Easy to update your student's health conditions
• Receive automatic communications when medications need to be refilled **

**If your child takes medication at home, please let us know by selecting conditions, "medication taken at home" and enter the names of the medications***

APS Nursing and Health Services Forms and Documents

APS Nurse Staff Directory

Medication Permission/Order Form

Nutrition and Wellness Policy

SNAP Health Portal