Hello. My name is Nancy Griggs and I am the School Nurse at Mary G. Porter Traditional School. My backgroung is varied and includes experiences in CCU, telemetry, ICU, RICU, cardiac rehabilitation, office nursing, and teaching LPN's. I went to Northern Michigan University and graduated with a BSN. I started working with PWCS in 1995 at Montclair Elementary School and eleven years ago, I became a school nurse. I love children and helping them to grow up healthy and happy.
 FREE EYE EXAMS
Free Eye Exams provided by The Prince William Area Free Clinic and the Lions Club
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Location: St. Margaret's Anglican Church, 13900 Church Hill Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22191
Time: 09:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Patients will be seen on a first come first serve basis. Patients must bring the following items:
1. Proof of residence in Prince William County, Manassas City, and Manassas Park
2. Proof of family income
3. Photo ID
Questions please call 703-702-7349
Scoliosis Dear Parents: Children in grades 5 through 10 will be bringing home a letter about Scoliosis, a developmental abnormality of the spine. Scoliosis may occur in otherwise healthy children and most often occurs during the growth years, ages 10-17. Early diagnosis and treatment of the condition is very important. You will receive a fact sheet explaining scoliosis and an at home screening description. This is done in accordance with the state mandate and PWCS regulation 753.01. You can find a link to this regulation on the clinic page.
 Epilepsy Awareness Month November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. A national survey showed that about 70% of teens thought that epilepsy was contagious or might be a mental illness. More would not know what to do if someone had a seizure. Statistics show that aobut 1% of students have epilepsy. That means 1 out of every 100 students may have a seizure at any time, without warning. Will you be prepared? Will you recognize a seizure is occurring?
For more information, please refer to the following websites:
www.epilepsyfoundation.org
www.NOMORESEIZURES.ORG
www.GETSEIZURESMART.ORG
IMPORTANT: 6th GRADERS Immunization Requirements for Rising 6th Graders  
(Displays 1/25/2010)
Attention Parents and Guardians:
Rising 6th graders are urged to see their physician, a local urgent care, or to visit the Public Health Dep't. for the required Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertussis shot . Documentation of this shot, known as Tdap, must be on file the first day of school, next September, for the child to attend school. If your child is not yet 11 years old and the doctor has chosen to wait until their 11th birthday to give the shot, please bring a note from the doctor indicating this and what date the child will receive the shot. Children without documentation of having received the shot or a note from the doctor will not be able to attend school until the shot is received. If you have any questions, please call me. I will be happy to help you with this.
Nancy Griggs
703-580-6501 DID YOU KNOW? Parents of children with asthma can request the emergency medication called Ventolin (The same type of medication as Albuterol). It comes with 40 doses vs. 200 doses (as in other inhalers) and costs only $9.00 with NO insurance.
 Are Lice Bugging You? Although at Porter we have not seen a significant rise, throughout PWC the nurses are reporting seeing more children with head lice. Head lice are not a DISEASE PROCESS, they are only a NUISANCE! Should you find head lice in your child's hair, please REMEMBER THERE IS A SCHOOL POLICY and report it to me. I will be on the lookout for more cases in our school. Do you like pictures and detailed information? The NASN website has a great power point with detailed information about head lice and how to treat it! You will find information in English and in Spanish, too. Don't hesitate to call me if you have any other questions. Please visit www.NASN.com and refer to the circle with the S.C.R.A.T.C.H information.
 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 opthalmologist.
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 Griggsnc@pwcs.edu.  Medical Conditions Medical Conditions
Dear Parents and Guardians,
At the beginning of the year, you will be asked to complete an emergency card for each of your children. This is our way of knowing any medical condition that your child has and also provides us with your permission to have your child transported and treated in the emergency room if necessary and in the event of an emergency. It is your responsibility to keep your contact information updated throughout the year. If your information changes, you accept a new job or you decide to only use a cell phone or your emergency contact people change their information, please call, email, or write a note to the office and let us know. You may also want to complete another card. This will ensure we have the proper information to reach you in case of an emergency.
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, for example. 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, PWCPS requires the proper forms be completed. All medication must be provided and transported by the parent or an adult.
You will find forms on this website for the above medical conditions. If you have any questions feel free to email me or to call and I will be happy to help you.
Nancy Griggs, R.N.B.S.N
Porter Traditional School
703-580-6501 9-5-2-1-0 For Health Dear Parents and Guardians,
Have you noticed the number "9" in the hallways and around our school? We have joined with the Northern Virginia Healthy Kids Coalition to campaign 4 Healthier Lifestyles.
9- Get at least 9 hours of sleep each day
5- Eat 5 fruits and vegetables per day
2- Limit screen time to no more than 2 hours per day outside of school
1- Get at least 1 hour of physical activity per day
0- Avoid beverages with added sugar
Each day this week, we will be focusing our attention on each of the numbers and what they stand for. Ask your child to tell you what they have learned as we talk about each one.
For more information you can go to www.TippingTheScales.net
Clinic Supplies Did you know that you can receive donation credit for bringing in supplies for the clinic? The following items are easily available and "priceless" in the clinic:
- Reclosable bags-snack, sandwich, or quart size
- Shoe laces - flat (round ones are harder to tie) brown, black, or white for tennis shoes
- Tissues (the more the better)
- Small sized drinking cups (4-5 ozs)
- New or slightly used belts
- New or slightly used unisex sweats, both pants and shirts
THANK YOU!
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.
 Prevent the Spread of Germs Cold and flu season is well underway and we are experiencing the effects of the many viruses including seasonal flu, the common cold and the novel H1N1 flu. The CDC directs all persons to be extra mindful of good hygiene.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Wash you hands frequently or use the hand sanitizers if water and soap are not available
- Throw away used tissues and do not pocket them
- Allow your self room between people to avoid contact with germs
- Avoid touching your face (nose, mouth, and eyes)
- Stay home and keep your children home when signs of illness appear
- Be fever free without medicines 24 hours before returning to work and school
If your child is sick with any illness and has vomiting, diarrhea or a fever greater than 100.0, the child must be free of any of these symptoms for 24 hours, without the use of medications, before they can return to school.
Human Papilloma Virus vaccination is highly recommended by the Commonwealth of Va and the CDC. HPV can cause cancer in women. The HPV vaccine is the first vaccine developed to prevent cancer and targets four of the most common strains of the virus that cause cervical cancer. Girls, ages, 12-26 are recommended to receive the vaccine. Please refer to the PWCS website for more information. Tdap Requirement for Rising 6th Graders |
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