I have appreciated being welcomed by the community and serving as the school nurse for Athens Area Schools since 2011. I have been a Registered Nurse since 1995; I have dedicated my career to working with women, infants, children, and students of all ages. I have worked in a variety of nursing clinical settings: schools (K-12, College, and Special Education), camps, Women & Children’s unit in the hospital/ hospital-wide float, Pediatrician’s office, pediatric telephone triage, as serving as Pediatric/ OB Nursing Clinical Instructor for over 20 years. 
 
The majority of my day, I treat students with illnesses and injuries, providing ongoing planning and monitoring. I also provide care and training for students who need medical procedures during the school day, write and coordinate student classroom health care plans, and serve as a resource for parents and staff.  
 
I thoroughly enjoy every time I get to interact with and teach the students, whether it be about good hand washing, preventing germ transmission, or the 5-2-1-0 message (Every day: 5 fruits and vegetables, less than 2 hours of screen time, at least 1 hour of physical activity and O sweetened beverages). I also have the opportunity to provide staff education on how to detect and treat anaphylactic reactions, asthma attacks, and seizures and how to manage diabetes to ensure prompt medical care on the days I am not in the district. I try to turn every interaction into a teaching opportunity. 
 
I am contracted as a part-time employee through Oaklawn Hospital and coordinate my time with two other nursing contract jobs. I am at Athens Jr/Sr High School on Mondays and East Leroy Elementary on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. You can reach me by email at [email protected] or by calling either school and asking to be transferred to my office.
 
I look forward to teaming up with you to keep our students healthy!
 
Macie VanderWaal, BSN, RN

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