Nurse Information

District Reproductive Health Overview

Early Elementary Reproductive Health Overview 

Upper Elementary Reproductive Health Overview

Middle School Reproductive Health Overview

High School Reproductive Health Overview

Important Notice to Parents from the Kent County Health Department

Kent County Health Department is working directly with Sparta Area Schools to make Kent County a healthier place to live. The State of Michigan requires schools to report the possible occurrence of any communicable disease to the local public health department on a weekly basis (Public Act 368 of 1978). To assist the school in reporting possible communicable diseases to the Health Department and prevent the spread of illness, please be as specific as possible when reporting your child's absence. When calling in for a child, please include a description of the symptoms of the illness (vomiting, diarrhea, fever, rash, etc.) and report the type of disease (if known) and who diagnosed the illness. Please inform the school if any suspected illness is later confirmed by a physician. Your cooperation with Sparta Area Schools and Kent County Health Department is greatly appreciated.

Sometimes it can be difficult figuring out if your child is ill and contagious enough to be kept home or if they are well enough to be sent to school.  Here is a quick checklist to help you make this sometimes difficult decision.  Please keep your child home from school if they have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever 100 degrees or higher
• Severe headache or stomachache
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Severe sore throat
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent cough
• Dizziness or fainting
• Skin eruptions or open sores
• Red and discharging eyes

Please remember that our school policy is your child must be fever free without any fever reducing medication for 24 hours before they may return to school.

Please notify the school if your child has been diagnosed with or you suspect they have a communicable disease such as chicken pox, impetigo, fifth disease, head lice, pink eye, scabies, strep throat, etc... This allows us to take proper precautions to try to prevent the spread of communicable diseases throughout the school and provide your child with a healthy and safe learning environment.

Immunization Requirements:

Getting your children immunized is an important way to protect their health. In addition, make sure your child receives regular checkups at your doctor's office or local health clinic. It is recommended for parents to keep a record of your child's vaccinations. Parents are required to provide the school with a copy of your child's vaccination record.

Vaccines required for school entry in Michigan:

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/-/media/Project/Websites/mdhhs/Adult-and-Childrens-Services/Children-and-Families/Immunization-Information/School-Waiver-Information/MDHHS-Pub--1378_3323-(004).pdf

Any student lacking proof of these vaccines may not be admitted to school unless a valid medical, philosophical, or religious exemption waiver form has been signed at the Health Department and is on file at the school. Immunization waivers are required to be renewed yearly with the Health Department. Parents who opt-out of MICR reporting are required to provide immunization documentation yearly. The Administration and School Nurse have the authority to exclude children from school if immunization records are not up-to-date and a waiver form is not on file.

Eating Breakfast

Breakfast is very important to children. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to:
• Concentrate better
• Have better problem-solving skills
• Have better hand-eye coordination
• Be more alert and creative
• Miss fewer days of school
• Be more physically active

Here's what forms the core of a healthy breakfast:
• Whole grains: Whole grain rolls, bagels, hot or cold whole grain cereals
• Low-fat protein: Hard boiled eggs, peanut butter, lean slices of meat and poultry or fish.
• Low-fat dairy: Skim milk, low-fat yogurt and low fat cheeses.
• Fruits and vegetables.

Sparta Area Schools offers breakfast for all students! If you have any questions please contact our Food Service Director: 616-887-1744

How much sleep do your kids need?

Kids are very busy with school, running around with friends, sports and doing homework!
• Ages 3-5 need 12-14 hours of sleep.
• Ages 5-10 need 10-11 hours of sleep.
• Ages 10-17 need 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep.
"Sleep is the power source that keeps your mind alert and calm. Every night and at every nap, sleep recharges the brain's battery. Sleeping well increases brainpower just as weight lifting builds stronger muscles, because sleeping well increases your attention span and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time. Then you are at your personal best." (Weissbluth MD)

Exercise and Sunshine

The majority of children spend 6 hours a day sitting behind a classroom desk when they need exercise and sunshine to build bones and maintain a healthy weight. Discourage videogames and television after school and encourage/support children to spend time outside for sunshine, fresh air, and exercise to enhance overall health.

