School Nurse's Page

Lacy Wilkerson, a dental hygienist from “The Kid’s Place” pediatric dental office visited Trinity’s preschool & lower school to talk about dental health.  Some of the highlights she discussed were:

 *Children need a parent to help them brush their teeth (until they are proficient in cursive writing).  Once a child has the dexterity to write in cursive, they are able to brush effectively.

*Apply only a small amount of toothpaste (pea size) on the toothbrush

*Brush teeth twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime

*Brush the gums as well as the tooth

*Floss teeth one time a day to clean between the teeth.  Make a “C” shape with the floss to cup around the tooth when you floss.

*Brush the top, front, and back side of each tooth.

*Brush the tongue.  It harbors bacteria.

*Do not swallow the toothpaste.  Rinse with water and spit.

*Need to have a dental exam at least once a year

*Need to have teeth cleaned by the dental hygienist twice a year

*Importance of a healthy diet to maintain strong teeth. 

*Limit candy, cookies, and sweets

*Drink only water in between meals

 The students were given a dental packet containing toothpaste, toothbrush, toothbrush cover, dental floss, and 2 disclosing tablets.  Mrs. Wilkerson explained the use of the “disclosing tablets”.  She suggested they do an experiment with their parent’s help.  First, the child brushes their teeth on their own.  Chew one of the disclosing tablets and spit.  Now take a look at the pink on their teeth!  All of the pink indicates the areas that were not brushed well and where tartar and bacteria are still present.  Don’t worry!  The pink will come off with brushing!

 We hope you will continue to talk to your child about the importance of taking proper care of their teeth. 

Kris Hodge, R.N.

Trinity School Nurse

Immunizations are a vital part of your child’s health.  It is the intention of Trinity School to keep all students healthy.  Texas law requires students in Texas schools to be immunized against certain vaccine-preventable diseases.  Immunization requirements change from year to year according to the child’s age and revisions from the Texas Department of State Health Services.  It is the law and your responsibility to provide the school with a current up-to-date copy of your child’s immunizations. 

The link to the Texas Department of Health for “School Immunization Requirements” is

 http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/school/default.shtm

There are charts for Grades K-12 and Child Care Facilities.  These charts will inform you when your child’s next immunization is due.

The last changes in Texas immunization requirements were posted 3/1/2010

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/school/Parent_ltr_K-12_imm_requirements.pdf

A summary of those changes:

Tdap:  For 7^th grade:  l dose of Tdap is required if at least 5 years have passed since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria-containing vaccine.

For 8^th-12^th grade:  1 dose of Tdap is required when 10 years have passed since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria-containing vaccine.  Td is acceptable in place of Tdap if a medical contraindication to pertussis exists.

Hepatitis A:  2 doses of Hepatitis A for students entering K-1^st grade.  (The first dose of Hepatitis A must be received on or after the first birthday.)

Varicella:  2 doses of Varicella for students entering K-1st and 7^th_8^th grade

Meningococcal:  1 dose of meningococcal for students entering 7^th-8^th grade

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Each day many parents are faced with this decision: should they keep their sick children at home or send them off to school? Often the way a child looks and acts can make the decision an obvious one. The following guidelines should be considered:

*FEVER. The child should remain at home with a fever greater than 100. The child can return to school after he/she has been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen).

*DIARRHEA/ VOMITING. A child with diarrhea and /or vomiting should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.

*CONJUNCTIVITIS (PINK EYE). Following a diagnosis of conjunctivitis, the child may return to school 24 hours after the first dose of prescribed medication.

*RASHES. Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages. A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a health care provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child’s return to school.

*COLDS. Consider keeping your child at home if he/ she is experiencing discomfort from cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion and cough. A continuous green discharge from the nose may be a sign of infection. Consider having the child seen by your health care provider.

A sick child cannot learn effectively and is unable to participate in classes in a meaningful way. Keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school community and allows the child opportunity to rest and recover.

Thank you for your attention and consideration to this concern.

Kris Hodge, R.N.