A Nurse's Guide to First Aid Tips
A medical problem or emergency can happen at any time, and understanding the basics of first aid can often mean the difference between life and death. You may not be a doctor, but understanding some fundamental first aid tips and tricks can be helpful in a wide variety of situations. Whether you are in nursing school or just want to know how to assist people when they need help, learning some of the typical applications of first aid is essential.
One of the most common medical issues people encounter is when someone appears to have passed out or has become unconscious. In cases like this, you should always ask the person if they are OK and wait for a response. If they do not respond, check their airway and make sure they are breathing, then call 911. If necessary, begin performing CPR. CPR is one of the most important first aid skills you can learn to potentially save a life. You can register for CPR classes in most localities to become certified to perform this life-saving task. Choking is another common problem that can be less dangerous when you follow the proper first aid protocol, such as performing back blows or abdominal thrusts to help dislodge the object the person is choking on. These simple actions are something everyone can learn so that you can assist someone who needs immediate medical attention.
4th and 5th Grade Fitness Testing will begin
Our Fit Falcon 4th and 5th graders will be pre-tested on their 4 fitness tests this year, beginning September/October. We hope to have the students complete all 4 fitness pre-tests before the Thanksgiving Holiday. Please have your student come dressed for success to participate in fitness activities. We recommend your student wear shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt. It is highly recommended that if your student has Asthma- requiring an inhaler, that you have one kept at school in the nurse's office, should your child ever need it.
Ashland Health & Wellness Group
Be a Healthy Role Model
In keeping with the PWC wellness guidelines, we would like to encourage parents and visitors to please consider purchasing a nutritionally sound school lunch rather than bringing in fast food.
Prince William County Public Schools recognizes the importance of the health and wellness of our students. In accordance with the Code of Virginia, the School Board established a School Health Advisory Board to monitor the status and needs of student health and to report annually on student health to the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Education.
In the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, the U.S. Congress established a requirement that all school districts with a federally funded school meals program develop and implement wellness policies that address nutrition and physical activity by the beginning of the 2006-07 school year.
PWCS developed and adopted a wellness plan in June 2006. The plan addresses the needs of the total school environment and aims to promote and protect children's health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting eating and physical activity. With this influence, our community is encouraged to maintain healthy lifestyles and benefits from this plan as well. You can learn more about the PWCS Wellness Plan by going to the following website. PWCS Wellness Plan has achieved a reputable status throughout the state of Virginia and is used as a template for many of the other schools.
At Ashland, we value the health of our children and their ability to learn and participate in all activities. We recognize the role the school plays in the wellness of our students and our responsibility to meet the guidelines the wellness policy outlines. We have formed a wellness committee to help us address these issues, consisting of representatives of food services, the PE department, the teachers, school health, students, and parents.
So far this year, we have met to put goals in place and to outline our direction. We will be focusing our efforts on three main areas: health and wellness for students, the staff, and our community. You will see the promotion of a campaign from the Northern Virginia Healthy Kids Coalition called 9-5-2-1-0.
The staff has been challenged by the Governor's Physical Fitness challenge. We know many of our staff are participating in regular exercise. By keeping a log of this activity, they can receive proper recognition for their activities! As a parent, if you would like to take this challenge, you can read about it on the website.
If you have a special interest or would like to help with the committee, please let me know. We value your input!
Terri Peoples R.N.B.S.N
Ashland ES School
Group Announcements
Medication Requirements
If your child needs to take medication at school, you must first fill out the appropriate medication permission form, per PWCS regulation 757-4 Attachment 1. Parents or guardians need to bring the medication to school; do not send it in with your child. Students are not allowed to carry medications in school for safety reasons.
Please be sure to remove any medications you place in your child's backpack if the backpack is used to transport medication after school and on the weekends.
Medication found in backpacks or in the students' possession on school property is in violation of PWCS policies and may result in disciplinary actions. Exceptions to this rule is an Inhaler or Epipen if the doctor has signed a Treatment plan stating the student may carry the medication.
