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Conzy Burns
School Nurse
Ed V. Williams
Ph. 523-2030/ Fax 523-2095
cburns@spsmail.orgFrom the Nurses' Desk

This is the cold and flu season and we are beginning to see an increase in students having these illnesses. With this in mind, I would like to review the district illness policy and our school protocol for assessing students and ways to prevent illnesses.

Practice good hand washing or use hand sanitizer after using the bathroom, sneezing, and blowing nose and before and after eating.
Remember to cough or sneeze in your sleeve and not your hand.
Dress for the weather. Don’t allow your child/ children to wear shorts, flip flops and sleeveless shirts during the winter season. Always wear a coat or heavy jacket. Mornings may be cold and afternoons may be warm but most students have morning recess and it will still be cold. Wear layers if necessary. It is easier to take layers off than to put them on.

Students can not attend school if they have fever of 100 or greater, have been vomiting or have diarrhea. They must be free of these symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.

If your child is seen by the nurse, the nurse will assess the student for illness or injury. A nurse visit does not necessarily mean an immediate call to parents. Head injuries, seizures, falls from a height of 2 feet or more and broken bones are immediate calls to parents or 911 if necessary.

Here are some of the things the nurse will be looking for during her assessment.

Fever, vomiting, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, redness of the throat, combination of more than 1 symptom, rash, redness of the ear canal, infection in the ear canal, and any other symptoms associated with a particular illness.

The general rule is that if a student vomits, it must be witnessed by someone. This prevents students faking illnesses to get out of class. If a student states that they have vomited and it was not witnessed, that student will be assessed and allowed to rest on a cot in the nurse’s office. If the student vomits again, parents will be called for student to be picked up. There are many things that may cause students to vomit including coughing, smells, sinus drainage, medications and upset stomachs. These things are taken into consideration when the assessment is done.

It is necessary for the school to have correct phone numbers or emergency contact numbers for your child. We need to be able to reach you should something arise. If you are called to pick up your child due to illness, it must be done in a timely manner to prevent spreading the illness to the rest of the students and staff of Williams. A student should not have to wait for an hour or more to go home, especially if they are ill.

Each classroom is provided a first aid kit and the teachers are a part of the assessment process.

If the nurse is out of the building, the secretary or the principal will assess the students.

If you have questions regarding this process, please contact our school nurse.

This is the time of year when the Ozarks weather takes us on a rollercoaster ride. Some days are warm and others are cold. It is days like this that cause an increase in sick children. With this in mind, here are a few tips to prevent illness.

I see many students entering the building without a coat daily. Even though the temperature may get into the 50's or 60's later in the day, the morning temps are still pretty cool or cold. Our kids have outdoor recess if the temp and wind chill are above 36 degrees. Even at this temp, it can be really cold without a coat. There are students that arrive at the school, long before the doors open, without coats. DOORS OPEN AT 7:45AM. If your child arrives before 7:45am, they will not be allowed inside the building. This means that they will be standing in the cold until the building opens.

Dressing appropriately is a concern. Children should not be wearing shorts, flip flops, sandals and thin clothing when the weather is cold. This sets your child up for contracting an illness. It is better to dress your child in layers rather that thin clothing. This way, they can remove a layer if they get too warm. Watch the news at night or in the morning or listen to the radio in the morning. There is always a weather report on somewhere long before children leave for school.

Good hand washing is the #1 factor in preventing the spread of disease and viral infections such as the common cold. Remember to have your child wash their hands before and after eating, after sneezing or blowing their nose and after playing outside. Also teach your children to sneeze or cough into the sleeve of their shirt and not their hand. Germs are less likely to survive on clothing that on the hand and clothing like the sleeve won't touch things where germs spread.

This is the time of year when head lice seem to be at its highest. Please check your child’s head frequently, especially after spending the night with a friend or relatives. Head to head contact is needed in order to spread the lice. Williams policy of not sharing hats, coats, headbands and classroom policy of shared items decrease the chances of head to head contact at school. Each classroom is also supplied with trash bags for coats and backpacks for each student. This decreases that chance that your child will contract them at school. Less monitor places such as home, church, friends & relatives homes and off campus after school programs are where children will likely contract lice. If your child is sent home with head lice, a parent must come in with them to be cleared to return to class.

This includes cough drops, inhalers, medicated lip creams, eye drops or any thing that contains medication. They will be taken away and not given back unless a parent comes in to get them. A parent must bring in the medication and sign the proper paperwork for it to be given. A student may not carry cough drops in their pocket and take them as they feel. This poses a safety issue not only for your child but the rest of the students in the school. What if another student got a hold of this medicine and had a reaction or it causes fatal harm? Not only would you as the parent be liable but the school as well. Any over the counter med can only be given at school a total of 3 times a year, without a doctor’s note. This includes cough drops, Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough syrup or any cold medicine. Do not send prescription meds to me by way of the student. They will not be given.

