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Blad, E. (2022, November 17). Respiratory illnesses force schools to close, hurting attendance efforts. Education Week. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/respiratory-illnesses-force-schools-to-close-hurting-attendance-efforts/2022/11

Evie Blas from Education Week writes an article in how respiratory illnesses are hurting school attendance. The CDC has warned the country about the surge of the flu and RSV. These two viruses are causing a decrease in students school attendance during a time where educators are working to restore school attendance habits created during the pandemic. The surge in respiratory illnesses is causing children’s hospitals throughout the country to reach capacity. Some schools are also feeling the effects and are shifting to remote learning or closure to slow the spread within their buildings. It is important for teachers to be aware of the symptoms of these respiratory illnesses and to have students go to the nurse to be sent home to help stop the spread on the virus to other students. Teachers can educate students on how to prevent infection by teaching them healthy habits such as hand washing and covering their mouth when they sneeze or cough to aid in lowering the spread of these respiratory viruses.

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Schools in several states have closed temporarily as quickly spreading respiratory illness drive up student absences. But this time, COVID-19 isn't to blame.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the country is experiencing a surge of two seasonal illnesses-influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV-that is much earlier and more intense than ina typical year.

"Even if we know a kid is missing school for health reasons, we still have to worry about them ... especially if they were already struggling [with academics or attendence] before the illness," as many students were, she said.

RSV is a respiratory virus that typically causes mild symptoms similar to a cold. While most people recover in a week or two, RSV can be serious for young children and elderly adults, Dr. Jose Romero, the director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a recent call with reporters. While rates of RSV typically reach a seasonal peak alongside cases of the flu in the winter months, officials have tracked an unusually early spike in cases of both illnesses this year, he said.

"We suspect that many children are being exposed to some respiratory viruses now for the first time, having avoided these viruses during the height of the pandemic," Romero said.

Hospitals reaching capacity

Schools are also feeling the effects, some shifting to remote learning or closing for several days to slow the spread within their buildings.

In Ohio, the Lynchburg-Clay Local School District cancelled elementary school and sent middle and high school students home for remote learning Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 after several days where about 20 percent of students-and many staff members-were absent with the flu, Superintendent Jack Fisher told Education Week.

"Given the circumstances of the last two years and the staffing levels, we are a little quicker to make immediate course corrections, such as shutting down for a brief time, instead of plowing through as we used to do," he said.

Like many school systems, the district was already operating on very tight margins before the flu outbreak, Fisher said. The district has struggled to hire adequate classified staff, and the substitute pool for positions like bus drivers and aides is "razor thin," he said. So when key student support employees grew ill, it became difficult to operate in-person.

After Williamstown, Ky., schools faced a similar staffing dilemma and climbing rates of student absences, district leaders cancelled classes for the first week of November.

Schools and districts in states including Alabama, Louisiana, Michigan, Virginia, and Wisconsin have had similar closures in recent weeks. Some districts that were closed for Election Day opted to take the Monday before off as well to give custodial staff time to deep clean and students time to heal.

Influenza, RSV, and other common seasonal illnesses spread through inhalation of droplets that are projected into the air when infected people cough or sneeze. They can also live on surfaces like desks and toys, spreading through touch.

In a press briefing last week, CDC officials also emphasized that COVID-19 variants continue to spread, stressing the importance of vaccinations to prevent severe illness. That warning came after most schools have lifted the most intense pandemic precautions, like universal masking requirements.

Tackling chronic absenteeism

The combination of illnesses has created a fresh challenge for school systems that were already concerned about chronic absenteeism, long before two years of pandemic-related disruptions threw their student engagement efforts into disarray.

Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, 36 states and the District of Columbia incorporate data on chronic absenteeism in the formula they use to determine which schools need additional support.

While states and districts use varying definitions of chronic absenteeism, it is commonly defined as the number of students who miss 10 percent or more of school days, even for excused absences related to issues like sickness or bereavement.

