Hi! My name is Wendy, and I am your school nurse!
Welcome to my online office! You will find resources for parents, students, other school nurses, immunization requirements and where to find immunization records with the state of Alaska, Brain Train Program and Mindfulness resources, and a Community Cloud photo album.
As we begin the 2024/2025 school year, I also start my 18th year as a school nurse in the Mat-Su Borough School District.
I am grateful to offer my dynamic, holistic school nursing practice to the Willow community as a direct-care school nurse and the Health Coordinator for the MSBSD. I spent 13 years at Wasilla Middle School and am profoundly grateful for all the years I served families in that setting. Then, I served four years at Mat-Su Central, the largest homeschool in Alaska. I look forward to sharing this culmination of knowledge as both the Health Coordinator and Willow Elementary School Nurse.
I graduated from nursing school at UAA in 2005, spent two years as a psychiatric nurse with children and adolescent acute patients, and utilize this foundation as l care for all students now, especially those with emotional and behavioral needs. If your student has a 504 Plan, I am the coordinator at Willow Elementary.
Our school district is Trauma Sensitive, which promotes and supports a mindset to understand how trauma affects our students, their families, and our community. I am aware of how trauma can impact student learning and behavior. I am sensitive to our students and help our students to find success emotionally, socially, and academically. This includes recognizing that we all have triggers for trauma and bringing sensitivity to each of our interactions with our students, parents, families, and staff, especially while developing individual care plans. One of my professional highlights is creating the after-school program Brain Train, a trau*ma-sensitive, mindfulness-based class. I am please to offer this to the Willow community by integrating holistic and mindfulness practices into nursing care.
A career highlight: I am honored to be the 2023 National Certified School Nurse of the Year, awarded by NBCSN. Read about the kind announcement here at ASNA Nurse Network.
I'm an adventurer. You'll find me on dog walks, mushroom hunting, cloud spotting, hiking, biking, and snowboarding in our beautiful mountains with my two dogs and wife by my side. I enjoy creating whimsical artwork, writing, creating with AI programs Midjourney and ChatGPT, and photography.
To my fellow school nurses, wherever you might be, I look forward to working with you to build 21st-century School Nurses worldwide. To my school family and community members, I look forward to serving you and your families.
Wendy DeGraffenried, BSN, RN, NCSN, HN-BC
Phone (907) 495-9300 l Fax (907) 495-9380
wendy.degraffenried@matsuk12.us