Reporting Student Absences
All student absences must be reported DAILY. Parents/guardians need to call the Sick Line 703-445-0809. Please leave the following information by 10 a.m. each school day. The hotline works 24 hours, so you can leave a message the evening before or before school starts.
- Students Name
- Teachers name
- Reason for Absence
- For illness, let us know if they have any of the following symptoms
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Abdominal pain
- Muscle aches
- Stuffy Nose
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Fever, please tell us how high the fever has been
- All doctor-confirmed communicable diseases and case of head lice
For any questions, feel free to call me at 703-583-8774. We appreciate your cooperation.
Rising 6th Grade Tdap Requirement
The Tdap booster vaccine is required for sixth grade students before the start of school. Meeting this requirement as soon as possible will help your child have a smooth transition to middle school.
Unfortunately, no sixth grade student will receive their home room assignment until the Middle school has verification of the Tdap immunization. These students will be excluded from school in September until the immunization requirement is satisfied. Even if your student is only 10 yrs old in September, they will need to get the 10 yr old vaccine.
Please contact Nurse Barnes, our school nurse, if you have any questions.
Health-Related PWCS Regulations
Health Treatment Plans and Asthma Plan
Parents, please remember to get new Health Treatment Plans and Asthma Action Plans completed by your Physician for the new school year. Check the links below for the forms as needed.
All forms need to be returned completed and signed by the physician and parent/ guardian. All forms will need to be reviewed by the school nurse and nursing supervisor.
Health Treatment Plans, Asthma Plans and Medication forms do not carry over into the next school year.
Parents, please become familiar with some common PWCS regulations that govern a lot of our clinic practices:
Asthma/Asthma Action Plan Regulation 757-5
Allergy/Allergy action Plan Regulation 757-2
Cancer Regulation 753-7
Diabetes forms/Treatment plans Regulation 757-6
Illness or Injury Exclusion Criteria Regulation 758-1
Immunization Requirements Regulation 755-1
Seizure Regulation 757-7
Emergency Treatment form Regulation 757-3
Medication Administration Form Regulation 757-4
Regulations can be viewed and forms downloaded by visiting PWCS website.
Wellness Update
Welcome back to another school year at Ashland ES. Let's get this school year off to a great start by remembering to eat breakfast each day. A nutritious breakfast gives children the nutritional boost to get the learning process going. Studies have shown that children that eat breakfast
Learn Better
Participate more in class
Behave better
Attend school more often
Visit the school nurse less often.
Remember eating something will be better for your metabolism than skipping a meal. If your child doesn't have time to eat before school, Ashland's cafeteria provides the opportunity for a wonderful breakfast each school day.
September is National Preparedness Month
I know that everyone is very busy right now, but I wanted to send this link to all of our Ashland School Community. September is National Preparedness Month.
Tips for Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs
Click here for a flyer from Virginia's Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli II about disposing of prescription medications.
Statement on Exercise
Statement on Exercise: Benefits and Recommendations for Physical Activity Programs for All Americans: Click here to continue reading.
Asthma & Diet
The incidence of asthma has risen in the United States during the past three decades, and many researchers believe that our changing diets have something to do with it. As Americans eat fewer and fewer fruits and vegetables and more processed foods, could it be that we're bumping up our risk of developing asthma? Click here if you would like to read the full article.
Control Head Lice
Each year, approximately 6 to 12 million children between 3 and 12 years of age are infested with head lice. S.C.R.A.T.C.H. (School and Community Resources to Avoid and Take Control of Head Lice) is designed to educate school nurses, parents, students and the general public about the prevention and control of head lice. Click Here for more information.
March Fitness & Nutrition Tips
Click here for some fitness and nutrition tips from Ashland's Wellness Committee.
How Foods Help You!
Click here to open a chart about what positive things particular foods do to your body.
School Wellness
Click Here to go to the site that provides easy, online access to government information on food and human nutrition for consumers.
The National Dairy Council
Click Here to visit the "National Dairy Council" website. You can Catch up on dairy news, research, and educational resources.
Dole 5 a Day!
Click here for a fun interactive site by Dole Food Company.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month
Action For Healthy Kids
Click Here to access the site "Action for Healthy Kids". There are several great resources for leading a healthier life.