Back To School Bus

Tips for a Healthy School Year

Tips for a Healthy School Year

As the first day of school approaches, some important preparations for a smooth, stress-free transition back to the classroom include:


Get Eight Hours

Sleep plays a crucial role in health and wellbeing, helping the brain operate properly and improve learning. Up to two weeks before school starts begin using the alarm clock again to help reset kids’ internal clocks and get adjusted to rising early in the morning.


Vision, Hearing and Speech

If your child cannot see the white board, hear the teacher or verbalize his or her thoughts, they can experience some serious learning disadvantages. Have their eyes and ears examined several weeks before school starts and take action, if needed.


Medications and Health Conditions

Schools have systems in place to accommodate a child’s medication or special health conditions. For example, the school nurse needs to be informed about the instructions on the medications your child takes. Even if the child takes the medication only at home, the nurse should know. If they are to take the drugs at school, pills must be in the pharmacy bottle, clearly marked (not an envelope, for instance).

Secondly, any health problems should be made known to the school. For example: does your child have any allergies to foods, plants, trees, bee stings or latex? Have this information gathered and ready to fill in the forms for them.

Inform the school of any physical restrictions, too. Does your child have asthma or a heart murmur? How should this affect physical activity?


Vaccinations

Even though vaccine-preventable diseases are rare, they still occur. In 2014, 592 measles cases were reported nationwide; and, in the first six months of 2015, 9,000 cases of whooping cough were reported nationwide. Check with your family care provider to find out what vaccinations your child needs for a healthy school year.