Chang said schools need to maintain connections to students when they are out for personal illness or when schools close to prevent an outbreak. That might mean the continuation of remote learning, providing at-home learning materials, or a check-in phone call from a teacher or counselor.

Administrators should provide families with information about illnesses like RSV to help them separate out what symptoms justify an absence and what signs of more minor illnesses, like a headache, shouldn't cause a student to stay home, Chang said.

And, as schools recover from outbreaks, they should make efforts to re-engage affected students so they can keep building a habit of attendance, she said. That may mean helping students tackle anxiety and academic needs that make school feel intimidating or unwelcoming, and it may mean status checks with teachers when students return from a string of sick days, Chang said.

"Just because we know why they missed school doesn't mean they don't need support in helping to come back," she said. "We are going to need to invest in kids over time to make sure they can fully recover."

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Respiratory Illnesses Force Schools to Close, Hurting Attendance Efforts

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Schools in several states have closed temporarily as quickly spreading respiratory illness drive up student absences. But this time, COVID-19 isn't to blame. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the country is experiencing a surge of two seasonal illnesses-influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV-that is much earlier and more intense than ina typical year.

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Fire safety for kids. American Red Cross. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire/fire-safety-for-kids.html

The American Red Cross wrote an article on practicing and educating children on fire safety. The beginning of the article states how to prevent children from starting fires through investing in flameless candles and by keeping ignitable substances secured out of student’s reach. The next section discusses how to help children survive fires. The American Red Cross talks about installing smoke alarms and replacing batteries once a year, checking once a month to ensure each alarm is working, teaching students about what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one, creating a fire escape plan, and teaching stop, drop, and roll if their clothes are to catch fire. It is important for educators to be aware of fire safety in case a fire is to ever occur in their school or classroom. Teachers can educate students on fire safety by routinely practicing fire drills and creating a plan for escape if a fire was to start in their classroom.

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Becoming "Red Cross Ready" for an emergency means following our simple steps in family preparedness to ensure you can weather a crisis safely and comfortably.

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American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Students exploring gender identity. American Psychological Association. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/ed/schools/primer/gender-identity

The American Psychological Association has written an article on students exploring their gender identity. The APA defines gender identity, gender expression, and gender diversity. They then write about how gender identity impacts students school experiences. The APA gives educators ideas of what they can do to support students gender identities such as modeling gender inclusive behavior, implementing non-discriminatory policies, maintaining an open mind, and becoming aware of their own implicit biases and assumptions.  Finally, they provide resources teachers can use to support their students. It is important for educators to support their students gender identity as it is a vital component in order to maintain a classroom culture where students feel welcomed, respected, and safe. Teachers can educate students on gender diversity through including LGBTQ+ literature in their classrooms and by teaching their students to respect one another’s gender identities.

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The impact of trauma on students. Ohio Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Student-Supports/Ohio-PBIS/Trauma-Informed-Schools/The-Impact-of-Trauma-on-Students

The Ohio Department of Education has written an article on the impact of trauma in students. Trauma from ongoing neglect, abuse, homelessness, or violence causes children to have difficulties with learning and behavior. The article discusses the ways trauma can impact an individual and how an individual’s response to a traumatic event may vary. The article discusses the potential impacts on children’s physiological, emotional, behavioral, and neurological development. Finally, the article discusses how the implications impact student’s academic success. It is vital for educators to understand the impact traumatic events will have on their students development.  They must be aware of the different life experiences the student’s in their class will bring to the table. Educators can assist students who are experiencing trauma by providing them with resources and by having them meet with the guidance counselor for support.

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A trauma-informed school is one in which all students and staff feel safe, welcomed and supported and where the impact of trauma on teaching and learning is addressed at the center of the educational mission. Trauma-informed schools create school policies, practices and cultures that are sensitive to the needs of traumatized individuals and ensure that all individuals (students, families and staff) meet their maximum potential.

