New Franklin School Virtual Nurse's Office

Welcome to Nurse Karen's Virtual Office!  This space has been created to give you access to important health updates, helpful & trustworthy links, school health forms, and other related content


Phone: 603-436-0910 ext. 4552   ~   Fax: 603-427-2335  ~  Email: Kutgard@sau52.org  ~  Address: 1 Franklin Drive, Portsmouth, NH 03801

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Melatonin the News   

Do you use melatonin to help your child get to sleep at night?  This unregulated (by the FDA) supplement has been in the news lately as research is showing a sharp increase in the use of this hormone in children and cases of accidental overdose.  I have shared some links from trusted sources about melatonin and I want to encourage you to have a conversation with your child's pediatrician if melatonin is part of your child's regular bedtime routine.

Illness & Absence Resources

End 68 Hours of Hunger

End 68 Hours of Hunger in Portsmouth will be providing weekend food bags for students once again this year!

This program is open to all students.  There is no cost or income requirement to participate in this program. End 68 Hours of Hunger will not be provided with the names of the children, so their privacy will be protected.

Food bags are distributed on Fridays by Nurse Karen.

Each weekend food bag contains 7 simple meals (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners) for an individual student. Most of the food items are pre-packaged and can be eaten with no preparation. Other items require heating in a microwave. None of the food requires refrigeration.

If you would like your child(ren) to participate in this program, please fill out the form linked below.  If you have questions, reach out to me, Nurse Karen, at 603-436-0910.  

The program will start on Friday, 09/22/2022, but a child can start any time after that as well & cancel anytime if it is no longer wanted. 

Portsmouth Schools Nursing Department

Stakeholder Survey Results SY '22-'23

Stakeholder Survey Report May 2023

Lead Poisoning: A Special Message for Kindergarten & First Grader Parents

Lead poisoning is preventable!  

Screening your child for lead should be done at your child's 1 year-old physical and again at the 2 year-old physical.  Lead paint was in common use prior to 1978  and many older homes may still have lead paint that could cause ongoing exposure to a crawling toddler.  In addition, many consumer items could also potentially cause a lead exposure.  Not sure if your child was ever screened?  Call their primary care provider to check today!