January 2025

Happy New Year to all! We hope that 2025 brings you good health, good fortune and peace.

This month, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While we enjoy the long weekend in his honor, the nursing staff would like to challenge all to perform a random act of kindness this month in his honor. Dr. King was committed to building a better future for all. We can't think of a better way to commemorate his memory than serving our peers within the school community.

Important Notice: Follow-Up on School Health Screenings

This school year, our school nurses have been diligently conducting vision and hearing screenings in all schools for specific grade levels.

If you recently received a referral letter regarding your child's vision or hearing screening, please take the following steps:

1. Schedule an appointment: Please schedule an appointment with your child's pediatrician or a specialist healthcare provider as soon as possible.

2. Complete the referral letter: During the appointment, kindly ask your child's doctor to complete the response section of the referral letter.

3. Return the letter promptly: Please return the completed referral letter to your child's school nurse as quickly as possible. This information is crucial to ensure your child has the necessary support to succeed in their learning environment.

For more information about school health screenings:

• Visit our district website: School Health Screenings

• Contact your school nurse: Meet the Nurses

We appreciate your prompt attention to this important matter.

'Tis the season for sledding, snowball fights, playing in the snow.... and accidents happen. Do you know what to do for a dental emergency? Here are some tips to guide you through an unfortunate event:

• Bitten tongue, lip, or cheek: If your child has a bitten tongue, lip, or cheek clean the bite gently with water and use a cold compress (a cold, wet towel or washcloth pressed firmly against the area) to reduce or avoid swelling. If the bleeding is difficult to control, call the dentist office to help determine the seriousness of the injury.
• Object caught in teeth: If your child has something caught between their teeth, first, try to remove the object by using dental floss. Never use a metal, plastic, or sharp tool to remove a stuck object. If you are unable to remove the item with dental floss, call the dental office.
• Knocked-out tooth: When a tooth or teeth have been knocked out, it is important to keep and preserve each tooth and bring your child to the dentist as soon as possible. To preserve the tooth, it must be kept moist. If dirty, gently rinse with warm water, but leave any tissue fragments in place. Then, if at all possible, try to insert the tooth back into the socket very carefully. If you can’t place it in the socket, place the tooth in the mouth next to the cheek, or place in milk/water. After preserving the tooth call your dentist immediately. The faster you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth.
• Loose tooth: A loose baby tooth is normal and expected. If your child’s tooth didn’t loosen naturally, call the dentist to schedule an exam
• Cracked, broken, or chipped tooth: Contact the dentist immediately to schedule an exam. Locate any tooth fragments, place them in cold milk or water and bring them with you to your appointment. To clean the area inside the mouth, use a warm water rinse, having made sure there are no tooth fragments between the cheek and jaw.
• Toothache: If your child complains of a toothache, rinse the mouth with warm water and inspect the teeth to be sure there is nothing caught between them. If pain continues, use a cold compress to ease the pain. Over-the-counter children’s pain medicine used accordingly as directed may ease the pain. Schedule a dental appointment immediately.
• Broken jaw If you suspect that your child has fractured his/her jaw, try to keep the jaw from moving by using a towel to immobilize the jaw. Then, take your child to the emergency room as soon as possible.

For more information, please click HERE

This recipe provides the perfect fuel for busy families on cold mornings. It can be made ahead of time and reheated when ready to serve. A perfect breakfast to keep those bellies warm!

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup almonds
• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
• 1 cup fresh raspberries, divided
• Greek Yogurt to serve

Instructions

• Please click HERE for cooking and serving instructions

• The Trustees: The Trustees at The Crane Estate offers a variety of programming to get your family outdoors. Events include Family Winter Wildlife Walks, Sunset Hikes to Cedar Point with Firepits, and exploration of the shipwreck on Crane's Beach. Please click HERE for additional information.
• Market Street Rink: The outdoor Rink at Market Street is a fun spot to skate. Please click HERE for more information.
• Sledding Spots: Here are some spots that people like to use in the area:
• Kernwood Country Club
• Mack Park
• Olde Salem Greens Golf Course
• Maple Season at Appleton Farms: There are events for children and adults during weekends in early February,. Please click HERE for more information.
• Salem So Sweet Festival: This event takes place the weekend of Friday, February 7th. This event includes ice sculptures throughout the downtown area and many deals in local shops. Please click HERE