SCHOOL COMMITTEE NOTEBOOK

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

School nurses offer campus health report

School nurses Jane Saletnik, who splits time between Ware Junior/Senior High School (WJSHS) and Ware Middle School (WMS), and Marie Healey, who works at Stanley M. Koziol Elementary School (SMK), appeared before the committee with a campus health report. “Most people don’t realize what we do,” said Saletnik.
Saletnik said the nurses are required to turn in data about students and their health to the state. One of the figures the state is interested in is the percentage of students who return back to class after visiting the nurse’s office as opposed to how many are sent home. The idea is to have as many students returning to class as possible.
Based on the 126 days of school so far, Saletnik said she has seen 2900 students at WJSHS, approximately 24 per day. When Saletnik is in the office, approximately 97 percent of the students return to class. However, Saletnik warned that the percentage is somewhat skewed because of her split time position. “Often when I leave the building, those students leave after me,” she said. Saletnik said when she was at the high school fulltime, about 92 percent of students returned to class.
At WMS, Saletnik has seen 2800 students this year, approximately 22 per day, with a 95 percent return to class rate. At SMK, Healey has seen 4300 students, approximately 35 per day. The return to class rate there is 92 percent, which Saletnik called “remarkable.” According to Saletnik, through conversations with other school nurses she has found the numbers of students visiting the nurse in Ware schools to be about average. Saletnik said district wide there are 21 students with “critical medical conditions” and some with multiple medical problems.
In addition to tending to the students who visit the nurse’s office, the nurses are also responsible for other tasks, such as mandatory screening. At one time, nurses were responsible for screening student in grades K-12 for vision and hearing, but now it’s only for grades K-five.
Additionally, students in grades one, four, seven, and 10 are weighed and that data is sent to the state. “The state has new health initiatives towards preventing obesity,” explained Saletnik. “They want to know how many of the students in those grades are at an average weight, how many are underweight, overweight and obese.” The state also asks the nurses to record the Body Mass Index (or B.M.I.) of each of these students.
Nurses fill out immunization surveys on students in Kindergarten and seventh grade. “It doesn’t only ask whether the students got their mandated shots, but also whether they received recommended immunizations,” said Saletnik. Nurses are also asked to send information to the state on how many students have asthma and diabetes, to keep track of the records on student physicals and to perform checks for scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, on students in grades five through nine.
Saletnik said this year for the first time, the state audited the district’s seventh grade immunization records to ensure the students individual records matched up with the data the district sent in. “We expect they will be doing that more and more,” said Saletnik.
The nurses also oversee the district’s oral-health program including the optional weekly fluoride swish for grades one through six. “Out of the eligible 570 students, 445 take us up on the fluoride swish,” said Saletnik, which is a 78 percent participation rate. Committee Chair Christopher Desjardins asked why parents might opt out of the swish. Saletnik said it is possible for children to have too much fluoride and some families take fluoride tablets at home. In some cases, students simply don’t want to take the swish and their parents comply with their wishes.
Healey outlined a new oral health initiative at SMK, coordinated through Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, where a dental group called BEST Oral Health out of Springfield has piloted a program with school children. In December and January, 44 SMK students received on-site education about good oral health practices, cleanings and sealants. Soon, a dentist will return to the school to provide those children with dental exams and if needed, x-rays, fillings and extractions. Saletnik said the district was very fortunate to have this service. “We have a lot of students who need a lot of help,” she said. Next year, BEST Oral Health hopes to expand to include WMS.

First public reading of school district budget set for April 13 meeting
Budget Subcommittee Chair Aaron Sawabi announced that the first public reading of the school district budget will take place at the next school committee meeting on April 13. The public is invited to attend and to offer their input on the budget.