April 2025

Health Office Updates: Get Ready for Puberty Days! Our School Nurses and City Connects Coordinators are preparing to deliver important lessons on personal hygiene and puberty to all 4th and 5th-grade students. You'll soon receive a notice from your school nurse with the specific schedule for these lessons at your child's school.

While you have the option to excuse your child from these lessons by sending a written notice to the school nurse, we strongly encourage their participation. We believe these lessons provide valuable and informative guidance during a significant developmental stage in a safe environment where all students are respected and encouraged to form their own opinions. We also recognize that puberty education begins at home, and we encourage families to use this as an opportunity to discuss their values and perspectives with their children. We will encourage students to share what they learn with you.

If you have any questions about the curriculum, please don't hesitate to contact your school nurse or visit the SPS website for more information.

Health Office Updates: Postural Screenings Coming this Spring: This spring, we will conduct the state-mandated postural screening for all students in grades 5 through 9. School nurses, with the assistance of physical education teachers, will perform these assessments during physical education classes. The screening involves a visual assessment of student posture, ensuring no physical contact. We will maintain the privacy of each child throughout the process. You will receive a letter from your school nurse with the specific screening schedule for your child's school. Caregivers may excuse their child from the screening by submitting a written request to the school nurse.

Please direct any questions to your child's school nurse or visit the SPS website for further information.

Spring is in full swing! All of nature's new growth brings unwanted symptoms of seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies also known as allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, seasonal allergy symptoms occur when airborne irritants, or allergens, enter the eyes, nose and throat, setting off an allergic reaction. In the spring, flower and tree pollen are common culprits.

How do you deal with seasonal allergies?

Avoiding the allergen is important, but not always practical – it’s hard to avoid pollen in the spring! Here are some tips:

Pollen:

• Minimize contact with pollen – watch local pollen reports.

• Change clothes and remove shoes immediately after being outdoors.

• Bath or shower before going to bed to rinse off any pollen collected on skin and hair during the day

• Clean or replace filters in HVAC systems once a month.

In combination with taking steps to limit your child’s exposure to allergy triggers, there are many safe, effective allergy medicines that target specific symptoms your child is struggling with the most.

Most allergy medications are now over the counter and generally fall into the categories of oral antihistamines, nose sprays and eye drops. Be sure to talk to your pediatrician or nurse practitioner about the best options for your child.

If your student requires medication to treat their seasonal allergy symptoms, make sure they take it before going to school to set them up for a good day of learning!

April is peak asparagus season! Asparagus is versatile, delicious, easy to prepare, and, most importantly, nutritious. Though asparagus is low in calories, it’s dense in nutrients. Asparagus is an excellent source of Vitamin K, and also contains a bit of Vitamins C, A, and E, folate, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and riboflavin. Pretty impressive little spears!

Keep it simple with The Perfect Roasted Asparagus Recipe, or make it part of this veggie packed Puff Pastry Tart Recipe.