Winter Wellness Guide

Communicator
November 2014, Volume 38, Issue 3

Ensuring the health and well-being of students is essential to any great school. And with flu-season approaching and public health issues such as enterovirus looming large, student wellness is likely at the forefront of educators’ minds.

These resources on hot health topics can help you, your teachers, and parents boost students’ wellness and keep them ready to learn.

Health Concern: Distributing information about Ebola and enterovirus D68
Resource: Guidelines for Ebola and Enterovirus D68
The CDC and the Department of Education assembled these tips and resources for school and community leaders regarding enterovirus and Ebola. Not only do these guidelines offer best practices for schools, but they detail how to best communicate with parents and community members about these health concerns.

Health Concern: Fighting flu and germs
Resource: Report to Parents: Fight Flu and Germs
From NAESP’s Report to Parents archive, this resource provides families with information to help their children avoid germs, and how to take care of their health and learning needs in case they do get sick. This helpful handout is available in both English and Spanish.

Health Concern: Supporting and maximizing your school nurse
Resource: “More Than First Aid,” Principal, September/October 2011
School nurses are more than just waypoints for students being sent home. This article from the Principal issue on school health shows how principals can maximize the impact of their registered school nurse. Learn about the many different roles nurses can fill and how they can keep students healthy.

Health Concern: Improving air quality
Resource: “A Breath of Fresh Air,” Principal, September/October 2011
Improving air quality might not be on the top of every principal’s to-do list, but research shows it has an impact on absenteeism, student concentration, and test scores. Learn how air quality affects your students, and some simple steps you can take to improve it.

Health Concern: Maintaining all-around wellness
Resource: “Wellness Matters,” Principal, September/October 2011
Creating a healthy school means more than just keeping kids from getting sick. A year-round commitment to student wellness and physical fitness can help strengthen immune systems and student learning. This Principal article from a Houston elementary school principal details how she made wellness a priority for her students.

Health concern: Promoting mental and physical fitness
Resource: Report to Parents: Keep Your Children Mentally and Physically Fit
Principals know that a great education is about considering the whole child. The mental and physical well-being of students is essential to learning. This Report to Parents handout offers tips for families to help keep their kids healthy on both fronts.

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