Health and Wellness

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Greetings from the Elementary Health Office! It is important we remind our children about staying healthy. Below you will find some of the information that we share with the children at school. In spite of our best preventative efforts, we know children do still become ill. Please also see our school’s illness policy below.

STAYING HEALTHY:

Sleep  

The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend preschool students get at least 10-13 hours of sleep each day, including naps.  School age children should get at least 9-12 hours of sleep every night.  Children who get adequate sleep have stronger ability to fight illness, but also have better emotional regulation, attention, behavior, learning, memory and better quality of life.  https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.5866

Handwashing

Keeping our hands clean is one of the most important ways to prevent and spread illness.  We continue to reinforce handwashing routinely in your child’s classroom, and we hope you can reinforce it at home as well.  Here are some great videos you can watch with your children, both in English and Spanish, to help the learn proper technique : https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/videos.html

Healthy Eating 

A regular diet filled with lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy protein and whole grains will give your child all they need to grow strong and stay healthy.  Limiting highly processed foods, foods with added sugar, sodas and juices is important to their overall health.  Aim for 3-5 ounces of protein, 1-2 cups of fruit, 1.5-2.5 cups of vegetables, 4-6 ounces of grains and 2-2.5 cups of dairy every day. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/nutrition-for-kids/art-20049335

Staying Home When Sick

Cold and flu viruses are beginning to circulate within the schools.  Some of these colds are really lingering in some children, lasting well over a week.  Letting them rest during the first days of illness will help them get better sooner, and will also keep those germs out of the classroom.  

ILLNESS POLICY: 

Please do not send your student to school with any of the following: 

● Fever - Must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school, without the use of fever reducing medications like Tylenol or Ibuprofen

● Vomiting or diarrhea - Must be 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea to return to school 

● Conjunctivitis (“Pink Eye”)  

● Sore throat 

● Strep throat - May return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment 

● Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if your child was awake at night 

If a student becomes ill at school and or is contagious to other children, parents/guardians will be called to take them home. Please be sure that you have arrangements to transport your child home should this occur. If your daytime or emergency contact numbers change during the year, please call the main office or email kdoran@sagharborschools.org.

Please continue to notify your school nurse with any planned absences or illnesses. 

Feel free to reach out with any questions.  We are here to help you as much as we can as we enter these winter months.  Hope everyone stays healthy!

Beth Kriegsman, RN, MSN, CNM Cristina Fonalledas, MSN, RN, FNP-BC 

Sag Harbor Elementary School Sag Harbor Learning Center

bkriegsman@sagharborschools.org cfonalledas@sagharborschools.org 

phone: (631)725-5300 x 531 phone: (631) 907-2281

fax: (631)899-3098 fax: (631) 283-3183