Nominated by Katie Bartolini
Michelle Rybicki MSN, NCSN, RN is the School Nurse for Molin Upper Elementary School. She has been a school nurse in our district for 16 years. As the “Keeper” of school health in her building, Michelle has exemplified "Advocate" and "Care Coordinator" for her students. Michelle has established a strong network of health and social supports both in the district, and in our community to improve student outcomes. One of Michelle's focuses over the years have been our most medically and/or educationally complex kiddos. Creating environments where the student can best access the curriculum with the least amount of time out of the classroom is her focus. This includes creating treatment spaces in close proximity to classrooms, furniture and equipment modifications, and whenever possible, including student input! Michelle has taken a lead role in improving our utilization of our Electronic Health Record system - SNAP - and has become the “go-to” Super User in our district. Her focus this year has been on improving our data reporting, spending countless hours on remapping the program, and testing the changes. In line with Michelle's commitment to technology, she has taken several courses related to programs she can use to push health education information out to students in families. This includes using Canva to create her own resource page for families and staff, and creating education units such as Understanding Life Threatening Allergies for her 4th and 5th grade students, complete with an interactive assessment tool called "Blooket" that the students loved! Quarterly, the bulletin board outside her office is modified to provide health awareness and education. It is currently focused on health food choices. Michelle is deeply embedded in her school community and actively participates in our At Risk, Crisis, and School Health Committees. Additionally, Michelle is Vice President of the Newburyport Teachers Association, a role she is holding for the second term; and a member of the City Insurance Review Committee. Michelle is a vital member of our school health team in Newburyport Public Schools, supporting Nurse leadership, and her peers. She also routinely mentors new staff, or individuals pursuing higher education degrees who need clinical hours. Michelle is a communicator, and creates open honest lines of communication with families, staff, and administration. Our families rely on Michelle as a respected resource as they navigate our complicated health care system. She proactively creates plans with both short and long term goals, as students return from surgeries and hospitalizations, and when transitioning to the next school building. I whole-heartedly recommend Michelle to be acknowledged as a School Nurse Super Star! Respectfully submitted, Katie Bartolini, BSN RN NCSN Director of Health Services Newburyport Public Schools