What is trauma?

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration defines trauma as the response to an "event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being." Trauma can result from a single event (single-episode or acute trauma) or it can result from multiple traumatic events over time (complex trauma). There are a wide range of experiences that can result in trauma.

Potential traumatic events include, but are not limited to:

Accidents;

Child abuse and neglect;

Sexual assault;

Natural disasters;

Domestic violence;

Community violence;

Harassment and intimidation;

Bullying;

Medical illness;

Hostage situations;

Social and environmental factors;

Parent/caregiver death;

Inconsistent parenting due to mental health/alcohol or drug issues;

War;

Terrorism and other man-made disasters;

Immigration and refugee experiences.

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A trauma-informed school is one in which all students and staff feel safe, welcomed and supported and where the impact of trauma on teaching and learning is addressed at the center of the educational mission. Trauma-informed schools create school policies, practices and cultures that are sensitive to the needs of traumatized individuals and ensure that all individuals (students, families and staff) meet their maximum potential.

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Howard, J. (2022, November 17). More adolescent e-cigarette users report vaping within five minutes of waking up, new study finds. CNN. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/health/e-cigarettes-youth-nicotine-addiction-study-wellness/index.html

Jacqueline Howard from CNN News reports on the increase in e-cigarette use among younger children. Howard discusses that even though the prevalence of e-cigarette use among teens has declined, those who are vaping are starting younger and using e-cigarettes more intensely. She also states that the increase in intensity may reflect the use of nicotine for self-medication in response to depression, anxiety, tic disorders, and suicidality that has occurred during the pandemic. Howard then talks about how the increase in the intensity of modern e-cigarettes highlights the need to address youth addiction to new high-nicotine products. She ends with how e-cigarettes are putting this new generation of youth at risk for nicotine addiction and how many students are unaware that almost all e-cigarettes contain nicotine addiction. It is important for educators to know about the increase of nicotine use in young students as the earlier youth start to use e-cigarettes at a higher frequency, the greater chance they are to become addicted to vaping. It is important to teach students about the harm of vaping especially because of the misconceptions many students have about e-cigarettes. Educators should discuss facts about the harmfulness of vaping with their students to help prevent students from using tobacco products.

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More adolescent e-cigarette users report vaping within five minutes of waking up, new study finds | CNN

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Although the prevalence of e-cigarette use among teens has declined in recent years, those who do vape are starting younger and they're using e-cigarettes more intensely, a new study suggests.

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Webster, C. (n.d.). Kids Need Physical Education – even when they can't get it at school. University of South Carolina. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2020/06/06_conversation_pe_webster.php#.Y5DLlC2cY_U

Collin Webster from the University of South Carolina has written an article on the need for physical education for children. Webster reports that students who are more physically active get better grades and develop increased levels of self-confidence. He includes that the Department of Health and Human Services recommends that school aged children spend at least an hour a day doing a physical activity however, according to the CDC, about one in four kids between six and seventeen were meeting that recommendation. Overall, most schools are not doing enough to keep children fit during the school day and a majority of children need to spend more time being active in both school and at home. Webster concludes by discussing what parents can do to encourage physical activity at home for their students. The information in Websters article is important for teachers to know because students who are more physically active tend to perform better in class. It is important for teachers to include movement activities in their day-to-day classroom lessons. Educators can assist students in acknowledging the importance of being active by engaging in physical activity with them and to reinforce the skills they learn in physical education class in general education curriculum.

