Friday, February 25th: Importance of Sleep

 Kids frequently come to the nurse's office in the morning with the complaint of being tired.

Our kids need 10-11 hours of sleep a night.  Bedtime problems can start for a variety of reasons.  Homework, sports and after-school activities, computers, TVs, mobile devices, and hectic family schedules all can contribute to kids not getting the sleep they need.

When kids don't get enough sleep they can become hyper or irritable, and may have a hard time paying attention in school.

Therefore,  it is important to have a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights.  Leave enough technology-free time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights-out.  A good rule of thumb is switching off the electronics at least one hour before bed and keep TVs, computers, and mobile devices out of kids'  bedrooms.

Sooo, kids, if you wake up at 7am for school, your bedtime should be between 8-9pm. 

If you have trouble falling asleep, be sure to turn off TV and devices by 7pm!

Thursday, February 24th: Exercise!

 Today our theme is the importance of exercise.  Please reinforce the following with your children at home....

Kids exercise all the time without even thinking of it.  They run around outside, play kickball at school, play sports, dance...even walking the dog is considered exercise!

When we exercise and stay active, we make our bodies stronger. It feels good to have strong, flexible bodies that can do all the things we enjoy. 

Exercising can also put you in a better mood.  When we exercise, our brains release chemicals that make you feel happier.  It's just another reason why exercise is a good idea. 

Most importantly, when we exercise, we make our heart happy.  Your heart is a muscle.  It works hard pumping blood every day.  When you exercise, your heart has to work even harder.  This gives the heart a workout and your heart gets stronger. 

These are just some of the many reasons why it is important to exercise every day.  We should all aim to get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day. 

Thank you for participating in our Wellness Week Activities.  If your child did the Wellness Challenge, be sure to send the completed form in to their teacher for a chance to win a jump rope!

As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.

Wednesday, February 23rd: Be Comfortable with Who You Are

Today's kids are growing up with continuous influence from social media, movies, TV, video games, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snap chat, and more.  There is a strong tendency for kids these days to compare themselves to the images projected and glorified on social media.  Now more than ever before, it is important for us to frequently remind our kids that they have unique skills and talents that make them important, special, wonderful and loved.

Today, during Wellness Week, we celebrate "being yourself", "being confident" and "being comfortable with who you are".  This is a lesson we all  need to remember on a daily basis, no matter how old or young we are.

The Kindness Pledge helps to encourage our kids to refocus and start the day on the right path.  Please consider learning and reciting the following with your kids;

"I pledge to myself on this day, 
To try to be kind in every way, 
To every person big and small, 
I will help them if they fall. 
When I love myself and others too, 
that is the best that I can do. 
Today the choice is mine!"

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext 5535.  

Tuesday, February 22 Eat a Rainbow

 

Why are they so many songs about rainbows???  Because they are amazing and beautiful-not just in the sky, but also on the dining table!  "Eating a rainbow" helps your body get a complete range of nutrients.

What does it mean to "eat a rainbow"?

Choose a variety of different-colored whole foods throughout the day and week.  The more naturally occurring colors on your plate at each meal or snack, the better.   It DOES NOT mean making a rainbow with artificially colored foods like Gummy Snack, Popsicles, or Soda. 

Fruits and vegetables get their color from naturally occurring micronutrients-such as vitamins and phytonutrients-which are essential for good health. One key function of these nutrients is antioxidants, which include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and vitamins A, C, and E.  Not all antioxidants have color, but eating a colorful range of food helps you get them all. 

So kids....be sure to eat lots of fruits and veggies with each meal so your plate has all the colors of the rainbow!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.

 

Wellness Week: February 22-25 , 2022

 

Hello Cozy Lake Families!

I hope you are all staying warm and healthy this winter season.

Wellness Week crept up on us quickly.  As we did last year, we will be offering Theme Days and a Wellness Week Challenge for you and your children to participate in.  

Each day, I will post information here on my blog to coincide with the Theme Days.  So check back daily  and be sure to share the info with your kids each night.       

Participation is, of course, optional, but please consider joining in on the fun. 

To start, click the links below to see our Theme Days for the week and to start the Challenge.  

