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STEPHANIE BULYK, RN, BSN
Health Office Kathleen H. Ryerson Elementary School Voice Mail: 6442 Email: bulyks@madison.k12.ct.us |
IMPORTANT INFORMATION! Come & visit Madison School Health Services on line. Go to: http://www.madison.k12.ct.us/healthoffice. There you will find helpful information about the district’s health offices, policies, procedures, and forms; and have access to other links where you can obtain reliable health information.
A BIG THANK YOU! To all the parents who volunteered to help with the Vision Screenings this year: To Elizabeth Solin, Gina Raleigh, Chris Garber, Susie Allen, Debbie Gilbert, Amy Katz, Eileen Schurk, Maureen Lewis, Paula Visgilio, and Carol Ann Long who all volunteered to help keep students occupied, organized and orderly while they were waiting their turn. Special ‘Thank yous’ to Maureen Lewis for putting the parent volunteer schedule together, and to Maureen and Debbie for pinch-hitting when a volunteer was unable to keep her commitment.
Vision screenings have been completed for Grades 1 to 4, and hearing screenings for Grades 1 to 3. Referrals have been sent for any student who did not meet the state standards for their grade level. If you have received a referral for your child, please have it completed by your vision/hearing specialist or physician as soon as possible, and then return it to the health office. If you feel, at any time during the year, that your child is having difficulty with vision or hearing, please let me know or consult with your physician.
BREAKFAST & SNACKS: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so say all the experts on child health & welfare. It is the ‘fuel’ that gets those brain cells going in the morning, and without it children can experience difficulty with learning. We also know that in general, children do not consume enough food at one meal to get them through to the next one. So - they need snacks in between! All students at Ryerson School are given time during their day to eat a snack. Some will have it mid-morning and others in the afternoon depending upon when they have lunch. They need this snack so they don’t ‘run out of fuel’.
***So start your children’s day with breakfast, and pack them a healthy snack to keep them going strong. Some suggestions for snacks are: fruit, yogurt, graham crackers, granola bar, or popcorn cakes. Also bagels, mini-pretzels, or carrot sticks can be good choices. ☺
ILLNESS PREVENTION: Along with the cooler weather, there has been an increase in colds & coughs, sore throats, strep throats and stomach bugs, and we are approaching flu season. To help prevent the spread of those illness-causing germs:
***Please encourage your children to cough or sneeze into their elbows, and... to wash their hands.....frequently & thoroughly… with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds!! How long is twenty seconds? Long enough to sing the Happy Birthday song twice! ☺
RETURN TO SCHOOL: When your child has had an extended illness, please contact me so that I can be aware of any needs upon his/her return to school. If antibiotics have been prescribed for a contagious illness, they need to be taken for 24 hours before returning to school. Your child should also be fever free for 24 hours, and feel well before returning to school. Sending him/her back too soon often results in a child who is either unable to make it through the entire school day, or who is not ready for learning.
‘OLD MAN WINTER’: …has not arrived in earnest yet, but we know he is not too far away. A Reminder for when that frosty weather hits: Please make sure that your children are dressed appropriately for the weather. We generally go outside for recess if the temperature including wind chill factor is 20° or above and there is no precipitation. Coats, hats and gloves will help to keep your children warm, and their resistance up!
ASTHMA: Please let me know if your child is having symptoms related to his/her asthma. It is especially important to let me know if medication has been given in the morning before school, so that I can follow-up with your child as the day progresses. You can leave a voice-mail message for me at any time by dialing 245-6475 and then 6442 at the prompt.
SCHOOL ABSENCES & OTHER HEALTH ISSUES: Please call the health office @ 245-6442 when your child is absent from school. If you are routed into voice mail, give your child’s name, teacher, and reason for absence. If you would like me to return your call, please tell me the best way to reach you on that day.
QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, CONCERNS?? I can be reached at 245-6442. Please leave a message if you reach my voice mail, and I will return your call A.S.A.P.
Sincerely, Stephanie M. Bulyk, RN, BSN |
NOTES FROM RYERSON THE HEALTH OFFICE