As the new semester begins typically the Nurse's Offices see an uptick of viral illnesses and want to share with you ways to keep your family safe from illness.  

The CDC is reporting this year's flu season is officially underway as of late December.  They are also reporting an unusually high incidence of  Norovirus  (the virus responsible for  vomiting/diarrhea) which is HIGHLY contagious. 

Signs of illness can include any of the following:

• fever

• sore throat

• chest congestion with frequent cough

• body aches

• vomiting

• diarrhea

Please keep your child home if they have fever (100 or higher) in the past 24 hours, vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours and/or frequent cough. Student must be fever free without aid of medications.

Hand washing and disinfecting surfaces frequently touched are the most effective ways to prevent the spread. Avoiding others while having a fever is another way to prevent the spread as that is the most contagious period of any illness.

Should you need medical intervention below are options here in Prairie Grove-

PG Health and Wellness- Community Clinic located beside the Elementary School

Access Medical Clinic (Urgent Care) on Hwy 62

MANA Clinic on Douglas Street

Collier Drug can do testing and can treat some illnesses without seeing a doctor, contact them for information.

We know that by following these simple guidelines students, staff  and your family can be spared the repercussions of these viral illnesses.

Follow the link for vaccination information from AR Children's hospital.

HPV VACCINATION INFORMATION

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS IN ARKANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ACT 1438 of 2005  AN ACT TO MANDATE EYE AND VISION SCREENING PROCEDURES AND TESTS FOR CHILDREN requires screenings of Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th graders. Any new students to the district are also required to be screened, regardless of grade.

The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH) reports that up to 1 in 17 preschool-aged children, 1 in 5 Head Start children, and an estimated 1 in 4 school-aged children have an undetected and untreated vision disorder that can interfere with their ability to develop properly and perform optimally in school. Conducting vision screening within these age groups will detect amblyopia (wandering eye) and uncorrected amblyopia risk factors such as hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism (imperfection in the curvature of the eye), and anisometropia (asymmetric vision).

Impaired vision can seriously impede learning. Early identification and treatment can prevent or alleviate many vision problems.  If your child is found to have failed the vision testing you will be notified by letter.

Approximately 15% of children in the US have hearing loss in one or both ears. Additionally, studies suggest that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is on the rise, with one in every six to eight middle and high school students experiencing detectable hearing loss likely due to excessive exposure to noise. 

Hearing loss can seriously impede learning. Early identification and treatment can prevent the consequences of many hearing problems.  The consequences of untreated hearing loss on a student's development are profound, potentially leading to delayed intellectual, social, speech, language, and academic development. It's crucial that any student with a positive screen is promptly referred to their primary care provider for further consultation and diagnostic testing. 

You will receive a letter from your school nurse if your child fails the hearing screening and is referred for further testing.

Contact your child's school nurse if you have any questions or concerns.