Framingham Pediatrics August 2024 Newsletter

Transitioning Back to School

With the start of the school year upon us, we would like to share some suggestions to help with the transition to a safe, healthy, and successful school year.

• SLEEP. A good, restful night sleep is essential to prepare the brain to be ready to learn. Be sure to get your child on a good sleep schedule for the school year. Make sure s/he is waking up at a normal time now before the school year starts, and try to not let wake up time vary by more than an hour between school and non-school days. Avoid technology and screen use for an hour before bed.
• BREAKFAST. Many studies show that a nutritious breakfast also helps the brain to be ready to learn. If your child does not have the time to eat a good breakfast before school, look for quick ways to get energy and nutrition, such as bars or shakes
• TRANSPORTATION SAFETY. With the start of the school year, we ALL need to be extra safe driving near school buses, and to stop and be alert around stopped buses as children board or exit the bus. Make sure your children sit safely on the bus. Be sure they wear helmets if they bike to school, and follow traffic rules if they walk to school.
• READING. We hope we’ve all been encouraging our children to read this summer and all year round. Help them to learn that reading can be fun. Bring them to a library and encouraged them to choose books THEY want to read. And let them see you reading too!
• HOMEWORK. It’s that time of year again! Help your students start the year off right by developing good homework habits. Find a safe, quiet, distraction-free study area. Limit cell phone access during study times, but consider allowing breaks during which the phone is available for brief periods. Establish a homework schedule that works for your family.
• EXERCISE. Hopefully summer was a time of activity for your family. But the start of the school year is often a time when families make new schedules for the coming year. Be sure to include exercise in your child’s schedule on a daily basis. And don’t forget the importance of fresh air and outdoor time, even if your child’s main source of exercise is indoors.
• SCREEN TIME. Summer’s over! Back to school and work for most of us. We encourage you to be thoughtful about the amount of time your children spend in front of technology screens. Encourage them to find other ways to entertain themselves and to find ways to broaden their minds and strengthen their bodies. Be aware of what they are doing on screens, and WHO they are doing it with. Model good screen time habits for them by limiting your use of technology during family and meal time.

Please help us to help you! We ask that you make every effort to complete your pre-visit questionnaires on MyChart before your visit. This will save time at the office, will make our time together more efficient, and will in many cases help us provide better preventative care to you and your child.

From the Nurse's Desk

COVID is on the rise, an it is expected to rise even further as the school year begins. The current recommendation for return to activity, work and school after COVID is now the same as those for return after flu and other respiratory illnesses. Once the fever has been gone (without fever medication) for 24 hours and symptoms are improved, return to school and work are allowed. Some schools or day-cares may have their own policies so please check with them prior to sending your child back. Return to work in a health care setting is an exception to this general rule.

From the Front Desk

If your child is scheduled for an upcoming appointment, please call the office before coming if there has been a COVID exposure or they are experiencing any respiratory symptoms. 

Did You Know?

The new flu vaccine and updated COVID vaccine will be arriving soon. We will be sharing information about both vaccines in the very near future. Please keep an eye on your email in-box.

Back to School Anxiety Workshop

Our incredible social worker, Sarah Gupta, held her first group workshop on Back to School Anxiety for middle-schoolers and it was a huge success. The group focused on developing skills for recognizing and dealing with feelings of anxiety. It touched on more general topics such as making friends, homework stress, peer pressure and difficult personalities. We plan to offer this workshop again as well as many more programs in the future, Stay tuned. 

Massachusetts Behavioral Health Hotline and Community Behavioral Health Center Program

We'd like to share some information on these new programs from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If you or a loved one are struggling with a mental health crisis, these programs are available 24/7 at no cost. Among other services, they provide mobile crisis services, walk-in hours and telephone and text availability.

These programs are relatively new. We'd love to hear any feedback from you!

Employee Spotlight

 Melissa - Nurse Manager

  How long have you been at Framingham Pediatrics? 23 years

  Favorite ice cream flavor : It is a tie between Mint Chip & Chocolate Peanut Butter

  Fun fact: I love hummingbirds and sunflowers

  Favorite children's book: Norma Jean, Jumping Bean by Joanna Cole

  What is the best part about working at Framingham Pediatrics? My favorite thing would have to be my journey here. When I started working at Framingham Pediatrics in 2001, I had no idea where this job would take me. Framingham Pediatrics has given me a place to learn, grow and discover potential in me I never knew I had. I worked my way from making reminder calls and filing charts to secretary, to Medical Assistant to Nurse and since 2019 Nurse Manager. I was able to work while attending nursing school. The support and encouragement I have received from the Doctors and staff along the way is something I am always going to be grateful for. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with so many wonderful people throughout the years and it gives me great comfort to be able to support our patients and their families in such a good environment. I feel very lucky to work with a group that really shows what being a team is all about.