Health Services

Welcome to the Health Services page at Springfield School District.

The SSD school nurses strive to promote the health and safety of both students and staff. Two frameworks guide our nursing practice:

21st Century School Nursing Practice Framework

Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Framework.

The main components of 21st Century School Nursing Practice Framework that guide our nursing practice are:

Care Coordination,
Community/Public Health,
Leadership, and
Quality Improvement.

As per the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Framework, SSD school nurses agree that a student’s academic success lies in the collaboration of both the education and health sectors of a school district. This framework also stresses that engagement with both families and the community also plays a key role to a student’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth.

It is no secret that healthy students are better learners. To that end, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures recommends an annual well-child exam to address the physical, social and emotional needs of students. Doing so promotes attendance, enhances students' ability to fully access and enjoy the educational experience, and promotes better academic outcomes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, recommend that all students should have an established dental home and receive age-specific comprehensive oral health care annually.

Springfield School District follows the state of Vermont's immunization rule for schools to ensure a safe and healthy community. Vermont’s Immunization Rule requires vaccination of all children enrolled in center based or family child care, public or independent kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools. Immunizations protect both individuals and the community. An official immunization record must be presented to the school upon admission. If a student doesn’t meet the vaccine requirements, or have a current school year exemption on file, they may be temporarily admitted only after the approval of a school nurse or administrator. Failure to meet requirements may result in exclusion from child care or school.

To view and/or download immunization forms, exemptions, permission slips, and medical authorization forms for health-related services, please visit our Health Resources Page by clicking on the button below.

Mary Jo Christman, BSN, RN

Hi. My name is Mary Jo Christman, and I am the school nurse at Elm Hill School. I have been a nurse for 37 years. I have worked 20 of those years as a school nurse in the Springfield School District. I attended Colby-Sawyer College, and my first job was as a floor nurse on a medical-surgical unit at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. I enjoy working with Pre-K-1st grade students and staff at Elm Hill School. It is exciting to be part of a team that helps students begin their journey as successful Cosmo learners! My goal is to help provide a safe, caring, and healthy environment that will contribute to this journey.

Renee Epler, BSS, BSN, RN

I began my nursing career in 1996 on a busy 36-bed medical-surgical pediatrics unit, where I developed assessment abilities and essential clinical skills. I later transitioned to critical care, spending 12 years refining my expertise in a highly demanding environment. Although I valued the many challenges of working in an intensive care unit, its schedule became incompatible with family life. I subsequently moved from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to the emergency department at Springfield Hospital, where I discovered a renewed passion for patient care. Over time, I expanded my experience into peri-operative services, including the operating room, recovery, and endoscopy, each offering unique professional rewards. After a decade at Springfield Hospital, the demands of long hours, on-call shifts, and weekend and holiday work prompted me to seek a new direction. After 26 years working in hospitals I stepped outside of my comfort zone and applied for the School Nurse job at Riverside Middle School. I have grown to love this role, my co-workers, the team at RMS, and of course the students. They make my day, especially when they drop in just to say hi.

Jennifer McKinnon

Hello- I am Jennifer McKinnon, the school nurse at Springfield High School. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and I have been practicing as a registered nurse for 30 years. My area of practice has been largely pediatrics along with some community health experience. After nursing school, I worked at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, RI for 8 years. I then made the switch to community and home based pediatric nursing for the next 10 years. Twelve years ago, I decided to explore school nursing which I feel is the best fit for me at this point in my career. I moved to New Hampshire last summer so this past year was my first year at Springfield High School. My favorite part of being a school nurse is seeing students progress in their academic journey and being able to provide support as needed along the way.