CDS's School Nurse Opens Health & Wellness Centre
Since her arrival three weeks ago, our new School Nurse, Vanessa Sciammarella, has been proactive and forthright. When she toured potential sites for the new Health & Wellness Centre, she politely inquired as to whether the Business Office was available, as the location was ideally situated, had multiple independent spaces, and more importantly, access to a washroom for her patients.
A quick flurry of planning and a rapid move for the Business Office ensued and CDS’s first Health & Wellness Centre is now centrally located at the juncture of the Junior School, Middle and Senior Schools. This location is critical, as it has ease of access to both the Middle/Senior Schools and Junior School to assess sick individuals. In a perfect world, they will be delivered to her.
Nurse Vanessa holds a B.Sc. (Hons) and post-graduate degree in Nursing (RN) from the University of Toronto. She comes to us from The Hospital for Sick Children where she worked for the past five years, her patients ranging from newborns to young adults.
“My niche is kids,” she explains. “When I was in Nursing School, I did my placements with SickKids. Kids are who I know best, so this role of School Nurse really caught my eye.”
In short order, Nurse Vanessa has gotten the Health & Wellness Centre up and running with three isolation rooms where students will be able to rest quietly until their parents arrive to pick them up. Currently, the protocol is that as soon as a child or staff member exhibits any COVID-19 like symptoms, they are to be assessed by Nurse Vanessa. If she deems that symptoms warrant (she may also check with the Doctors on our medical team), a parent will be contacted and asked to pick them up immediately at the doors to Rogers Hall behind the Middle School. Siblings of students showing COVID-19 like symptoms will also need to be picked up, and the whole family should isolate as they contact their family doctor for next steps (which may include testing).
With the changing weather and flu season right around the corner, the Health & Wellness Centre is sure to become a busy place. That is why it is imperative that our parents (and faculty and staff) continue to follow our protocol by conducting a daily health assessment for their child(ren) every day.
As Dr. Cohn said in our July 29th Reopening Plan webinar, gone are the days where you can give your child two Tylenol and send them to school. It is critical that we remain vigilant in accessing for symptoms this season, and if present, stay home and switch to remote learning.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
