National School Bus Safety Week

Thank You School Bus Drivers

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: All school staff like to feel remembered and appreciated; even the bus drivers. 

School Bus Driver Safety Week is important because it recognizes the critical role school bus drivers play in keeping students safe during their daily commutes. 

This week highlights the importance of safety, providing an opportunity to educate communities on best practices for school transportation. It also acknowledges the challenges drivers face, such as managing student behavior, navigating traffic, and following strict safety protocols. 

Ultimately, School Bus Driver Safety Week helps raise awareness about the need for safer roads, respectful driving behavior around buses, and appreciation for drivers’ contributions to student safety.

FREE - Happy school bus safety week! FREE

It's National School Bus Safety Week!

Remember to thank your bus drivers.

Then check out these fun school bus driver gift ideas on Amazon- https://amzn.to/3pkh6vT

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School Nurse Boo Boo Crew

 Trick or Treat?

School Nurse Style

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- there is a free school nurse BOO BOO CREW printable too -

Helpful School Nurse Tip: I prefer treats, but I'm not opposed to a few friendly tricks too. How about you? Does your school do anything special for Halloween? If so, do you participate? Here are a few simple ideas and ways you can get involved at your school.

Halloween is a fun time to engage with students, and as a school nurse, you can bring a little extra spirit to the season!

 

Four Ways For The School Nurse To Get Involved This October   

1. WEAR SCHOOL APPROPRIATE ATTIRE

Wearing school-appropriate attire is one of the easiest ways to get involved, and students love it! Consider fun headbands, themed t-shirts, festive leggings, or quirky socks. Feeling daring? Go all out with a full costume! Not sure what to do?  Check out these school nurse options I found for you on Etsy & Amazon:

Etsy Options

T-Shirts on Amazon

Socks on Amazon

Costumes on Amazon

2. TURN YOUR OFFICE INTO A SPOOKY CLINIC

From my experience, students of all ages enjoy a festive clinic. Some schools permit Halloween decor, while others may allow seasonal decorations. Transforming your office can make it a fun space for students. 

Either way, here are a few options I found for you on Oriental Trading and a FREE PRINTABLE HERE to add a special touch! 

FREE PRINTABLE HERE

3. PARTICIPATE IN THE PARKING LOT TRUNK OR TREAT

Does your school provide a fun Trunk or Treat parking lot event? If so, consider decorating your car or van. There are so many Trunk or Treat DIY decorating options available and here are a few fun ones I found on Oriental Trading:

 

4. PROVIDE NON FOOD GIVEAWAY ITEMS

Instead of candy, think outside the box with fun non-food items that students will enjoy. There are plenty of alternative options available on Oriental Trading that can make your giveaways memorable and festive!

These simple ideas can help you connect with students and create a festive atmosphere. You will not only brighten the day for your students but also foster a sense of community and excitement within the school. Engaging in school wide fun activities allows you to break down barriers, making you more approachable as a school nurse. Plus, it's a great opportunity to educate students about health in a playful context, reinforcing your role in their well-being. Have fun making lasting memories with your students while promoting a healthy and happy school environment!

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IEP : Health Domain

Completing an IEP Health Domain

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Being involved in the special education process can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to completing your sections of an IEP. But with a clearer understanding of what’s involved—and a few practical tips—you’ll feel confident and ready. Let’s start by tackling the Health Domain portion.                 

What is a Health Domain?

To understand the health domain, it helps to know a bit about the overall Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. An IEP is a formal document outlining goals and intended outcomes to support a student’s educational success. Before setting specific goals, a team assessment reviews different “domains,” or areas of development, to identify any factors that may impact learning. To learn more about the IEP process and how students qualify for services, sign up for this 1 hour continuing education course- IEPs & SCHOOL NURSES: AN ESSENTIAL BEGINNER BASICS COURSE.

The Role of the Health Domain in Special Education

A domain meeting is held as part of the IEP process, where each team member presents findings in their specialty area. This may include academics, social-emotional well-being, cognitive function, and more. The school nurse completes the Health Domain review. There are eight domains to review:

1. Academic Achievement
2. Functional Performance
3. Cognitive Function
4. Communication Status
5. Health
6. Vision and Hearing
7. Motor Ability
8. Social/Emotional Conditions

Based on the findings presented at the meeting, additional evaluations may be requested, pending parental consent. If the health-related findings suggest further assessments or accommodations might support the student’s learning, the nurse or another team member may recommend these additional evaluations. Any follow-up information gathered would then be presented at a future meeting. 

 

Who Completes the Health Domain?

Guidelines for completing health domains vary by state. For example, in Illinois, only a School Nurse holding a Professional Educator License (PEL) can complete the health section of the IEP. 

In Illinois school districts without a PEL nurse, a Registered Nurse (RN) may complete this work if they’ve passed the state-approved RN with IEP designation course offered by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Be sure to check the requirements in your state to ensure compliance!

How & Why is a Health Domain Completed?

Completing the health domain involves a school health chart review and any registration health updates, a critical step for gathering student health information. During this review, school nurses document any relevant health diagnoses, medications, health action plans, and Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHPs) that may impact a student’s educational experience. This information will be presented at the Domain Meeting to help determine if further health evaluations are needed.

How The School Nurse Completes Health Domains

1. Print my calendar invitation to attend the meeting
2. Pull the school health chart for the student listed on the calendar invitation. I keep the invitation upright so I can see the date of the meeting and know that is my deadline to complete the domain paperwork by
3. Print this Health Domain Document- I'm old school & like to complete with paper and pen, but you could easily complete this electronically and just "make a copy" for each new meeting, ditch the lines & just type the information
4. Fill in the information listed on the Health Domain Document by completing a school health chart review
5. Enter my findings into my school district's web based special education system
6. Print a copy of the electronic report and file that along with my paper Health Domain Document into the student's school health chart

RESOURCES

IEPs & School Nurses- An Essential Beginner Basics Course Online, Anytime 1 CE Course- https://offers.theschoolnurse.llc/courses/offers/bf852f9f-0dfe-4aac-99b8-66c7ec05e62e

Teachers Pay Teachers Resources

Domain Paper- https://tinyurl.com/yxoqbvfp

Original IHP form- https://tinyurl.com/yydsyjfn

Updated IHP form- https://tinyurl.com/yyy35po9

FREE IEP Google Tracking Sheet - https://tinyurl.com/y52h2oyh

Resources

Students with Disabilities Receiving Special Services- https://tinyurl.com/qj27r94

IDHS IEP Overview- https://tinyurl.com/y33omz8m

Six Tips for Successful IEP Meetings- https://tinyurl.com/yyge35fe

Sage Abstract - https://tinyurl.com/yy79c3pb

School Nurse / Special Education & Reference Books- https://tinyurl.com/y3z8ch8e

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