Conzy Burns
School Nurse
Ed V. Williams
Ph. 523-2030/ Fax 523-2095
cburns@spsmail.orgFrom the Nurses' Desk

Contact Information 2205 W. Kearney Springfield, MO 65803 Phone (417)523-2000 Fax (417)523-2095
	From From the Nurse's Desk Conzy Burns School Nurse Ed V. Williams Ph. 523-2030/ Fax 523-2095 cburns@spsmail.orgFrom the Nurses' Desk Dear Parents, This is the cold and flu season and we are beginning to see an increase in students having these illnesses. With this in mind, I would like to review the district illness policy and our school protocol for assessing students and ways to prevent illnesses. Prevention is the first line of defense for illness Practice good hand washing or use hand sanitizer after using the bathroom, sneezing, and blowing nose and before and after eating. Remember to cough or sneeze in your sleeve and not your hand. Dress for the weather. Don’t allow your child/ children to wear shorts, flip flops and sleeveless shirts during the winter season. Always wear a coat or heavy jacket. Mornings may be cold and afternoons may be warm but most students have morning recess and it will still be cold. Wear layers if necessary. It is easier to take layers off than to put them on. District Illness Policy Students can not attend school if they have fever of 100 or greater, have been vomiting or have diarrhea. They must be free of these symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school. School Assessment Protocol If your child is seen by the nurse, the nurse will assess the student for illness or injury. A nurse visit does not necessarily mean an immediate call to parents. Head injuries, seizures, falls from a height of 2 feet or more and broken bones are immediate calls to parents or 911 if necessary. Here are some of the things the nurse will be looking for during her assessment. Fever, vomiting, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, redness of the throat, combination of more than 1 symptom, rash, redness of the ear canal, infection in the ear canal, and any other symptoms associated with a particular illness. The general rule is that if a student vomits, it must be witnessed by someone. This prevents students faking illnesses to get out of class. If a student states that they have vomited and it was not witnessed, that student will be assessed and allowed to rest on a cot in the nurse’s office. If the student vomits again, parents will be called for student to be picked up. There are many things that may cause students to vomit including coughing, smells, sinus drainage, medications and upset stomachs. These things are taken into consideration when the assessment is done. It is necessary for the school to have correct phone numbers or emergency contact numbers for your child. We need to be able to reach you should something arise. If you are called to pick up your child due to illness, it must be done in a timely manner to prevent spreading the illness to the rest of the students and staff of Williams. A student should not have to wait for an hour or more to go home, especially if they are ill. Each classroom is provided a first aid kit and the teachers are a part of the assessment process. If the nurse is out of the building, the secretary or the principal will assess the students. If you have questions regarding this process, please contact our school nurse. Winter Time Updates This is the time of year when the Ozarks weather takes us on a rollercoaster ride. Some days are warm and others are cold. It is days like this that cause an increase in sick children. With this in mind, here are a few tips to prevent illness. Make sure your child comes to school with a coat I see many students entering the building without a coat daily. Even though the temperature may get into the 50's or 60's later in the day, the morning temps are still pretty cool or cold. Our kids have outdoor recess if the temp and wind chill are above 36 degrees. Even at this temp, it can be really cold without a coat. There are students that arrive at the school, long before the doors open, without coats. DOORS OPEN AT 7:45AM. If your child arrives before 7:45am, they will not be allowed inside the building. This means that they will be standing in the cold until the building opens. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather Dressing appropriately is a concern. Children should not be wearing shorts, flip flops, sandals and thin clothing when the weather is cold. This sets your child up for contracting an illness. It is better to dress your child in layers rather that thin clothing. This way, they can remove a layer if they get too warm. Watch the news at night or in the morning or listen to the radio in the morning. There is always a weather report on somewhere long before children leave for school. Practice good hygiene Good hand washing is the #1 factor in preventing the spread of disease and viral infections such as the common cold. Remember to have your child wash their hands before and after eating, after sneezing or blowing their nose and after playing outside. Also teach your children to sneeze or cough into the sleeve of their shirt and not their hand. Germs are less likely to survive on clothing that on the hand and clothing like the sleeve won't touch things where germs spread. Check your child for head lice This is the time of year when head lice seem to be at its highest. Please check your child’s head frequently, especially after spending the night with a friend or relatives. Head to head contact is needed in order to spread the lice. Williams policy of not sharing hats, coats, headbands and classroom policy of shared items decrease the chances of head to head contact at school. Each classroom is also supplied with trash bags for coats and backpacks for each student. This decreases that chance that your child will contract them at school. Less monitor places such as home, church, friends & relatives homes and off campus after school programs are where children will likely contract lice. If your child is sent home with head lice, a parent must come in with them to be cleared to return to class. STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING ANY MEDICATIONS TO SCHOOL This includes cough drops, inhalers, medicated lip creams, eye drops or any thing that contains medication. They will be taken away and not given back unless a parent comes in to get them. A parent must bring in the medication and sign the proper paperwork for it to be given. A student may not carry cough drops in their pocket and take them as they feel. This poses a safety issue not only for your child but the rest of the students in the school. What if another student got a hold of this medicine and had a reaction or it causes fatal harm? Not only would you as the parent be liable but the school as well. Any over the counter med can only be given at school a total of 3 times a year, without a doctor’s note. This includes cough drops, Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough syrup or any cold medicine. Do not send prescription meds to me by way of the student. They will not be given. Conzy Burns School Nurse Ed V. Williams Ph. 523-2030/ Fax 523-2095 cburns@spsmail.orgFrom the Nurses' Desk
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