December 2025

Vol. 4, Issue 10


Wishing you a holiday filled with joy, laughter, and well-deserved rest! Thank you for your patience, kindness, and the calm you bring to every little emergency. May your winter holiday be as warm and wonderful as the care you give students all year long. Happy Holidays from the staff at Children's of Alabama!

The Monthly Spotlight

Safe Toys and Gifts Month

December is National Safe Toys and Gifts Month. Over 200, 000 children were treated in U.S. Emergency Departments in 2022 due to toy-related injuries.1 When choosing gifts for children, there are several things to consider to ensure they receive an enjoyable toy without risking injury. Younger children have small airways that can become easily obstructed with small parts from toys that are intended for older children.1 Households with older siblings need to be conscious of keeping toys designed for older kids out of reach of smaller children.1 Using manufacturers guidelines when choosing toys to purchase will help determine if an item contains parts that could become potential choking hazards. Button batteries, water beads and magnets pose risk of injuries to internal organs when accidently swallowed by children of any age. 1 2 3 Other things to consider are ensuring proper assembly to reduce the risk of loosened parts breaking off of toys and avoiding toys with cords or projectiles.1 2 Also wearing appropriate safety equipment such as helmets and elbow pads while riding wheeled toys such as scooters, roller skates or bikes can protect from critical injuries.4



  1. UAB-Keep the Holidays Happy and Safe with these Toy Safety Tips
  2. HealthyChldren.org-How to Buy Safe Toys
  3. HealthyChildren.org-Water Beads: Harmful if Swallowed, Put in Ears
  4. Safe Kids Worldwide-Toy Safety Tips


School Study Guide

Test Anxiety


Test anxiety is that nervous feeling a child may get when they are about to take a test. Dr. Dan Marullo, a pediatric psychologist at Children's of Alabama explains how it is a normal part of the education process and how it can impact a child.


Holiday safety tip

Children's of Alabama is here for you. For any school nurse needs, please

reach out to us via email at myschoolnurse@childrensal.org.

My School Nurse

The slides from our School Nurse Workshops this summer are now available on myschoolnurse.net.


Topics include:

  • Grief
  • Poison Principles for Primary Students
  • Legal Grey Zones to Household Dangers in School Health
  • Diabetes School Packet Update and Review

Tuesday Tidbits


Did you know...

Snow is not white but translucent? The white color comes from light reflecting off of the sides of snowflakes.1


  1. National Snow and Ice Data Center-Quick Facts About Snow

Need help educating your students and parents?

Check out KidsHealth


  • Homework Help (Topic Center)
  • Printable resources with advice on children's health, behavior, and growth from before birth through the teenage years
  • Information on a variety of topics including how the body works, homework help, and more
  • Approved by doctors, and has separate sections written specifically for parents, teens, and kids
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