** IMPORTANT **
If your child is sick with any illness and has vomiting, diarrhea or a fever greater than 100.4, the child must be free of any of these symptoms for 24 hours, without the use of medications, before they can return to school.

     Ms. Rosemary James, RN
     jamesrl@pwcs.edu 

The Prince William County Police Department is issuing a warning, specifically to the youth community in the county, concerning illicit narcotic use. This awareness follows the recent deaths of two teens in a 48-hour period. Both deaths appear to be connected to counterfeit forms of the drug Percocet, sometimes referred to as "Perc30". The counterfeit drugs in both recent incidents were preliminarily tested and confirmed as being laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is known to be extremely fatal, even in the smallest doses if the effects of an overdose are not recognized and treated immediately.

If you suspect a loved one is overdosing, call 9-1-1 immediately and administer Narcan, if available. Narcan is publicly available in some locations. While the investigations into the two recent deaths are ongoing, investigators have strong suspicions the victims overdosed after having consumed the fentanyl-laced narcotic. The official cause of deaths is pending toxicology results with the Medical Examiner's Office and the origins of how the narcotics were obtained remains under investigation.

The Police Department recognizes our youth population as most susceptible to peer influence and pressures. We implore parents and guardians to take immediate action to actively engage with their children and loved ones as soon as possible about the dangers of drug use and encourage constructive dialogue to prevent further deaths and illness. If suspected illegal narcotics are found, they should not be handled, call police. Prince William County Community Services and Prince William County Public Schools offer resources to help families with this discussion and provide assistance if needed.

Help is also available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Drug Enforcement Agency provides valuable information to help families understand what to look if someone suspects counterfeit narcotic use. The Police Department offers medication disposal boxes at each of the three district stations in the county for residents to dispose of narcotics safely, no questions asked.

 

 

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MEDICATION AT SCHOOL?

If you know your child has a medical condition that will require assistance while at school, please let me know. These might include diabetes, asthma, severe allergies, or seizures. You will be asked to have a health treatment plan completed by your doctor, which will provide us a plan of action to follow that will be consistent with what you and your doctor are already doing for your child. If your child will require medications while at school, PWCS requires the proper forms be completed. All medication must be provided and transported by the parent or an adult.

Health treatment plans must be updated annually. New plans are available online as well as in the clinic. If you have any questions feel free to email me or to call and I will be happy to help you.

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Early Eye Exams

Early diagnosis of eye disease is crucial to the effective treatment and development of a child. A doctor will check the child's vision at birth and again during the first year. With the doctor's recommendation, the next exam should be done at 3 years old, then between the ages of 4 and 5, before entering kindergarten.  

If at any time, you or the doctor feels there might be a problem, you can make an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist. 

In the first year of life the pediatric ophthalmologist, pediatrician, or family doctor will check for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, amblyopia, eye movement ability, proper eye alignment, how the eye reacts to changes in light and darkness, and any general eye problems.  

If you would like for me at any time, to do a screening on your child I will be happy to do that. In school screenings are very helpful but do not substitute for a full exam. Please call the school at 703-580-6501 or email me at  jamesrl@pwcs.edu 

As we are entering the cold and flu season, this is a reminder of the best health practices to decrease the spread and transmission of viruses in PWCS schools.   

• Please remember to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw used tissues in the trash.  
• If you don't have a tissue, cough, or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.  
• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, dry hands with a paper towel, and use the paper towel to turn off the faucet. 
• If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizers may also be used to preform hand hygiene.  
• Remember to stay home when you’re sick until at least 24 hours without a fever or the use of fever reducing medicine.  

Together we can help stop the spread of germs that may make you and others ill.   

HEALTHY SNACKS....

At Porter we aim to foster good health and fitness lifestyles. We encourage our children to add activity to the normal day by offering a chance for them to exercise before lunch, and to make the most of milers club and recess times. Food services has revamped their menus in the past few years to offer more choices of fruits and vegetables. Now, we look to you to help us. 

Children love to celebrate their birthdays at school and we want them to have their special day, too. But instead of sending high calorie, sometimes very large portioned snacks, we encourage you to send something nutritious or to arrange a time with the teacher and bring a book to school to read to the class. How about asking the teacher if there is a special "something" you could donate to the class in his/her name? We have a list of nutritious snacks available for you to choose from as well as some items you could purchase in place of food that would be fun, too. Be a role model for good habits