Guidelines for dismissal of Students from school:             

*Vomitting and/or Diarrhea

*Inflammed red eyes and/or drainage

*Frequent persistent cough

*Drainage from ears and/or severe earache

*Sores that appear infected, or are draining

*Headlice

*Undiagnosed rash

*Communicable diseases

*Any questionable illness or injuries which may require evaluation by a physician

Remember, the #1 way to prevent spread of germs is to WASH YOUR HANDS.  Teaching children to sing a song while they wash is a good way to enforce the necessary time to effectively remove germs while washing hands.  Good ones to choose from, depending on the age of the child, are ABC's, the "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" song, or one of your child's favorite songs.  Don't forget that soap and warm water are much more effective than plain, cold water.  A fun site with interactive games and information on handwashing and prevention of colds and flu is:  www.scrubclub.org 

When it is simply not possible to wash hands with soap and water, a hand sanitizer is another safe and effective way to remove germs from hands.  It also reinforces handwashing efforts, to make sure germs are eliminated.  This is especially important when hands are going into the mouth, such as mealtimes.

For colds and flu remember to: 

*drink plenty of fluids and eat well                                                                     

*get plenty of rest (at least 8-9 hours per night)

*frequently wash hands and avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth.

*use tissues to cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing...and washing hands immediately afterward.

September is Head Lice Prevention Month. Headlice checks are done at Cambridge Public School at least once each school year. The first check is always done in September. If problems arise, or their is reason to provide further checks, they are continued at random throughout the school year. Notification letters are sent out only if headlice is found. Now that school is back in session, check out this educational and helpful link on preventing and treating head lice. http://www.headlice.org/index.html

What's In Your Backpack? Lunch Box? Sports Bag? Greater than 50% of the calls to the Nebraska Regional Poison Center involve medications. Every year the poison center gets calls from schools and daycare centers where medication is found on the floor, in diaper bags, and with students sharing medications.

Putting your child?s medication in a lunch box, sports bag or backpack results in loss of control over how that medication will be used. It puts your child and the other school children at risk. It is important for parents to become familiar with and follow their child?s school medication policy. (See the "Medication Rules" link on the left side of this page for policy information.)

Sports bags may contain asthma inhalers and sports cream. Asthma inhalers should never be shared with other people. Taking too much of these medications can cause flushed skin, tremors, dizziness and heart problems. Sports creams contain ingredients that can be dangerous if ingested or rubbed into the eye.

Parents should also:

* Keep all medications stored in their original container. Never mix medications into other containers, as this makes identifying medications very difficult in case of an emergency.

* Talk to your child about the school?s medication policy.

* Tell children that even though medications may make one child feel better, they can make another child very ill. Also, make them aware that taking more medication than directed on the bottle will not make their child feel better quicker and instead can make them sicker.

* Make teenagers aware that taking over-the-counter pain relievers in amounts larger than prescribed can be very dangerous.

The Nebraska Regional Poison Center offers tips on poison prevention as a free community service. For more information, contact the Nebraska Regional Poison Center by calling (402) 955-5555 in the Omaha metropolitan area or toll-free at 1-800-222-1222. The Nebraska Regional Poison Center is sponsored by The Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University Medical Center, and University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Live Well: Your Guide to Nutrient-Rich Eating. Eating right helps you feel great and stay healthy so you can live well, but sometimes it's hard to know what advice to follow or how to get started. The Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition Web site offers fast and reliable information to help you eat the nutrient-rich way. That means getting the most vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, but not too many calories, from the foods you choose. The information here is based on nutrition guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) MyPyramid. This site gives you the tools, tips and tactics you need to adopt a healthier eating plan, without a lot of time, but with a lot of great taste. Start exploring the nutrient-rich way of eating now and check back for regular updates! http://www.NutrientRichFoods.org