Wellness Committee

Meeting Dates

Meetings for the upcoming 2020/2021 School Year will begin to be  held virtually via Google Meet. To be held the fourth Tuesday evening of each month at 7:00 pm. Depending on the guidelines, we may have Google Meets and/or in person meetings. 

May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month

• Check for ticks frequently when outdoors
• Wear light colored clothes
• Use insect repellant that contains DEET, or oil of Lemon Eucalyptus except on children under 3 years old. For more information on Lyme Disease

A Few Reminders:
Make sure to complete the Daily Symptom Checklist every morning prior to sending your child(ren) to school. If your child has ANY of the symptoms listed below, they should stay home, call the attendance line, and contact the school nurse. 

• Temperature 100.0℉ or higher, chills or shaking chills
• New onset of cough (if chronic allergic/asthmatic cough - a change from baseline)
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Sore throat 
• Headache (with other symptoms) 
• Fatigue (with other symptoms)
• Body or muscle aches 
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea 
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (with other symptoms)
• New onset of loss of taste or smell

If you or your child have ANY of the symptoms listed above, please get tested right away and quarantine until the test result is received. If anyone tests positive for COVID, the positive individual must self isolate and all members in the household as well as other close contacts must quarantine. 

If anyone in your family has tested postive for COVID or is considered a close contact, make sure to inform the nurse. This applies to remote as well as in person students.

Pooled Testing:
Remember, pooled testing is only a screening and is NOT intended for sick students or staff. It does not take the place of individual testing for a person with symptoms. The state health metrics is ticking up so we must not let our guard down! Please continue to follow mitigation strategies, including wearing a well-fitted facemask, social distancing, frequent hand washing, and avoid unnecessary travel.
You may still give consent for your child to be included in pooled testing using this link: Pool Testing Enrollment
New consents received by Thursdays at 5pm will be included in the following week’s pooled testing collection.
If your child participated in pooled testing, you will be notified individually only if your child was a member in a positive pool. So remember, no news is good news!

Travel outside of MA:

Effective March 22, 2021, the state travel order has been downgraded to an advisory. If you have traveled outside of Massachusetts for longer than 24 hours in the past 14 days, you are urged to inform the school nurse and to follow the MA Travel Advisory outlined below:

• All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, are urged to quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival or test out of quarantine.
• Travelers are exempt from quarantine if:
• They obtained a negative PCR test or an Abbott Binax rapid antigen test performed no earlier than 72 hours prior to the return date in Massachusetts.
• They are fully vaccinated against COVID and must not have any symptoms****
• They returned to MA after being out of state for fewer than 24 hours
• Children 10 years old and younger are not required to get tested. If the accompanying adult chooses to quarantine for 10 days, the child should do the same. If the accompanying adult chooses to obtain a test, the adult and child should quarantine until a negative test result is received.

If your child obtained a COVID test, please submit proof of your student’s negative COVID test
to the school nurse.

***Definition of a Fully Vaccinated Individual: A person is considered fully vaccinated if it has been a minimum of 14 days after receiving the 2nd dose in a 2-dose series vaccine (e.g. Pfizer or Moderna) or the single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson/Janssen). 

COVID-19  Vaccination:
Use Vax Finder MA to search for appointments at pharmacies, health care providers and other community locations. 
The timeline has been updated for remaining groups:

• March 22nd: Residents 60+ and certain workers
• April 5th: Residents 55+ and residents with one certain medical condition
• April 19th: General public ages 16+
• May 12th - All individuals 12+ are eligilble for the COVID-19 vaccine.

All individuals ages 12+ are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine! People ages 12-17 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine while those 18+ may receive any vaccine brand. As a reminder, the COVID vaccine is free for all. More information, including finding a vaccine site, safety information, and helpful Q&As, is available at www.mass.gov/COVIDvaccine.
Sites offering walk-ins include:

• Natick Mall Vaccination Site (will close 6/23/21), CVS and Walgreens pharmacies
• LGH Mass Vaccine Program  accepts walk-ins during regularly scheduled hours except between 11:30-12:45. 
• Clear Path for Veterans - 84 Antietam St. in Devens has a clinic for 12 y.o and older on 6/23 from 1-5pm (run by Nashoba Board of Health). WILL ACCEPT WALK-INS! Under the age of 18 years, must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. May also schedule an appointment at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/, search by Local Board of Health Clinic and look for the Clear Path for Veterans New England/Devens site
• South Lawrence East Elementary School (sponsored by Lawrence General Hospital) accepting walk-ins Monday-Friday 9am-3pm.
• Vaccines for people who are homebound: If you know of someone who would like to receive a covid vaccine but can’t get to a clinic, please contact the Nashoba Board of Health at 978-772-3335 to arrange a visit.

Wellness Resources

• The Trevor Project - The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
• Littleton Community Farm - sliding scale CSA for families who are food insecure or struggling with food insecurity due to COVID. A 20 week share is sold at a depp discount. 
• LPS Mental Health Supports - From School Committee presentation April 15, 2021
• Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Resource - Hand to Hold
• Reach Beyond Domestic Violence - REACH works with survivors of domestic violence to foster safety and support while engaging communities to promote healthy relationships.
• Feb 9, 2021  Parenting in Unpredictable times
• Letter to Littleton Families Regarding Coronavirus
• Parenting in a Time of Unprecedented Challenges - Charity Bell
• SEL4MA.org
• Stop Addiction in its Tracks
• Tobacco/Vaping Dangers - Talking to our kids
• MA Rehab Centers
• Partnership for Drug Free Kids
• Safe Coalition
• MA Substance Use Hotline
• Learn to Cope

See A New Sun Foundation Inc.
Jackie Zegowitz 
567 Newtown Rd
Littleton, MA 01460
978-486-4928.
jackiezegowitz@gmail.com
P.O. Box 1344
Littleton, MA 01460
www.4sans.org

Survivors of Suicide Loss
Meets the 2nd and 4th Monday
7 pm to 9 pm at First Church Unitarian
19 Foster St Littleton, MA 01460

William James College INTERFACE Helpline provides personalized counseling referrals matched for location, specialty and insurance or fee requirements and is is available to Littleton residents. INTERFACE is also available for Acton, Ashby, Ayer, Boxborough, Chelmsford, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Westford. For Mental Health Resources and Referral call 617-332-3666 x1411 or 888-244-6843 x1411 Monday through Friday 9 AM - 5 PM. More information on their web site http://interface.williamjames.edu/

INTERFACE Referral Service

Littleton Coalition Against Addiction

The Littleton Coalition Against Addiction (LCAA) was created to raise awareness and provide resources and support for anyone struggling with drug dependency and addiction to opioids.  We also offer support and resources to friends and family members of anyone suffering from the disease of addiction.

We acknowledge that addiction is an illness and not a choice. We embrace anyone in need of help with compassion and an open mind.  Our mission is to empower people to seek treatment and provide them with the tools to achieve a successful recovery.

https://www.littletonma.org/littleton-coalition-against-addiction

Loaves and Fishes
Area Food Pantry
234 Barnum Rd, Devens, MA 01434
Loaves and Fishes

Mass Department of Public Health
Making Smoking History