Recent ActivityInstructor: Schumacher
Gainesville Middle School Clinic
Mrs. Cathy Schumacher RN BS
I have been a nurse for over 30 years and worked in PWC schools for the last 8 years. Orginally from Chicago I have lived in Virginia for 21yrs. I am at GVMS everyday, feel free to stop in if you have any medical concerns regarding your child.
The purpose of the School Health Program is to create an environment of wellness that supports student learning
Parents/Guardians can help ensure the well being of all our students by
- Following PWCS medication regulations when requesting medication be given to your child at school
- Notifying the school nurse of any health concerns or chronic health conditions that may affect your child’s school day
- Following state guidelines by keeping all immunizations up to date
- Encouraging good hygiene/hand washing practices at home and school
- Keeping emergency cards up to date
- Keeping an ill child home and letting the school know if the illness is contagious
Clinic Announcements  Pennies for PatientsBeginning February 6, 2012 GVMS will be participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s School and & Youth Program, Pennies for Patients. For 3 weeks our students will have the tremendous opportunity to learn, first hand, the powerful feeling that comes from doing something to help others. Individual boxes will be sent home to collect pennies/loose change as well as a letter explaining the program. The pennies will then be collected in home room, with each team having their own collection jar to put the pennies in. The pennies will be counted each day and the totals for that day will be posted by members of the SCA on a chart in the cafeteria. So take a moment to speak with your child about the value of helping others, then flip over the couch cushions or look under the car seats for that spare change and send it to school. Thank you in advance for allowing our students to be involved in this worthwhile endeavor.  PREVENT MENIGITISUnderstanding meningitis is the first step toward preventing it
As your child’s school nurse, I am writing to inform you about meningococcal disease which includes meningitis. Meningococcal meningitis may be rare, but it’s often devastating. It can take the life of a child in just a single day!
Anyone can get meningitis, but preteens and teens are at greater risk than other age groups. In fact, meningococcal vaccination is recommended for the preteens and teens to help protect them from the disease.
Meningococcal meningitis can be spread from one person to another through common everyday activities. This includes sharing eating utensils and drinking glasses, living in close quarters such as summer camps or dormitories, and kissing. Prevention is particularly important because the disease moves quickly and can be difficult to recognize, especially in its early stages, as symptoms are similar to those of the flu. High fever, headache, and stiff neck are common symptoms of meningitis in anyone over the age of 2 years. These symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take 1 to 2 days. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion, and sleepiness. If you ever suspect that your child has meningitis, go to the emergency room right away, where he or she can be evaluated and receive prompt medical care. School nurses across the country have joined with families personally affected by meningitis to help educate parents about the disease and the importance of vaccination through the Voice of Meningitis campaign. I am lending my “voice” to this campaign and urging you to help protect your preteen and teenage children by having them vaccinated. Vaccination has been available for years as a safe and effective way to help protect against the disease. The cost of the vaccine is covered by most health insurance or you can contact your local public health department to determine if your child is eligible to receive the vaccine free of charge through programs like the Vaccines for Children Program. Every health-care visit is an opportunity to talk to your child’s health-care provider about vaccination. For more information about meningococcal meningitis and vaccination, please call or visit my office, or go to www.VoicesOfMeningitis.org.  Start the day offf right...Eat BreakfastChildren are continously growing and changing every day, and a nutritious breakfast gives them the nutritional boost to get the learning process going. Studies have shown that children that eat breakfast,
Some tips for breakfast... Eat quick breakfasts like cereal, peanut butter on toast, fruit or a nutrition bar. Don't like breakfast foods, try cheese and crackers, left overs from dinner or a sandwich. Remember eating something will be better for your metabolism than skipping a meal.  Nutri-CafeNutri-Cafe is a virtual cafeteria on the PWCS web site. It offers our students and parents a chance to make healthy food choices that will last a lifetime. This site provides the nutritional values of each item offered as well as pricing information and what is being served that day. Our students can have fun with this interactive site as they put the food that they select on their tray. It will also help them in making a decision whether to pack or buy their lunch. Let me know what you think of this site. I think that it is a great tool for parents and students as well as myself. To locate the site go to PWCS.edu, select departments, then school food and then click on Virtual Cafeteria at the top of the page.
 Medical Forms for the 2011-2012 School YearMedical forms for the 2011-2012 school year are available on this clinic web site under regulations and forms. The entire regulation should be reviewed. The page noted is the form that should be filled out by parent and/or doctor and brought to school
Discussion Topics |
Clinic Links Scoliosis is the sideways curvature of the spine. I t occurs in otherwise healthy children and be a serious problem if it becomes severe. Below is a link for more information and a Scoliosis fact sheet. |
Regulations and Forms
