Nurse's Corner
Mrs. Michelle Kinney, BSN, RN, NJ-CSN
Phone: 973-383-7202 ext 1231
Fax: 973-383-8768
mkinney@newtonnj.org
Welcome to the Merriam Avenue Health Office!
Hello Merriam families! My name is Mrs.Kinney (or Nurse Kinney). I'm am the K-4 nurse at Merriam Avenue School. I am here to help ensure every child has a healthy school year. Please review the following important information.
Immunizations
All students must be up to date on their required immunizations to attend school. If you are unsure of your child's immunization status, please contact their pediatrician. Students who are not up to date may be excluded from school. Some students may require a Provisional Admittance from the Sussex County Office of Public Health Nursing so please submit your records as soon as possible. Per state law, students with a religious exemption may be excluded during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak.
Physical Exam
New Jersey law requires all students must have an entry level physical exam within 365 days of first-time entry into a school district. Please submit their physical exam to my office so I can keep it in their medical file.
Annual Screenings
Children will be screened annually for BMI, blood pressure, vision, and hearing. Scoliosis screenings will be performed on all 4th grade students. If your child's results are outside the healthy range, we will send home a referral. To opt your child out of any screening, please send a written note to the health office.
Medication
A new medication form is required at the beginning of each school year for any student who needs to take medication (prescription or over-the-counter) at school. You can find all required forms at the bottom of this page.
Staying in Touch
If your child has a minor visit to the health office, you'll be notified via Genesis or SchoolConnect. Please be sure to check your emails for these updates. For more serious incidents or if your child needs to be picked up, I will call you directly. It's essential that your phone numbers are always up to date in Genesis.