Nurse+Notes-+Spring

Mosquitos and Ticks, Oh My...
Now is the time to use effective insect repellents. Ones with Deet 10% to 30% are most effective. Deet containing products should not be used on infants. Ticks are found in shrubs and long grass. Tick checks should be done after hiking and playing outside. Avoid tick-infested and mosquito-infested areas when possible. Remember to wear protective clothing to prevent the spread of diseases carried by ticks and mosquitos, such as Lyme disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus.

So what do you do? Ask someone to check you for ticks after you've been playing or hiking in the woods, and pay special attention to your head (including your scalp), back, neck, armpits, and groin area. If you ever find a tick on you, grab the tick with tweezers as close as possible to your skin, and pull the tick off in one motion. Don't cover the tick with petroleum jelly, rubbing alcohol, or fingernail polish, since these don't help the tick come out and can make things more complicated. If any of the tick parts are left behind, they should be removed using a sterile needle or pin. The sooner the tick is removed, the less chance you have for disease transmission. Doctors don't need to treat most tick bites. Your doctor may ask to see the tick to help make a diagnosis. If these diseases are treated early on, it's rare for there to be any lasting changes to a person's health. Symptoms of Lyme disease usually appear from three to 30 days after being bitten and frequently begins with the characteristic red zone (bulls-eye) rash around the bite. The American dog tick and the Deer tick are the 2 most common ticks found in NH.

Special Points of Interest:
 * · Only a doctor can tell for sure if you have Lyme disease.
 * · Feeling tired and achy all over is a common symptom.
 * · Developing a ring around a central red circle is an important sign.
 * · Later, a rash far from the tick bite may occur.
 * · A blood test can confirm the diagnosis of Lyme’s disease.
 * · An antibiotic is needed to recover.

** A Head for Safety **

Students riding bicycles/scooters or using skateboards/roller blades should wear a helmet and appropriate padding to avoid injury. Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85%. Wearing a bicycle helmet could prevent 75% of all fatal head injuries among child bicyclists. The state of NH law requires a helmet for all children under age 16. Be an example for your children and wear a helmet also. Your child’s helmet should fit snugly and be worn in the proper position or it cannot do its job correctly. Head phones should never be worn. It is important to ride alert since most drivers do not see riders. WHS’s 3rd, 4th and 5th graders had a great presentation by NH BikeSmart program. *see flyer* Having trouble affording a helmet?

__** WHS Dresscode **__

The standard for student allows for each individual to dress according to his/her personal preferences provided that his/her selection of clothing/jewelry does not interfere with the rights of others, cause disruption to the educational program, or pose a health or safety hazard. The following will not be allowed: pajamas or slippers; clothing which refers to or suggests anything considered vulgar, obscene, offensive, or refers to tobacco, drugs, or alcohol; clothing that does not cover the body from armpit to mid-thigh (all under garments must be fully covered). Hats may not be worn in the school building. Students that violate this policy will be required to change their clothing. (WHS handbook)

We can place our health and safety at risk when we do not wear the most appropriate footwear for the activity we are doing. Children should always come to school dressed and shoed appropriately for outside play. We ask that you do not allow your child to wear flip- flops. This will help prevent unnecessary trips, strains and sprains caused by inappropriate footwear.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), many foot problems we experience as adults began with ill-fitting shoes worn as a child. If a shoe hurts while you are wearing it, chances are it is not the right shoe for you. Your foot should not have to adjust to your shoe. Your shoe should conform to your foot.

__**Special points**__ ts
 * · Shoes should fit correctly– not too loose and not too tight.
 * · Have a closed toe.
 * · Fasten securely to the foot
 * · Have a non-skid sole.
 * · Always have your child’s feet measured every time you buy them shoes.

__**Bedtime Tips**__ 1. Set a regular bedtime and stick to it as closely as possible. Plant the seed in your child’s mind that this bedtime will ensure he has a good night’s sleep. 2. Follow the same bedtime rituals each night to help them wind down. Having a small bedtime snack, taking warm bath or shower, brushing teeth, reading a relaxing story once your child is in bed, and hugs and kisses good night help your kids “get in the mood” for sleep. 3. Make a comfortable bedroom environment that is quiet, not too warm, not too cool, dark enough unless your child needs a nightlight to feel safe and secure. <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">4. Play quiet classical music or use a white noise machine if tips #1-3 are not working. Again instill a positive thought by telling your child that “this really works to help people sleep.” ecial points of interest: __** How Much Water Should We Drink? **__ With the warmer months approaching, it is even more important to make sure that your child is having enough fluids to drink to stay healthy and help prevent dehydration and issues with overheating. As a general rule, if you take your weight in pounds and divide it in half, that is the amount of water in ounces that you should be drinking daily. For instance, if you weigh 50lbs, then you should be drinking at least 25 ounces of water daily, etc.

As long as a student is using their water bottles appropriately, WHS allows students to keep water bottles at their desks. Water bottles do collect a lot of germs throughout the day, so they should be taken home every night, washed and brought back to school the next day.

__** Facts on drinking water: **__ When we don’t drink enough water, our bodies start to get out of balance and our cells dry out. This can result in feelings of fatigue, headaches, chapped lips, dry skin, stomachaches, dizziness and nasal congestion that will not drain. Water increases our metabolism and regulates appetite which helps maintain a healthy body weight. Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease While trying to consume the daily recommended amount of water, not all of this water must be consumed in the liquid form. Nearly every food or drink item provides some water to the body. Soft drinks, coffee, and tea, while made up almost entirely of water, also contain caffeine. Caffeine can act as a mild diuretic, preventing water from traveling to necessary locations. in the body.