For your reference, the following letter about the health risks associated with JUULs and e-cigarettes was emailed to parents on April 25, 2018:
Dear Parents and Guardians:
We want to bring to your attention the health risk of JUULs, which are a type of e-cigarette (or vape) that is growing in popularity among young people across the country. Continue reading
Did you know that when it comes to threats of violence or suicide, most are known by at least one other person BEFORE the incident takes place? Imagine how much tragedy could be averted if these individuals said something?
During the week of October 16-20, 2017, thousands of middle and high schools and youth organizations from across the U.S. will participate in Say Something Week. Continue reading
The Compass salutes our school nurses, who last school year handled nearly 170,000 clinic visits. That’s an average of 966 visits per day!
School nurses not only identify and treat accidents and injuries, but they also counsel students about physical and emotional stress, provide health services that increase school attendance, prevent and control the spread of communicable diseases, administer specialized services and medications, verify immunizations, conduct screenings and make referrals, provide input and direction for school and community policies and programs, educate students and staff on managing their own health and wellness, and so much more.
Today and every day, we are grateful to our school nurses for helping our students (and employees!) stay healthy, in school, and ready to learn.
Stay Tuned: Homework Policy Under Consideration
Because of concerns about the time some students spend on homework, the School Board’s Health Advisory Board (parents and health professionals from our community) requested that the School Board consider changes in policy to more clearly regulate the amount of time students spend on homework on a weekly basis. Read more »
Henley Middle School Fitness Center Opens
On April 25, Henley Middle School celebrated the grand opening of its new “fit for life” fitness center which includes indoor and outdoor areas for gym activities, strengthening and conditioning, and aerobic workouts. Read more »
Delta Dental of Virginia wants learning about oral health to be fun! To support this effort, they are making their Smart Smiles In School oral health teaching kit available (through a two-week loan), free of charge, to any Virginia elementary teacher or school nurse. The kit provides a turnkey curriculum complete with teaching tools and audiovisual resources to educate students on how to form good oral health habits. Learn more and reserve your kit »
Dear Colleagues,
We’ve had a couple of questions about how or whether schools should acknowledge the terrorist attacks in Paris this weekend. Of course, we are all saddened by this horrible incident, the lives that were lost, and the negative impact it will have on our world, especially our children. Continue reading
Are you looking to provide your students with meaningful and age appropriate learning experiences about how to use technology safely and responsibly? Would you like a great resource to recommend to parents and guardians when they ask questions about how to best facilitate their children’s interaction with digital media and use of technology outside of school? Access our division’s new Digital Citizenship website and find answers to these questions and more. Continue reading
Exercise and brainpower in children may not seem closely related, but a small new study hints that fitness may supercharge kids’ minds. Read more in HealthDay News »
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is launching a new mobile app that features a simulated new video game-like tool to help parents practice tough conversations about underage drinking in a risk-free virtual environment. Read the SAMHSA press release »
Learn more about SAMHSA’s underage drinking prevention campaign »
Registration must be received by May 5, 2014.