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Kids need physical education – even when they can’t get it at school

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Kids who are more physically active tend to get better grades and develop the self-confidence that can empower them to succeed later in life. Physical education professor Collin Webster writes for The Conversation that the arrival of summer vacation might allay concerns parents have about their chil…

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 19). Eating healthier at school. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/eating_healthier.htm

The CDC has written an article on how to help students eat healthier at school. The article discusses that schools can help children practice healthy eating habits by serving healthy foods. The CDC recommends educating families about school meal programs and to also make families aware if their children are eligible to receive free or reduced meals. The article also recommends encouraging students to eat breakfast, and to promote healthy eating throughout the school day. Finally, the CDC discusses the importance of giving students enough time to eat school meals as doing so is linked to increased consumption of meals for students. Teachers need to be aware of the importance of students consuming healthy meals because when students do not have access to healthy meals, their success in the classroom may suffer. Educators can teach students about the importance of consuming healthy foods by providing students with nutrition education, growing a classroom garden, and by teaching about cultural food traditions.

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Give Your Kids a Healthy Body and Mind This Summer
Parents play an important role in helping their children prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally for the next school year with healthy and fun summer activities.
Access to Water in Schools
1 in 5 children and adolescents do not drink any plain water during the day, and about half of school-aged children are underhydrated. Learn how to increase water access in schools.
What Parents Need to Know About School Meals
School meals are free for all children through September 30, 2021. Visit your school district's website for more information.
Eating Healthier at School Improves Learning
Kids learn better eating habits when schools provide healthy foods. Learn what you can do to promote nutritious foods at your school.
Engaging Parents to Promote Healthy Schools
Parents have a powerful role in supporting children's health and learning. Use CDC's resources to help parents get involved in creating a healthier school!
Back to School Time
CDC Healthy Schools program offers many resources for parents. Discover ways to help your kids get a healthy start to the school year.
Sleep in Middle and High School Students
Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health and behavior problems. Learn how much sleep students need and how many are not getting it.
Virtual Healthy School
The Virtual Healthy School is an interactive learning tool from CDC Healthy Schools. Explore the classrooms and other areas to learn how to implement the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model to create a healthier school.
BAM! Dining Decisions Mobile Game
Dining Decisions is an interactive, educational app available on iTunes and Google Play. Dining Decisions is a fun way for kids to learn how to make healthy food choices whether at home, school, or on the go.

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Give Your Kids a Healthy Body and Mind This Summer Parents play an important role in helping their children prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally for the next school year with healthy and fun summer activities. Access to Water in Schools 1 in 5 children and adolescents do not drink any plain water during the day, and about half of school-aged children are underhydrated.

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Christensen, J. (2022, November 14). Study finds 'huge' increase in children going to the emergency room with Suicidal thoughts. CNN. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/14/health/suicide-er-visits-kids/index.html

Jen Christensen from CNN News has written an article pertaining to the rise of suicidal thoughts in students. Christensen describes the increase in the number of children seen in emergency rooms for having suicidal thoughts. She discusses the unprecedented mental health crisis due to the rise in depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts in children. The article states some anticipated factors for the rise in suicidal thoughts in children including other mental health problems, children responding to trauma in their lives, and a lack of access to therapy and counseling services. The end of her article discusses ways for adults to identify students who may be having suicidal thoughts such as students having friendship problems, students isolating themselves, students who seem increasingly tired, or students showing higher amounts of anxiety and aggression than usual. She closes by discussing the need for adults to intervene as soon as they see these behaviors in children. Christensen’s article pertains to educators teaching health to students as its vital for educators to know the signs that a student may be having suicidal thoughts. Teachers also need to be aware of the increase of these suicidal thoughts in students. Educators can help students learn about suicide prevention by having counselors and health educators speak to students about the warning signs and how to respond when peers may be struggling with suicidal thoughts.

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Editor's Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or visit the hotline's website.

There has been a steady increase in the number of children who are seen in emergency rooms for suicidal thoughts, according to a new study - and the increase started even before the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought record high demand for psychological services for children.

The pandemic's effects drew renewed attention to suicide in teens and young children.In June, the Biden administration called the recent rise in rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among kids an "unprecedented mental health crisis."

