September is emergency preparedness month! You can take action by
developing a family preparedness plan for weather emergencies, power outages and other events. Whether following advice to stay in your home under a shelter-in-place request or to evacuate your home and neighborhood, be informed, plan ahead, and be prepared. For more information and tips on how to create an action plan, please click here.

Could your first through fifth grade child benefit from the consistent, caring friendship of a Newton teenager?   Newton's One to One Program has an enthusiastic and responsible new group of high school juniors & seniors from Newton North and Newton South High Schools. If you would like the opportunity to have your child matched this academic year with a "Big Brother/Sister", please call or email Nancy Holczer, Program Director, by the end of October for more information.  Sooner is better through.  Please leave a message when calling 617.559.9460 with your name, address, and phone number or email info to Nancy. This has been a program of the Newton Public Schools since 1972.    

Seasonal flu vaccination clinics will be held during the school day at the Newton Public Schools in October and November. Students in Kindergarten through grade 12 may receive the vaccine. 

 

The Burr School clinic will be on Thursday, October 17. Each student to be vaccinated must have a parent/guardian complete two forms: a consent/screening form and a vaccine administration record/ insurance form. Forms are available in the school nurse's office, or may be downloaded at www.newtonma.gov/flu. Forms are due back to the School Nurse Tuesday, October 15.

Parents may choose the flu shot or the nasal spray flu vaccine for their child. Parents must indicate the type of vaccine they wish their child to receive by checking it on the form.

Students in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd grade whose parents choose the flu shot will receive the quadrivalent flu shot that protects against four strains of the flu. Students in 3rd through 12th grade whose parents choose the flu shot will receive the trivalent flu shot that protects against 3 strains of the flu. All nasal spray flu vaccine is quadrivalent, so all students in Kindergarten through 12th grade whose parents choose the nasal spray flu vaccine will receive quadrivalent nasal spray flu vaccine.

Vaccine Information Statements about each type of vaccine are available for review at www.newtonma.gov/flu or in the school nurse's office. There is no cost to receive the vaccine, but insurance information is requested. 

Seasonal flu vaccine is offered at no cost to families because the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is providing vaccine to communities who choose to vaccinate school-age children. The City of Newton Health & Human Services Department is providing the vaccination supplies and staff time to run the program, with the  help of Medical Reserve Corps volunteers. Some costs will be recouped through insurance billing. All students, regardless of insurance status, are invited to receive vaccine with parent permission.

Please let your child's health care provider know the date s/he receives the flu vaccine so it can be documented in your child's vaccination record. If you or your pediatrician requires a copy of the vaccination record, it is available upon request from the school nurse at your child's school.

Students are not required to receive flu vaccine, however the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends flu vaccine for all people age 6 months and up. There are many places to get a flu vaccine 

including at school, your primary health care provider or community clinics. For additional clinic dates for the whole family, visit www.newtonma.gov/flu.

In addition to vaccination, it is important to practice good hand hygiene and cough etiquette by washing hands often; covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the arm; and staying home when sick. 

For more flu prevention tips, talk to the school nurse or check out these websites: www.newtonma.gov/flu and www.cdc.gov/flu 

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Looking for help around the house? Light cleaning, laundry, ironing and organizing are my specialty! I am also available to drive children to/from activities. Have an older sibling learning Spanish? I tutor as well. Please contact Patricia (mom of 2nd grader Maria) if interested at patricia_panedigrano@hotmail.com or cell 857-229-5411