From The Health Room

Important April Dates

April 2000
Singin’ and Swingin’!
A Fourth Grade Journey

April is here, the warm Spring
days can’t be far behind. With the
increasing good weather we are
seeing many tired children in school.
We know how hard they play out in
the fresh air, so be sure they are
tucked into bed early for a good
nights sleep.
The classes are going out to the
playground for recess each day. I see
quite a few students in the Health
Room each day who have fallen in the
mud. I have lent clothes out to so
many children that my cupboard is
bare. Please, if your child has come
home in clothes borrowed at school,
have your child return them to the
Health Room.
As I mentioned in last month’s
newsletter, chickenpox season is fast
approaching. The following is a quick
reference on what to look for and what
to do for your child should they
contract chickenpox. This usually mild
infectious disease most commonly
occurs in early school-age children
and is characterized by:

April 10 - 13
Kindergarten
Registration
from 9 am to 12 noon

Dear Parents,
As you know, I am always anxious
to watch for evidence of growth at
Burton Street School. Signposts like
PARP, the science fair and the PTA
book fair usually mark the end of a long
winter and the beginning of spring, but
the biggest show on earth or at least at
Burton Street School sends us the
most important sign of all.
Mrs. Decker and our fourth
graders got us all in the mood for
spring with their high energy and
creative talent in this year’s annual
musical. Less than five years ago
these same fourth graders were lining
up for kindergarten screening, their
first exposure to public school. At that
time, we measured how many letters
they could name, numbers they could
recognize, and shapes they could
draw. We cajoled some of the shy
ones into saying their name and the
active ones into staying in their seat.
Today, we watched all of them singin’
and swingin’ to “We Are the People of
the 21stCentury.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the
room as our children reminded us of
how quickly time passes and how
much they have grown. As our future
stood before us disguised as bugs,
mashed potatoes, and farmers, we
recognize that these children were
more ready for the 21stcentury than we
would ever be. As one class danced
with their own shadows and another to
a timely rap, we were privy to a
metamorphic journey that sometimes
asks us to follow the leader and
sometimes challenges us to be
creative, take risks, and “take the road
less traveled.”
Yes, even children as young as
these make choices each day about
whom to play with, how much effort to
put into their work and what is the right
thing to do and what is not. We hope
(continued on page 2)

April 11
Kindergarten
Registration
evening hours 6 - 9 pm
(by appointment only)

April 17 - 21
Spring Recess

Please remember to
check the Lost and
Found table in the
front hallway on your
next visit. The table is
quite full of various
items of clothing and
outer wear.

•General feeling of illness -
Headache, muscle ache,
malaise or chills may occur the
first day or two.
•Low grade fever - Fever may
develop as the skin rash
develops over the first few
days.
•Skin rash - Groups of spots
can spread almost anywhere
on the body. Spots quickly
change into fluid-filled
pustules, then to crusts. New
crops of spots continue to
break out so that at the height
of the rash, red spots,
pustules and crusts can
appear in the same area.

(continued on page 2)

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