Spring 2025, School Health News

From Your OCS School Nurses

Dear OCS Families,

Spring is here! With warmer weather, it's a great time to enjoy the outdoors and refresh our minds and bodies. Your school nurses are excited to share health tips to keep our students happy and healthy this season!

 

Springtime

Spring brings fresh blooms and outdoor fun, but also seasonal allergies for some. Trees like oak, birch, and maple release pollen, triggering hay fever symptoms in sensitive individuals.

Tips for Managing Seasonal Allergies:

• Check pollen forecasts and stay indoors when levels are high. 
• Take allergy or asthma medicine as prescribed.
• Avoid touching your eyes outside and wash hands before doing so indoors.
• Shower after outdoor activities to remove pollen.
• Change clothes after being outside.
• Keep windows closed during pollen season.
• Use high-efficiency filters in your HVAC system if compatible.

Seasonal allergy symptoms include sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes and throat, and in some cases, fatigue and coughing.

Start preparing now for next school year!

Students entering Kindergarten must have all required school entry vaccinations within 30 calendar days of enrollment. Students entering 7th grade must receive Tdap and meningococcal vaccines within 30 calendar days of enrollment. Students entering 12th grade are required to receive the meningococcal booster vaccine (Meningococcal Conjugate or MCV4).

In addition, ALL students entering a NC public school for the first time must have a health assessment on file within 30 days of initial entry. It is the parents' responsibility to provide this record. (See school Policy Code: 4110 Immunization and Health Requirements for School Admission)

Now is the perfect time to plan for a healthy and successful school year! Scheduling annual physicals and immunizations ensures students are ready for a smooth start. Prioritize your child's health by taking action today for a strong and successful year ahead.

To ensure a smooth school enrollment, complete annual physicals and required vaccinations during summer break to avoid last-minute delays. Updated action plans and medication orders are also needed each school year.

Plan ahead for a healthy start! Contact your school nurse with questions.

 

OCS Nurse Spotlight

I am Jennifer Pepin. Since September of 2007, I have served as the nurse at Cedar Ridge High School having previously been at Chapel Hill High School. Prior to becoming a school nurse, I worked in the Duke Regional Emergency Department and at UNC-CH on the medical/surgical floor. I received my School Nurse National Board Certification in March of 2006.

My role in the school is complex and rewarding. My top two priorities are: 1) Promoting wellness/monitoring illness in order to decrease student absenteeism and to increase student performance in the classroom and 2) Responding to and training staff to respond to health situations and emergencies. 

 

Sincerely,
OCS School Nurses and Sylvia Compton RN, BSN, NCSN OCS District Lead Nurse
 

Contact your school nurse

 

Adapted from: https://yaleschoolnj.com/parents/resources/school-nurse/