Principal Newsletter 5/13

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Principal Newsletter for May 13, 2021

  • Tomorrow’s Spirit Day is Mismatch Day. You can wear stripes with polka dots, different color socks, etc. This is not a hat day, so please refrain from wearing one. Participation in Spirit Days are always voluntary and not required.
  • One MCAS down, two to go. Thursday, May 20th grades 3, 4, and 5 will be taking the ELA or Reading MCAS. This assessment is approximately 2 hours in length. Please make sure your child has been out getting some fresh air the day before, is well rested, and has breakfast.
  • School Council’s last meeting will be Thursday, May 20. This will be an in person meeting and is open to the public. We will meet in the conference room from 3:30-4:30.
  • From the Nurse’s Office:

Spring means flower buds and blooming trees- it also means sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and other bothersome symptoms. Seasonal allergies- also called hay fever and allergic rhinitis…can make you miserable! By trying these simple strategies to keep seasonal allergies under control, this can help make your student more comfortable:

· Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.

· Remove clothes that were worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.

· Don't hang laundry outside — pollen can stick to sheets and towels.

· Change mask frequently, pollen can stick to it.

· Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high.

· Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.

· Use the air conditioning in your house and car whenever possible.

Starting allergy medications before symptoms start can also make a big difference: Always consult with your student’s pediatrician before giving any antihistamines:

· Oral antihistamines. Antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching, a runny nose and watery eyes. Examples of oral antihistamines include loratadine (Claritin, Alavert), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy) and fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy).

· Decongestants. Oral decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Afrinol, others) can provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness. Decongestants also come in nasal sprays, such as oxymetazoline (Afrin) and phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine). Only use nasal decongestants for a few days in a row. Longer-term use of decongestant nasal sprays can actually worsen symptoms (rebound congestion).

· Nasal spray. Cromolyn sodium nasal spray can ease allergy symptoms and doesn't have serious side effects, though it's most effective when you begin using it before your symptoms start.

· Combination medications. Some allergy medications combine an antihistamine with a decongestant. Examples include loratadine-pseudoephedrine (Claritin-D) and fexofenadine-pseudoephedrine (Allegra-D).

· Eye drops. Antihistamine eye drops work really well with itchy, burning, watery eyes. Ketotifen drops (Zaditor) Naphazoline HCL with Pheniramine maleate (Visine-A) (Opcan-A)

 

With Sheffield Pride,

Melissa Pitrat