School Health Reminders for Fall 2024

With the start of the 2024-2025 school year, the AOE would like to share important reminders and resources to help support efforts to maintain and improve school health.

Reminder about COVID-19 and the Reportable Disease Rule

Per the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont's reportable disease rule requires school nurses to report any COVID-19 cases in school, as well as any outbreaks (defined, for COVID-19, as three or more cases that the nurse believes are connected to in-school transmission).

Please report cases (e.g., a student's caregiver reports that a student is home sick with COVID-19) here: COVID-19 Case Report (alchemer.com)

Please report outbreaks (e.g., three students in the same classroom are home sick with COVID-19 after being exposed to a sick classmate) here: Vermont Department of Health Outbreak Report Form.

Timely reporting helps the Health Department understand the epidemiology of communicable diseases and their spread in our communities.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis(EEE)

On August 28, the Vermont Department of Health released a communicationabout the presence of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Vermont communities. EEE is a rare but serious disease caused by a virus spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. While rare, the infection is serious, and two people in surrounding states have also recently been infected. For more information, including translated materials, visit HealthVermont.gov/mosquitoor HealthVermont.gov/EEE.

Opioid Overdose Prevention for Vermont PK-12 & October 1 Training

The Vermont Department of Health is supporting pK-12 schools to prepare to respond to a suspected opioid overdose by providing a suite of resources, including a sample community letter, sample protocol, and the Naloxone & Opioid Overdose Prevention in K-12 School Slide deck on the VDH Naloxone website. The Health Department will also host a virtual training session for schools on recognizing the signs of overdose and using Naloxone on October 1, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. This training is open to all school staff. If your school is interested in ordering naloxone, please complete this Community Interest Form or contact [email protected]. If you would like to sign up for training, please email [email protected] and include email addresses of interested attendees.

School Asthma Reminders

• The Vermont Asthma Program has launched a new webpage designed to serve as a central location for key asthma tools, resources, best practices and tips for school nurses. Check out the new School Nurse Asthma Resources page.
  
• The start of the new school year is the perfect time to participate in the annual Asthma-friendly School Program and receive recognition as an asthma friendly school. School nurses, facilities directors, administrators, students, and others can identify and complete a few simple actions to earn points and "go for GOLD". The deadline to nominate your school is May 31st, but you can get started now. Use the Asthma-friendly Schools Recognition Form to mark the best practices you know your school has in place, then throughout the year complete the form again to add new items as you accomplish them. All results for your school will be combined to determine your final recognition level. All the recommended actions are low-cost and easy to implement, help students with asthma breathe easier, manage their asthma symptoms, avoid missed school days, and prevent asthma related emergencies. Many of the actions are already required by state law - so why not get credit for the hard work you are already doing! Schools reaching bronze, silver and gold levels will be featured on the new interactive Asthma-friendly School's Map. Nominate your school by May 31st!
  
• If you are a school nurse, public health or health care professional interested in receiving training on asthma guideline care and asthma control supports, please let us know by emailing the Vermont Asthma Program at [email protected] (use the subject line: AS-ME Provider Network). Professional development credits are available.

School Water Lead Testing

Schools will continue testing and remediating for lead in drinking water this school year. Principals and Heads of School should be on the lookout for email reminders with more details. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

School Radon Testing

All schools are required to test for radon by June 30, 2025 (see Act 166, Section 10). Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that has no color, smell or taste. Breathing air with radon increases your risk of getting lung cancer. Unless you test for it, there is no way of knowing if radon is present in a building. For most school children and staff, the second largest contributor to their radon exposure is likely to be their school. Resources to help schools follow best practices for radon testing and mitigation, including template letters that can be used to communicate with families and staff, are available from the Health Department. Use this best practices and resources link to learn more.

Although Act 166 does not require that radon test results are reported to the state, the Vermont Department of Health requests that schools submit their results to [email protected].

