Health Screenings:
Byam will be conducting Health Screenings for grades K-4 on January 14th, 15th, and 16th.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Regulation requires students be screened at Chelmsford Public Schools at certain intervals. In elementary school, your child will be screened for:
Hearing: Grades *K, 1, 2, 3
Near/Distance Vision with stereopsis testing: Grades *K, 1, 2, 3
Distance Visual acuity: Grade 4
Height/Weight: Grades 1, 4
*Kindergarten: Upon entering kindergarten ,or within 30 days of the start of school, the guardian shall present to school the Health Care Provider documentation from within the previous 12 months that the child has passed a vision screening. If your kindergarten child is missing a hearing or vision screening, it will be done at school.
Please make sure your student brings or wears their prescribed eyeglasses at school for the vision screening. Alternatively, if your child is currently under the care of an optometrist and you would like to opt out of the vision screening, please email me at pappoe@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
You can opt your child out of any (or all) of these screenings. If you choose to have your child opt out of any of these screenings, please email me to exclude your student from participating. Please email me opt out requests by Monday January 5th at pappoe@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Absences/Illnesses
We are seeing an increase in student absences and daily visits to the nurse due to a variety of illnesses, including strep throat, influenza, fever, and cold symptoms. There are over 500 students at Byam- including some who are more vulnerable to complications from illness- it is essential that we work together to protect the health of our students and staff. Following our illness protocols helps keep everyone safe.
Return-to-School Illness Protocols:
Students may return to school after 24 hours have passed since the last fever, and without the use of fever-reducing medication (Tylenol/Acetaminophen or Motrin/Ibuprofen/Advil. A fever is any temperature above 100F. If your child needs a dose of tylenol or motrin to feel well enough to attend school, then they are not yet ready to return.
Students must be free from vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours before returning to school
-Please ensure your child feels well, appears well and can fully participate in the school day before sending them to school.
Your adherence to these protocols helps us maintain a healthy school environment for all students and staff.
If you have any questions about whether your child is well enough to attend or return to school please do not hesitate to contact me.
Head Lice:
The following information is helpful to keep in mind about head lice:
Head lice can happen to anyone. It is not a sign of poor hygiene habits or of being dirty. Even though they do not jump or fly, lice can spread from one student to another by sharing combs, brushes, clothing, and hats.
Please do your part to prevent the spread of this communicable condition by checking your child(ren) on a regular basis. Lice infestation is much easier to treat if caught early. If you should discover a case of head lice, please notify the health office, as well as the parents of your child’s close contacts. This is the best way to protect your family and community.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/from-insects-animals/Pages/signs-of-lice.aspx
Nurse Pappo
Phone (978) 251-5144 x6404
pappoe@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
