School Nurse and Wellness

I am grateful to have been welcomed into the Athens community and to have served as your school nurse since 2011. This has offered me the opportunity to watch a few classes progress from kindergarten to their senior year, and I now care for elementary students whose parents I knew as high school students when I first started!

I have been a Registered Nurse since 1995 and have dedicated my career to caring for women, infants, children, and students of all ages. My background includes a variety of nursing clinical settings: Women & Children’s unit in the hospital and hospital-wide float, schools (K-12, college, and special education for students with multiple impairments/ special medical needs), summer camps, a pediatric office, pediatric telephone triage, and serving as a Pediatrics, Fundamentals, and OB Nursing Clinical Instructor for over 20 years. 

I am contracted as a part-time employee through Oaklawn Hospital and coordinate my schedule with my other role as the school nurse for a local ISD. I am at Athens Jr/Sr High School on Mondays and Thursdays and at East Leroy Elementary on Tuesdays.

My experience at Athens is what helped me discover my true love for school nursing. That passion led me to pursue and earn the credential of Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN). I sought this certification to honor the trust you place in me and to ensure I provide the highest quality care to our students.

Each day, I support students with illnesses and injuries, manage chronic health conditions, coordinate and administer medications, and provide care and training for students requiring medical procedures during the school day. I also serve as a resource for parents and staff, and I strive to turn every student interaction into a teaching opportunity.

Athens Area Schools are supported by dedicated Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERT) made up of administrators, teachers, coaches, and support staff. I help coordinate the team’s certification in infant, child, and adult CPR, AED use, and STOP THE BLEED®, and I train members to recognize and respond to anaphylaxis, asthma crises, seizures, diabetes-related emergencies, and other urgent medical situations. Their commitment plays a vital role in keeping our students and staff safe, especially on days when I am not in the building.

One of my key priorities has been earning and maintaining MI HEARTSafe School Certification for both schools, demonstrating our commitment to preparedness for cardiac emergencies through accessible AEDs, CPR/AED training, and cardiac emergency drills.

Please reach out anytime with questions or concerns. I can be contacted at vanderwaalm@athensk12.org or by calling either school and requesting to be transferred to my office. 

I look forward to partnering with you to keep our students healthy and supported!

Macie VanderWaal, BSN, RN, NCSN
vanderwaalm@athensk12.org

Building Healthy Minds & Behaviors

• Calhoun County Public Health Department School Toolkit
• Calhoun County Public Health Department Update on the COVID-19
• Information on E Cigarettes
• Information on Influenza and Norovirus
• Summer Safety Tips
• Nursing Report

Please let the school nurse know of any health concerns your child may have, such as asthma, life-threatening allergies, diabetes, seizures, etc.It is important for the school nurse to be aware of any health concerns to help keep the school environment safe for your child as well as to collaborate with teachers.

Whenever possible, it is recommended that you give your child their medication at home. However, medication can be administered as needed at school. A Medication Administration Authorization Form must be completed yearly by your physician and returned to school before prescription and over-the-counter medications can be administered by school staff. The medication form is also required if your student will slef-carry an inhaler or EpiPen. This form indicates your student has received training in when and how to administer the medication as well as alerts the nurse that medication is available if the student is too ill to self-administer.

Forms must be completed and signed by your child’s doctor. A guardian’s signature is also required. The medication must be in its original labeled container. Form will be requested yearly to be kept up to date for each school year. Please inform us of any needed changes throughout the school year. Any changes in medications given at school will require a new written order from your doctor. Forms you may need to fill out can be found by clicking the links below: 

• If your child requires daily or “as needed” medication at school: 
  • Medication Administration Authorization Form High School
  • Medication Administration Authorization Form East Leroy Elementary
• Asthma Action Plan - If your child uses an inhaler or nebulizer
• Allergy / Anaphylaxis Action Plan - If your child has an EpiPen
• Seizure Action Plan - If you child has a seizure disorder
• Diabetes Action Plan Form
• Consent & Health Info Form - If you did not fill out a Consent/ Health Information form at registration and you would like the nurse to provide standing order medications at school.

Thank you for helping us take great care of your student!

Student Wellness Resource