Nurse Gail Slaton

If your child requires any medication during the school day, please fill out the Medical Release form and return it to the school nurse. No medication can be administered by the nurse until the form has been filled out.

Monthly Clinic Communication Letter

Every month, I hope to research a topic that I hope will be of interest to all of you. It will be sent to you via email or by hard copy, Since we are just starting a new year and many people have health resolutions, I thought I would do some research about nutrition and how it affects your child’s brain. I found this information to be very interesting and helpful as I have five children to plan meals for.

Our children’s brains take up only 2% of their body weight and yet consume nearly 20% of their body’s energy. That’s why what we feed their brain is so important. Eating “brain foods” improves kids moods, elevates learning and concentration, and sharpens memory and attention. The foods that we feed our kids impact their brains in three ways: the brain’s cellular structure, the wiring of neural circuits and production of myelin.

Glucose is the fuel for the brain. If your child’s brain does not have a steady supply of glucose, their energy level and attention will drop. Most teachers can tell if a student has not had breakfast for this very reason. Not all sugars are created equal. Refined sugars which are the kind found in donuts, cookies, candy and soda only give the brain a quick sugar jolt which is then followed by a huge drop. Children’s brains need to be powerful all day not just for a short period of time. The bottom line is to choose complex carbohydrates like whole grains, nuts, fruits and veggies to ensure that your child’s brain has a steady supply of glucose all day long.

Unfortunately, the mainstream U.S. diet is brain toxic full of sugary, fatty foods that do not do much for our brains. There is almost no good brain food in favorite things like french fries and macaroni and cheese, etc. A lot of kids foods are laced with simple sugars, disguised with names like saccharose to dextrin. Taking the time to read the labels on the products that we are feeding our children can make a huge difference in what we feed their brains and bodies. We want to give them the “edge up” at school by providing them a brain booster breakfast and lunch every day.

Helping your child to excel,

Terri Haldeman, RN
Odyssey Charter School