to the Nurse's Office at the Spring Cove Middle School

My name is Joanne Kennedy and I have been the nurse at the middle school since February 1998.  I have been a member of the Student Assistant Program (C.A.R.E. Team) since September 2003.  I maintain a very open door policy to my office for students, teachers, staff and parents. 

The most important job of a nurse in school is to assist students in attaining and maintaining their optimum level of health so that they can grow physically, emotionally, spiritually and academically.  Nurses in schools are in partnership with parents who have the primary responsibility for the health of their children. 

To see what screenings, health exams, and immunizations are required for your child please click on your child's grade listed at the bottom of this page.  Check our school calendar for the dates of physicals, dentals, and sports physicals.  Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions about the health of your child, medications, or treatments that are required during school hours or about school health policies.  You can email me anytime at jkennedy@scsd.k2pen.com or call me at 224-2106 between 7:30 am and 3:00 pm.

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If you will be in 7th or 8th grade in the 2008-2009 school year and plan on playing a sport please be advised that there is a new form for your "sport's physical" so that you are eligible to play sports for the school.  Please go to: 

  http://tinyurl.com/yvfwpn

Print this form, complete the parent pages and then take it to your family physician anytime after June 1, 2008 and have them complete the physical page.  If you have an annual physical scheduled you may want to have both done at the same time. 

If you have any questions you can call the Athletic Office at Central High School at 793-2111.

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 Confused about BMI and the letter you receive in January?  Check out:

 http://tinyurl.com/5fr5uu

Forms for physical exams and for dental exams are included in your first day packets, can be requested to be sent home with your child or can be found online.  Please check under your grade level at the bottom of this page to see when these exams need to be completed. To find the forms online click on the following link to print and use.

http://springcove.schoolnet.com/outreach/martinsburg/nurse/  ********************************************************************************* 

8 Unmistakable Signs of the Flu

 

http://tinyurl.com/6zs69d

 

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications. For this reason, it's important to know the symptoms so you can get treatment fast, both for your own sake and so you don't pass the disease on to others. The telltale signs include:

• Fever (usually high)
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness/fatigue
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches
• Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, can also occur but are more common in children than adults.

If you develop flulike symptoms and are concerned about your illness, consult your health care provider. This is especially important for those at high risk for complications from the flu virus, including people 65 and older, those with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, and young children.

Last updated: May 2007

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC does not recommend or endorse any company advertised on this site.

Published: 08/27/07

MONDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Backpacks help kids carry schoolbooks and supplies, but they can also be harmful when overloaded and/or improperly fitted, warns the American Physical Therapy Association.

"Wearing backpacks improperly or ones that are too heavy put children at increased frisk for musculoskeletal injuries," Mary Ann Wilmarth, assistant dean and director of the transitional doctors of physical therapy degree at Northeastern University in Boston, said in a prepared statement. She's conducted a number of studies on school backpacks.

Injuries occur when children use faulty postures -- such as arching the back, bending forward, twisting, or leaning to one side -- when they're trying to manage a heavily loaded backpack. These faulty postures can cause improper spinal alignment, which hampers the functioning of spinal discs that provide shock absorption, Wilmarth explained.

Overloaded backpacks also place an extra burden on muscles and soft tissues, causing fatigue and strain that increases the risk of neck, shoulder and back injuries.

Wilmarth offered some backpack safety tips:

• Use both straps in order to better distribute the weight of the backpack and to promote a well-aligned, symmetrical posture. Using one strap means that one side of the body has to bear most of the weight of the backpack.
• Be careful when putting on and removing backpacks. Keep the trunk of the body stable and avoid excessive twisting.
• The backpack should be positioned evenly in the middle of the back, near the wearer's center of gravity. The backpack should not extend below the lower back. Adjust the shoulder straps so that the child is able to put on and remove the backpack without difficulty. While the straps should not be too loose, they should be adjusted to permit free movement of the arms.
• Keep the load at 10 percent to 15 percent or less of the child's bodyweight. Children should carry only items they require for the day. The heaviest items in the backpack should be positioned closest to the back.
• Encourage children to be active, in order to promote better muscle strength and flexibility, which makes it easier to carry a backpack.

    Check out my "links" at the bottom of this page for some fun sits to learn about health, growing up, charities you can help and maybe even some games!    If you have anything that you think might be interesting to other parents or students on health please email me at jkennedy@scsd.k12pen.com