Sunshine has many benefits including:
• Natural Vitamin D source
• Boosts mood
• Encourages healthy circulation
• Enhances immune system
• Stimulates appetite and improves digestion, elimination, and metabolism
• Tends to clear up different skin disorders (acne, psoriasis, eczema)
When it comes to sunshine don't forget to protect you and your children from both UVA and UVB rays that are known to cause skin damage. If you or your children are in the sun between 10am and 4pm remember to apply and reapply sunscreen to prevent the harmful effects from the sun.

Handwashing

This is a simple thing and it's the best way to prevent infection and illness.
• Wet your hands with running water and apply soap.
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds, or sing "Happy Birthday" twice through.
• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.

Medication Policy

If your child is required to take medication during the school day, it will be necessary for the medication to be kept and taken in the health office. In January 2024, Sparta Area Schools revised their medication administration policy to align with state law. This medication policy is for ALL medication given at school including prescription AND over-the-counter medication. This policy also applies short-term or single dose medications. The district understands that this is a change from the previous policy, but please understand the State of Michigan requires a physician/provider signature for school staff to administer any medication to your student. (Section 380.1178 of the Michigan School Code).

Please note, no new medications will be accepted without the proper Medication Administration Form on file. Signed forms can be returned to your student's building office via email, fax or hard copy. 

All medications must be dropped off by a parent/legal guardian. Students are not permitted to drop off medications. All medications must be received in their original pharmacy container with a current pharmacy label that states student name, medication name, dosage, and time to be administered . Non-prescription medications must also be in its original packaging/container. School staff are not permitted to administer unlabeled medications. The school will not have any over-the-counter medication(pain reliever, creams, lotions, or cough drops) to dispense to students.

Disposal of Medications:

If medication (either prescription or over-the-counter) is sent to school for your child’s use during the school year, we ask that remaining medication be picked up within one week of the last day of school. All medications must be picked up by a parent/guardian. Any medication that is not picked up will be disposed of properly by our school nurse according to district policy.

If your child is confirmed with head lice here are some steps to follow for treatment/removal:

Killing the lice:

Completely soak the hair with baby oil, making sure to soak the scalp. Put a tight fitting shower cap on and leave on for 8 hours. After 8 hours remove the cap and wash out the oil. You may need to use dish soap to wash out the oil. You can also buy non-prescription lice shampoos at your local stores; use as directed.

Nit removal:

The most important part of getting rid of lice is removing the eggs from the hair as lice shampoos/treatments do not remove eggs. COMB, COMB, COMB!! PICK, PICK, PICK!!  In a well lit room, comb through the child's hair one section at a time using a nit comb. A metal nit comb works best and can be found at most grocery and drugstores. Remember that nits are hard to comb out of hair!

Home Care/Cleaning:

Wash all clothes, hats, scarves, bed/bath lines, or other items the infected person has used for 2 days prior to treatment in hot water and dry on the hot setting.  Items that cannot be laundered can be dry cleaned or placed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.  Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 5-10 minutes.  Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infected person sat or laid.  If you choose to use chemical sprays, use them with caution in a well ventilated area.  They can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

There is a medical emergency tool being used by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) that I would like to share with all of you. Some of you may have already heard of this and may have already done this, but for those of you that haven't, this is a really good idea.

1. Go into the contacts portion of your cell phone.
2. Enter ICE (In Case of Emergency) in the name portion of your contacts.
3. Enter the number(s) of a person(s) that you would want to be contacted in case of emergency.
4. Please get your family to do the same.

Again, EMS knows to check your cell phone and will use this tool if you provide it for them. The MERT (Medical Emergency Response Team) members in each of your school buildings can also use this tool in case of emergency here at school. I hope we never have to use it, but better to be prepared and not need it than not be prepared and need it.

• Always wear sunscreen while you are outside! Your skin is your first line of defense against infections so you want to keep it as healthy as possible. You can get a sunburn in the shade or in cloudy weather too. It is always better to protect your skin for many health reasons.
• Always wear helmets and protective gear while riding bikes, skateboards, roller blades, etc.
• Always obey the rules of the road while riding your bike. It's very important for you to watch for the cars as well as the cars watching out for you. 
• Never swim alone. You should always have a partner while swimming just in case something happens. Even a good swimmer can have an emergency!