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext 5535 or  jluisi@jefftwp.org 

Wellness Week Theme Day Flier 2022

Wellness Week Challenge 2022

COVID UPDATE: February 2022

The COVID guidelines for K-12 schools have changed numerous times in the past month.  I will briefly review some of the basics, but please always reach out to me if your child was exposed to a positive COVID case or tests positive and I will be able to help you to navigate the most recent guidelines. 

Basic quarantine/isolation guidelines:

• The basic quarantine/isolation/travel advisory is 5/5/5.   That means if exposed to a positive case, you will need to quarantine for 5 days.  If you test positive for COVID, you will need to isolate for 5 days and if you travel outside the surrounding states for more than 24 hours, you will need to quarantine for 5 days.  
• If you are fully vaccinated and/or tested positive for COVID within 90 days, you do not have to quarantine.

Important additional information:

• A positive case is considered infections for a full 10 days after symptom start date (or test date if they have no symptoms).  A positive case is required to quarantine fully for 5 days. On days 6-10, they can come off quarantine and return to school, however they should continue to wear a mask and physically distance from others BOTH at home and at school during this time.
• If a household member tests positive, it is important to isolate away from them as soon as possible.  The close contact's 5 days of quarantine begins after their last day of exposure to the positive case. Therefore, if the household member is unable to isolate, consistently wear a mask or physically distance at home, the close contact will need to quarantine longer.  

How are close contacts determined in a school setting:

• When the school nurse is notified of a positive case, she must first determine if the positive case was in school during their potentially infectious period. Infectious period is two days prior and 10 days after symptom start date or test date (if no symptoms). 
• The nurse, in consult with the classroom teacher, will review classroom, lunchroom and bus seating charts to determine possible close contacts.  
• In the classroom setting, the students' desks are 3 feet apart and the students consistently wear their masks so the number of close contacts in the classroom setting is limited.
• At lunch, the students are physically distanced, but they do not wear masks.  Therefore, the students sitting adjacent to a positive case are considered close contacts.
• On the bus, the students wear their masks, but they are not physically distanced.  Therefore, the students sitting adjacent to a positive case are considered close contacts. 
• Attendance, vaccination status, duration of contact and previous infection dates are reviewed to determine if a close contact will need to quarantine. 
• Parents of close contacts are then notified. 

What if a classroom has multiple cases of COVID in a short period of time (outbreak):

• Positive cases of COVID are reported to our local health department.
• If there is an increase in the number of cases in a certain classroom/cohort, the local health department, in consultation with administration, will recommend additional measures to be taken based on the circumstances involved. 
• Measures include but are not limited to sending a "parent alert letter", adjusting seating spacing & arrangements, additional cleaning measures and/or switching to a virtual capacity. 

How are absences handled:

• Parents receive a follow up email to confirm quarantine/isolation dates and times.  
• Secretary and teachers are notified of absence and first possible date of return. 
• Parent is requested to reach out to teacher for instructions for virtual learning. 
• Virtual learning is offered to those student who are quarantined/isolated. 
• Please give teachers 24 hours to set up virtual learning for your child.  

Any additional questions or concerns:

• This is actually a very brief overview of the most recent NJ DOH guidelines from January 19, 2022. 
• If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call me or email me @ jluisi@jefftwp.org  or (973) 697-4777 ext 5535
• I will return your call within 24 hours and help you to navigate your individual circumstances. 

Hang in there, everyone....this too shall pass.  

Happy New Year 2022- Take 2

Ok soooo January was NOT fun!  In fact, for many, it was just plain awful! 

Symptoms, testing, masking, distancing, quarantining, isolating, vaccinating, boosting, etc.... 

BUT..

We are into February already and there are brighter days ahead!

So, let us start fresh! 

 

Happy New Year, Cozy Lake Families! 

I want to sincerely thank you all!  You are the most cooperative, understanding, patient and supportive group of families I have ever worked with.  In all my years of school nursing, I have never experienced such a difficult time, while also experiencing so much compassion and kindness.  I guess tough times can really bring out the good in others.  

So, that's our silver lining to take with us into 2022.  Hang in there, everyone!  Spring, warmer weather, and healthier, happier days are ahead!