SPS RN Winter Newsletter

It has been a busy and wonderful school year so far! Busy is probably an understatement for the first few months of this school year. The school nurses have completed the majority of mandated screenings for students across the district, approximately 3000 students being serviced. If you receive a referral from one of these screenings for your child please be sure to follow through with the instructions on the referral and please reach out to your child's school nurse with any questions.

Winter is a busy time of year for germs, if you have questions about when to keep your child home please refer to our website for guidance. An excusal note from a health care provider is required to excuse any illness or medical absences.

We are wishing you a peaceful and healthy 2024.

With gratitude,

Danielle Gallan, MSN-PH, FNP-C

This time of year can be difficult for a number of reasons for children and adults. If you or someone you care about is struggling with mental health or substance use know that there is help and resources in the community. 24-hour help is available for those in mental health and substance use crisis by calling 877-302-1609 or by calling 988 from a cell phone. Additional supports can be found at the MMS and Mass THRIVE websites below.

https://www.massmed.org/Patient-Care/Health-Topics/Mental-Health-and-Substance-Use/Mental-Health-and-Substance-Use-Resources-for-Parents-and-Caregivers/

https://massthrive.org/

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MYP) is an organization that offers many learning opportunities for schools and community partners for protecting the health and safety of our youth. They are now offering a library of information for parents and guardians. The resource is available below.

https://peaceathomeparenting.com/mpy-solution-libraries/

What brings me joy is working with students and other community members in the betterment of our community. The work we do surrounding the peer leadership conference is one of my favorite ways that this happens. Nine Stoughton High students were chosen to represent SHS at Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey's "Team Rival" Peer Leadership conference. The conference, held at Gillette Stadium, brought together students from the local area, identified as leaders in their respective school communities, to kick off friendly competition between rival schools while raising awareness for important issues like distracted driving, impaired driving, and emergency response training. We were joined by Stephanie Patton from OASIS, SPS School Resource Officer Bonda, and Stoughton's own Detective David Fanning, who was a guest speaker at the conference.

We have noticed that a number of students are coming to school at the middle and high schools with energy drinks, consuming them at school in the morning or at lunch, and wanted to share some information from the nurses regarding the dangers that these drinks pose.

Many of these drinks contain excessive amounts of caffeine, some upwards of 400mg per serving which is the equivalent of 4 coffees or 8 servings of soda. There are also a number of other ingredients that can be potentially harmful in large doses including herbal supplements, amino acids, and vitamins. Caffeine overdose is a concern with consuming 500mg of caffeine or more. Symptoms can include fast heart rate, high blood pressure, headaches, muscle tremors, increased urination, insomnia, and irritability. In the most severe cases, teenagers have suffered an irregular heartbeat that led to cardiac arrest and death.

Please take a look at the caffeine content of the drinks that your child is consuming and speak with your child about the dangers of consuming caffeine. We appreciate your partnership in keeping the students healthy and making good choice about what they are consuming.

References:

https://www.childrenscolorado.org/conditions-and-advice/sports-articles/sports-nutrition/energy-drinks-are-they-safe/

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/teens-energy-drinks-side-effects#:~:text=The%20current%20recommendation%20for%20adolescents,can%20be%20risky%20for%20adolescents.

https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/caffeine-and-kids

Dental hygienists are coming to each school this spring to provide dental exams and cleanings to those who would like to participate. Please reach out to your school nurse with any questions, forms will be sent home and are attached to this newsletter as well.

South- 2/27/24

Jones- 2/29/24

Wilkins- 3/5- 3/7/24

Dawe- 3/12/24 and 3/13/24

Hansen- 3/19/24

OMS- 3/26/24

Gibbons- 04/2/24 and 04/3/24

SHS- 4/8/24

Danielle Gallan, MSN-PH, FNP-C, Director of Health Services~ 781-344-4000 ext 70107

d_gallan@stoughtonschools.org

Suzanne Barrett, BSN, RN, NCSN Stoughton High School~ 781-344-7001 ext 2131

s_barrett@stoughtonschools.org

Sue McDonnell, BSN, RN, NCSN, O’Donnell Middle School~ 781-344-7002 ext 72194

s_mcdonnell@stoughtonschools.org

Jennifer Fallon, BSN, RN, SHS/OMS Float~

j_fallon@stoughtonschools.org

Ferisha Seemungal, BSN, RN, District RN~

f_seemungal@stoughtonschools.org

Donna Kaplan, MEd, BSN, RN, South Elementary School~ 781-344-7004 ext 2

d_kaplan@stoughtonschools.org

Theresa Staulo, BSN, RN, Gibbons Elementary School~ 781-344-7008 ext 2

t_staulo@stoughtonschools.org

Jennifer Slade, BSN, RN, NCSN, Dawe Elementary School~ 781-344-7007 ext 2

j_slade@stoughtonschools.org

Emilie Driscoll, BSN, RN, Wilkins Elementary School~ 781-344-7005 ext 2

e_driscoll@stoughtonschools.org

Sheray Houle, BSN, RN, Hansen Elementary School~ 781-344-7006 ext 2

s_houle@stoughtonschools.org

Noelia Woodward, BSN, RN, Jones Early Childhood Center~ 781-344-7003 ext 3

n_woodward@stoughtonschools.org