The Health and Wellness area of our website is your guide to the services required of and provided by your school nurses. Here, parents and guardians can learn how to provide the school nurses with the information needed to ensure that children receive the best possible health care while in school.You will find various forms required by the Fleetwood Area School District Health Services including, physical examination forms, dental examination forms, medication administration forms, etc. as well as information about state-mandated health care requirements and services available through your school nurses. You will also be able to view activities sponsored by the various health rooms in the District to encourage health and wellness in the students of the District.
Why are we concerned with health in schools?
Healthy children perform better in school. They learn faster, more thoroughly, and retain that information longer than children who are not healthy. Learning is a child's work, and, just like as parents who don't function well at their jobs when they are ill or injured, the student cannot function well if he or she feels sick or suffers from an improperly controlled medical condition. Good health is fundamental to effective student learning and successful academic performance.
How do we monitor student's health at school?
The school nurse will contact you as needed concerning illness, injury, and health screenings. Students who are ill and have a temperature of greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit are usually sent home. If your child doesn't feel well in the morning, please check his/her temperature before leaving for school. If you administer any medication for illness, it is helpful if you call or send a note to let us know the name and dosage of the medication. We will administer any medications listed on the Health OLR that you have authorized for use.
If your child needs medications (prescription or over-the-counter) other than those listed on the Health OLR, you must complete a Request to Administer Medication form, signed by both you and your doctor. The Pennsylvania Nurse Practice Act forbids administration of prescribed medications by RNs and LPNs unless directly authorized by a medical doctor.
Vision, height, and weight are screened annually and as needed for each student. If there is an abnormality in vision, you will be notified and asked to pursue further evaluation with an optometrist or ophthalmologist. As a result of the general concern about obesity in this country, beginning this school year, your child's height, weight, and BMI will be reported to you. Hearing is checked annually through third grade, then again in seventh and eleventh grades. If a child has a known hearing problem or has an IEP for any reason, hearing is checked annually and as needed. In grade 7, all students are screened for scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. Abnormalities are reported to parents and rechecked by physical therapists from Reading Berks Physical Therapy, who may recommend further follow-up.
Physical and dental examinations are available free of charge through your child’s school. Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health, serves as our school district physician provider, and White Oak Dentistry provides dental services. You must return the appropriate signed form granting permission for your child to be examined at school. School examinations are generally scheduled in January or February.
Annual Health and Emergency Information Update
The Fleetwood Area School District has streamlined the beginning-of-the-year paperwork within the Parent Portal. Before the first day of school, it is important to complete this digital paperwork to ensure the District has all the necessary information to help keep your student(s) safe.
- To complete this required process, please click the following link: Fleetwood Area School District Parent Portal
How can we optimize children's health?
Good health starts at home. Children of all ages need optimal nutrition, enough sleep and exercise, and adequate medical and dental care. A few preventative measures go a long way, too.
Optimal nutrition, what is it, and how do we achieve it? The Food Guide Pyramid was revised in in the 2010's and renamed My Plate to reflect a healthier, more individualized guide to healthy eating. You can view the USDA MyPlate website by clicking here. It's important to keep in mind the serving size, and to strive to provide whole grains rather than processed grain products. For example, ditch the white bread and choose whole wheat, multigrain, or oat bread instead. Plus, a variety of fruits and veggies--5-9 servings a day--is recommended. Limit sugar, fat, and salt; choose low-fat dairy (at least 4 servings daily!) and meat products; and aim for lots of fiber and 8-10 glasses of water or liquids daily.
The 3 meal format is still a good guide. It is crucial that children eat breakfast, even if it's only milk, a banana, and toast. People who eat a nourishing breakfast containing adequate calories have been shown to perform better academically, weigh less, possess more energy, enjoy better health, and live longer. So--get on the breakfast bandwagon! Encourage your student to select and eat nutritious foods in the school cafeteria. Impress upon them that school lunch does not consist of a soft pretzel, chips, and cookies. Remind them that catsup is not a vegetable. The school lunch program does provide nutritionally balanced meals, if a little heavy on the fats and processed carbs, but kids need to choose and eat the prescribed meal.