School Building Walkthrough Tool

You can take simple steps to make your school healthier, like doing regular building walkthroughs. The Health Department has a tool to help you do and document your building walkthroughs called the Envision Walkthrough. The Envision Walkthrough helps identify issues and provides easy, low-cost recommendations to fix them. These walkthroughs should be done annually to see changes overtime. Watch the instructional video to learn how to inspect your school building to identify potential environmental health issues. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Cleaning Surfaces in School

Did you know you that you just need soap and water for everyday classroom clean-up? Disinfectants, including disinfectant wipes like Clorox or Lysol, often contain harsh chemicals and fragrances that can trigger asthma, cause eye, nose and throat irritation, and may impact reproduction and development. Children should never use disinfectants, including disinfectant wipes. In fact, all disinfectant labels include the statement "Keep Out of Reach of Children." To learn more, see this Cleaning Safely in Schoolsflyer. When disinfectants are needed, use this EPA resource for choosing safer disinfectants and follow all label instructions.

Heat Preparedness in Schools

With high temperatures persisting near the start of school, the Vermont Department of Health, in partnership with the AOE, has provided heat preparedness resources for school communities and childcare providers. The VDH and AOE also hosted a Heat Preparedness Webinar over the summer, which was recorded and is available for viewing on the AOE Act 29 Website, along with relevant materials shared. Contact [email protected] with questions.

Vermont Updated Car and Booster Seat Law

Effective July 1, 2024, Vermont's car and booster seat law has been revised. Families should wait until their child has outgrown their car and booter seats before transitioning them to a new seat. Learn more about the right seat for your child and locate the closest car seat assistance station near you at the Vermont Department of Health Child Passenger Safety Program website. Please see this information video regarding the updated law. For more information or questions, please email [email protected].

Walk/Bike Safety Tips

Please see this resource promoting walking and biking in your school, as well as this back to school safety checklist developed by the State of Vermont.

Youth-Focused Resource: Suicide Prevention Trainings for Schools

The Vermont Department of Health and Department of Mental Health have developed a mental health resource for school leaders and staff. This resource highlights the key elements of youth suicide prevention work in schools, as well as identifies free and low-cost trainings that are available in Vermont. This resource is one part of the state's comprehensive youth suicide prevention approach, which also includes providing community support and educational groups for youth at higher risk for suicide, training adults who work or care for youth to identify warning signs and connect youth to the appropriate care, supporting healthcare systems that treat youth having thoughts of suicide, and providing grief support groups for youth who have lost someone to suicide. Learn more about work at Dept of Health Website: Suicide Prevention.

JED Foundation Mental Health Resources for Educators, Families, and Students

The Department of Health offers mental health resources via the JED Foundation. The JED Foundation has developed a set of timely, actionable resources to help parents, caregivers, students, and educators prepare and prioritize youth mental health when returning to school. Explore these mental health resources to learn more.

Vermont 988

988 is the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that can be called, texted, or chatted with 24/7. When you contact 988, you will be connected directly to a crisis counselor. If immediate support is needed, 988 can reach out to the caller's Enhanced Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) based on their location. The MCT can then go to the location to assess the situation, and in most cases, resolve the crisis without further intervention. More than 99% of all 988 calls do not require police or emergency intervention.

988 is a resource for Vermonters to have a safe space to talk about their concerns and have an objective ear to help them process some of life's more challenging moments. It can be used for problems related to mental health, substance use or addiction, interpersonal relationships, grief and loss, and a host of other situations where the caller may feel like they have nowhere else to go and seek support. For more information, please see the VT 988 website.

New School Nurse Orientation

Registered Nurses (RNs) must complete the online New School Nurse Orientation to practice in Vermont schools. To avoid licensure delays, RNs must complete the required orientation before beginning their Agency of Education application for transcript review. The online orientation may take up to 12 hours for some applicants. Resources for Vermont School Health Services include the Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual and sample job descriptions for Licensed School Nurse and Associate School Nurse (p. 10). Please refer new school nurses to their Office of Local Health School Liaison.

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