School Nurse

Sherree Hodgson, BSN RN 

Click on the CareDox icon below to update your child’s health information.

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The FES School Nurse is a Registered Nurse, licensed by the State of New Hampshire, who advocates for children’s health in the educational setting. The goal of the health office is to advance the well-being and academic success of our students and to help prepare them for a productive and healthy future.

Healthy students are more able to be successful in every aspect of one’s school and home life. The health office encourages students to develop healthy eating habits, get sufficient sleep, see their health care provider and dentist regularly, practice good hygiene and wear appropriate clothing for our variable New England weather.

The School Nurse conducts routine height, weight, vision and hearing screenings, monitors communicable disease, maintains health records, provides individualized nursing services for students with disabilities and/or health conditions and attends to illnesses and injuries that occur at school. Also, she provides students, staff, and parents with relevant health and safety education. Books on many health and childcare issues are available for loan. Parents are welcome to call or visit the Health Office anytime with information or questions about their children’s health.

Here are some key health questions about which parents routinely seek additional information:
Health Insurance
For uninsured children, Well Sense offers affordable and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs and more.
Cost is based on family size and income – and may be free for some children. Vision coverage for uninsured children may also be available. As is access to free bike helmets and car seats. Well Sense Health Plan can provide you with more information. Alternatively you can call the Health Office at 547-2976 ext. 106 for more information.

Records of Immunizations and Physical Examinations
The School Nurse is responsible for implementing state laws and expectations regarding immunizations and physical examination.
Before a child is allowed to start school at FES, parents must provide written documentation of all immunizations and a current physical from a health care provider.

Routine Vision and Hearing Screenings
Routine vision and hearing screenings will take place throughout the year. You will receive a note when your child has been examined.
If your child complains of headaches, blurred vision, or other evidence of eye strain, he/she should be fully checked by an optometrist. If there are significant hearing problems, an audiologist exam is advised.

Illnesses

The main reasons for keeping your child home from school are:

1. He or she is too sick to be comfortable and able to learn at school.
2. He or she might spread a contagious disease to the other children.

Because of these health and safety concerns, no child should attend school if he/she has any of the following conditions: fever; a sore throat or an earache; a serious cold or a cough; sick or aching stomach; vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours; or any skin rash. Sick children will be sent home from school. The School Nurse may require a doctor’s note before a student returning to school.

Sore throats are very common throughout childhood; however, it is important to be alert for a streptococcus or “strep” infection that can only be accurately diagnosed through a throat culture. If your child is diagnosed with strep or any other infection requiring antibiotics, the prescribed antibiotics must be taken for the full length of time prescribed by the doctor.

Children may return to school after 24 hours on antibiotics and when their temperature has been normal for 24 hours.

Please remember always to make sure that the school knows how to reach you (or an emergency contact person) during the day, especially if your child has not been well. Also, keep in mind that handwashing is the single most important intervention to help prevent the spread of infection.