Looking for ways to increase your impact on your students' health? Read the Stats4Vax blog highlighting resources to aid in efforts to improve teen vaccination rates in schools. For high school nurses in North Carolina, California, and Florida, there's a little something extra - the Stats4Vax Challenge! Uncover and help improve student vaccination rates in your school over the course of the year to win an all-expense paid trip to the 2018 NASN Annual Conference.

This week, we are celebrating NASN's partnership with VSP Vision Care.  NASN members have access to gift certificates redeemable by students who qualify for vision care through the Sight for Students program.  Are you a Sight for Students community partner? Tweet why you love the program; include NASN's handle @schoolnurses and the hashtag #NASNPower. Get graphics for your tweet.

NASN recently attended the launch of the the Modern Medicaid Alliance, a coalition of more than two dozen national advocacy groups, including NASN devoted to highlighting the positive benefits, results and innovations that Medicaid brings to those who rely on it. The Modern Medicaid Alliance will educate policymakers and public about the benefits that Medicaid brings its user by promoting high-quality care and lower costs.

Listen to the latest NASN Radio podcast for information and ideas that can help you assist newly insured students and families access a range of healthcare services.

You have the opportunity to provide comments on the draft School Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice document. Please consider taking the time to review and provide feedback prior to the document being submitted to the American Nurses Association for publication. Comment accepted through October 30, 2016. Learn more and access the draft document.

Four school nurses recently visited the NASN offices in Silver Spring, Maryland, to learn more about school nursing in the United States and the role of a professional nursing organization. The visit was part of a larger journey by the nurses to various locations in the U.S., as well as the United Kingdom and Sweden. The group will synthesize their findings in hopes of increasing the number of school nurses in Australia.

In this week's "Pinned" Discussion, school nurses discuss screening practices.  Many have already shared and the discussion is still open.  If you'd like to read or respond to this discussion, you can find it "pinned" to the SchoolNurseNet home page. You will need to login to access.

The National Diabetes Education Program, a program of the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has released an update of its school guide, Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel. This updated version, which is available online, provides a set of best practices and tools that enable school teams lead by school nurses
to ensure a safe learning environment for students living with diabetes.

School-based dental sealant programs deliver a highly effective intervention to prevent tooth decay in children. Benefits of these programs exceed their costs when they target children at high risk for tooth decay. Current prevalences of sealant use and untreated tooth decay among children aged 6-11 years, by income level, reveals the mean number of decayed and filled first molars was almost three times higher among children without sealants than among children with sealants. Read more.

Parents of students with food allergies fear for their child's safety, and fears are compounded when children go to school. Education and communication with school staff and other parents about food allergies are the best ways to reduce fear and manage a student's allergy. Learn more.

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors' (NACDD) new resource, School Attendance, Chronic Health Conditions and Leveraging Data for Improvement: Recommendations for State Education and Health Departments to Address Student Absenteeism, describes connections between school attendance and chronic health conditions, discusses challenges and opportunities for data collection and use, and promotes the integration of school health services, specifically nursing, into efforts to improve school attendance.

The Get in Touch Foundation celebrates "Git Your Pink On!" Day Friday, October 21, 2016, to help "change the world one girl at a time!"

Schools can now apply for a chance to receive up to $4,000 through the Fuel Up to Play 60 program! Funding is awarded in support of Plays from the Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook. Applicants review the 2016-2017 Playbook and select one Healthy Eating and one Physical Activity Play to implement in their school with awarded funding as support. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, November 2, 2016. Learn what's new this year and apply!

Tuesday October 25, 2016, 2:00-3:00 P.M., Eastern

November 4-6, 2016, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This course, sponsored by National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and Emory University School of Medicine, will focus on new developments and issues related to the use of vaccines. Expert faculty will provide the latest information on vaccines, including updated recommendations for vaccination across the lifespan and innovative and practical strategies for ensuring timely and appropriate immunization. Register today.

Thursday, November 17, 2016, 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M., Central
The effects of oral health disparities aren't experienced just in the mouth. They impact the person, the family, and the community and result from broad social and economic inequities. Involving the people who are most impacted by oral health inequities - communities of color, people with low incomes, those with limited English proficiency - is critical to achieving sustainable change. Register today.

This calendar includes upcoming events hosted by NASN, officially endorsed by NASN, and/or hosted by one of NASN's Affiliate school nurse organizations.  Access the calendar. 

This calendar lists special days, weeks, or months dedicated to raising awareness about important health topics. Access the 2016 calendar.