As students across our community prepare to return to school, the Darien Health Department would like to share these important health and safety reminders to help ensure a smooth and healthy start to the school year:
— an announcement (slightly edited) from Darien Health Department (in the latest Town of Darien newsletter)
Stay Up to Date on Vaccinations
Routine immunizations protect children from serious but preventable diseases. Please check with your child’s healthcare provider to ensure all required vaccines are current before the first day of school.
Photo from the Centers for Disease Control
A schoolboy receiving a measles vaccination in 1962 in Atlanta.
Schedule Health Checkups
Annual physicals, vision, and hearing screenings are all key components of a child’s overall well-being and academic success. Don’t forget dental visits — oral health plays a major role in overall health.
Practice Healthy Habits
Good hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick, help reduce the spread of illness in schools
Support Mental and Emotional Wellness
Back-to-school transitions can bring anxiety or stress for some students. Establishing consistent routines, open communication at home, and encouraging healthy sleep habits can support your child’s mental health. Stay consistent with morning routines, and start adjusting sleep schedules now to help kids transition.
Safety First
Whether children walk, bike, ride the bus, or travel by car, review safety tips with them before the school year begins. Make sure backpacks are worn correctly and not overloaded, and that students understand how to stay alert on their route to and from school.