The study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, used data from hospitals in Illinois. The researchers looked at the number of children ages 5 to 19 who sought help for suicide in emergency departments between January 2016 and June 2021.

In that period, there were 81,051 emergency department visits by young peoplethat were coded for suicidal ideation. About a quarter of those visits turned into hospital stays.

The study found that visits to the ER with suicidal thoughts increased 59% from 2016-17 to 2019-21. There was a corresponding increase in cases in which suicidal ideation was the principal diagnosis, which rose from 34.6% to 44.3%.

Hospitalizations for suicidal thoughts increased 57% between fall 2019 and fall 2020.

"It just really highlights how mental health concerns were really a problem before the pandemic. I mean, we saw this huge increase in [emergency department] visits for kids of all ages, honestly, in 2019, and it's very concerning," said study co-author Dr. Audrey Brewer, an attending physician in advanced general pediatrics and primary care at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and a researcher in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "We saw more kids than we typically do that we ... wouldn't necessarily have thought would have problems about suicidal ideation. We saw 5-year-olds.

"To see them presenting to emergency departments for mental health or for suicide-ideation-related visits is very concerning."

Brewer thinks the true numbers are probably much higher than what the study found, because not all children who struggle with thoughts of suicide go to the emergency room.

Experts say it's not a problem unique to any one state.

Dr. Nicholas Holmes, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, said the increase in the number of kids seeking help in his health care system has been "profound."

"Over the last nine years, where we would see about anywhere from one to two patients a day that were having a behavioral health crisis, now we're seeing 20-plus a day," said Holmes, who was not involved in the new research.

He said Rady, the largest pediatric hospital on the West Coast, is fortunate to have an inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric unit.

To help more of these children, Holmes' hospital system is working with county health and human services to help create a pediatric-focused mental and behavioral health campus. It will double the size of Rady's inpatient behavioral health unit, in addition to beefing up services for children who need therapy but don't need to be hospitalized.

Other places in the US aren't so lucky. There is a nationwide shortage of beds for kids who need mental health help, research shows. A 2020 federal survey found that the number of residential treatment facilities for kids had fallen 30% from where it was in 2012.

The care shortage has come alongside a significant increase in the prevalence of mental health challenges that can lead to suicide. In 2019, 1 in 3 high school students and half of all female students reported persistent feelings of hopelessness and sadness, up from 40% in 2009. And there was a 36% increase in students who reported considering suicide, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new study cannot determine exactly why so many more young people are going to a hospital with thoughts of suicide, but Brewer thinks it may be a combination of factors.

Many of the children who were hospitalized with suicidal thoughts had other mental health problems like anxiety, depression and substance use, she said.

Children also are responding to trauma in their lives and social influences on their health like poverty, historical trauma and marginalization, trouble at school, online bullying and the pressures brought by social media, in addition to a lack of access to counseling and therapy.

Brewer said adults can intervene when a child is thinking about suicide. She advises caregivers to be on the lookout for problems at school or among friends and to watch for a child who is isolating themselves or showing signs of more anxiety or aggression than usual.

"They may act out or have problems sleeping. Irritability and being more withdrawn and isolating themselves are a lot of things that we oftentimes will think about," Brewer said.

It never hurts to seek help from a pediatrician about how to help a child who's struggling.

"It's important for parents to feel empowered to really sit back and listen to their kids and talk to them. Really try to relate and understand what is going on with them and help promote positive relationships," Brewer said.

She said she hopes mental health care will become less stigmatized and more available to children.

"We really need to develop more of a strategy to help support all kinds in different ways and really focus on some of those traumas and social influences of health," Brewer said. "We need to make sure more children will have safe places to grow and thrive."

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health and health care (by demographic group)

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Study finds 'huge' increase in children going to the emergency room with suicidal thoughts | CNN

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There has been a steady increase in the number of children who are seen in emergency rooms for suicidal thoughts, according to a new study -- and the increase started even before the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought record high demand for psychological services for children.