With the weather changing and Michigan weather being extremely inconsistent, people are becoming sick, and we’ve noticed that kids are either not coming to school or coming to school sick. After interviewing Mary Jane Nelson, the Chelsea school nurse, she said that the school is not actually in that bad of health currently.

“The big winter sickness hasn’t hit us yet; it’s just going to get worse,” said Nelson. The beginning of the school year usually isn’t too bad, with sickness spreading. Once the big change from fall to winter happens, that’s when we’ll mostly see the attendance numbers change.

“Kids that are in sports can’t be absent, but a lot of students are resilient, want to push, and want to come to school in order to play.” Said Nelson. This is a concern for other healthy students because the sickness ends up spreading throughout the school. This is also an issue because students are bringing the sickness home that they’re getting from school and unintentionally making their families sick. Nelson recommends that sick students should take as much time as they need to get back into better health.

“Groups of kids who do things together, such as sports or clubs, are getting sick as a group but not as much throughout the school as a whole.” Nelson has noticed that a sinus infection has affected the whole volleyball team. This shows that the more contact you have with sick individuals, the more it spreads and the sicker the school gets. Nelson is still waiting for the real winter sicknesses to kick in, although this year she wants to help guide the students of Chelsea High School to be more aware of germs and illnesses going around.

“Washing your hands, lots of fluids, and lots of sleep—all those things build up your immune system. Eat well; nutrition is just key to really helping keep your immune system up.” Said Nelson. These are things that all students should regularly be doing to keep their health in check and prevent illnesses.

Nelson encourages you to get outside, exercise, and stay away from caffeine or sugary drinks. Nelson cares deeply for the students that come to her with sickness and always makes sure to check in with them and their families after they take the time they need to get better. If you follow the directions that nurse Nelson encourages, CHS will be a healthy, clean, and sick-free environment.