School Nursing and Other Student Support Continues Even as Buildings Close

As a continuing public service, 97.9 WHAV FM has made its facilities fully available to local, state and federal officials to provide information about precautions surrounding coronavirus disease—COVID-19.The public has heard of home-based learning, “grab and go” breakfast and lunch pickups and myriad “social distancing” measures, but recent closures have also raised questions about how to provide continuing medical and emotional support for students.Haverhill Public Schools Director of Health and Nursing Services Katie Vozeolas, speaking live over WHAV Tuesday morning, says, in addition to all of the other steps being taken, the schools have been getting medications back to parents that may have been stored at individual schools.“They’re only allowed so many each month, so if we had a two- or three-week supply of a medication that a child takes every day, they in turn would need that. The nurses did a great job of calling around to all those parents with kids who had daily medications and others who they thought may need those medications. Most of them have already been picked up. There’s a few stragglers today that are coming through,” she said. In addition, Vozeolas says, school nurses, school adjustment counselors, guidance staff, therapists and others continue to reach out to families. She explains they normally support students five days-a-week and are reaching out to families to make sure what they need.While school staff are not allowed to make house calls, they are available to listen and remotely support families.Vozeolas noted Haverhill schools on Monday provided 500 meals to students and that there would be additional breakfast and lunch distribution sites.As of 3 p.m., Tuesday, Superintendent Margaret Marotta announced Hunking School, 480 S. Main St., would become a distribution site for student breakfasts and lunches. Other sites are Consentino School, 685 Washington St.; Nettle School, 150 Boardman St.; YMCA, 81 Winter St.; and Boys and Girls Club, 55 Emerson St. Centers are open from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., weekdays.Support the show