A Summer Health & Wellness Update

Dear School District of Philadelphia Families,

Summer is here and we hope that you are enjoying it to the fullest – getting outside and spending quality time with family and friends. We also encourage you to focus on maintaining your mental and physical health throughout the summer. In July and August there are a number of events and initiatives designed to promote summer wellness and help you prepare to return to school in the fall.

Immunizations & Physicals
Starting next week, in partnership with CityLife Health, the School District will be offering school-required vaccines and sports physicals at select summer programs sites throughout the month of July. These events are open to any 6th through 12th grade student regardless of where they live, the school they attend or their insurance status. To find a location or schedule an appointment (recommended but not required) visit  www.philasd.org/vax. We will send consistent reminders about these events throughout the month of July.

In addition, through August all District students, K-12th grade, can get their required vaccines or physicals at select 2023 Back-to-School Bus Tour Mega-Events, any CityLife Health Clinic or City Health Center in Philadelphia, as well as from their healthcare provider. Again, these services will be provided regardless of insurance status. Students under 18 must have paper or phone consent.

We also want to remind you about the important and required forms that the school must have on file. The Med-1 Medication Form is required if your child needs to take medication while at school. The S-865 Student Emergency/Medical Information Form is required for all students in case your child experiences an emergency while at school. Get a head start on completing both forms by visiting our student health forms website.

Kooth #SDPSummerWellness Campaign
Hundreds of School District of Philadelphia high school students have made use of Kooth, the safe and confidential online mental health and wellbeing community that launched this year. They have accessed professional counseling, peer-to-peer support and self-help tools like goal-setting resources, advice and opinion pieces, and written personal experiences from peers and experts. This summer, students have an opportunity to compete for a visit from Kooth ambassador and Philadelphia Eagle Lane Johnson. To win, students need to Sign Up, Be Active and Keep Coming Back to Kooth throughout the summer. Learn more about the #SDPSummerWellness campaign here, and sign up for Kooth on our Student Mental Health Resources website.

Finally, a reminder for anyone who receives Medicaid, Medical Assistance or CHIP insurance through the state – you must renew your insurance annually. Renew today by calling (866) 550-4355 or by visiting the Compass website.

Have a happy and healthy summer!

Sincerely,

Jayme Banks, PsyD, MBA
Deputy Chief, Prevention, Intervention & Trauma
Office of Student Support Services

Dr. Kendra McDow
School District Medical Officer
Office of Student Support Services