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Growing up in a European country and never witnessing what it's like to go to an American school, watching American high school comedies, to me, has always been a pretty surreal experience. I'm sure that most of you fellow non-Americans reading this article could relate to me on this.

There are so many things about American schools that have always seemed utterly fascinating to me. For instance, you get letter grades instead of number ones, schools have swimming pools inside them, there's a club for almost anything, you have to get a hall pass to go to the bathroom during class, and lunch meals are usually pretty bizarre. The list goes on. With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look through this list of tweets from non-American Twitter users in which they share things that they find the strangest about American schools. Feel free to explain to us the things we don't understand or add your own in the comment section!

#1

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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GC
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t ever know what A levels etc. are. One of these days I need to look it up.

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#3

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but the cheerleaders were just normal students, not stuck up and they didn't wear their uniforms in class.

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#4

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Jamziee
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, because if you're in the hall without one, then you MUST be commiting murder (Sarcasm lads)

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#5

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Charlotte A.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Sweden it starts in august and ends in june. Nothing odd about it, to me.

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#8

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to have E as a failing grade, but people thought it meant Excellent, so they changed it to an F.

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#10

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Juniper
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, don't all schools have cafeterias? Where do you eat your lunch?

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#12

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Aunt Messy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canadian here. They don't close schools in Canada unless it's been colder than -40C for three days in a row.

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#18

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Eva Bryson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, teachers want you in class to learn, not loitering in the bathroom.

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#20

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Maya Kuntz
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No not ice, tiny wet folded paper towels in cling wrap that stay cold for approximately 3 seconds.

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cassiushumanmother
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have school nurses in France, and they give some medicin (paracetamol, pain relievers...some specials for the girls), allow us to sleep until we feel better... They manage treatments of insulin dependant kids, or other strong treatments needed by the students.

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Whawhawhatsis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to. These days they don't have the budget; most schools are lucky to have one nurse who works for 6 or 8 schools. So the office secretary passes out the bandaids.

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sylvantic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah but ours suck. i had an asthma attack once at school and the nurse berated me for not having an inhaler. "Sorry, but I haven't had an asthma problem in 6 years and I've been off meds for 3. My DOCTOR didn't think I needed one.

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Michelle C
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes..it's mandatory for school to have qualified medical professional to provide aid immediately if there's an emergency. Also kids on regular medications , they store and get their doses from the nurse.

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David Gripon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, we do. That's because American school misleads the students in many ways. In this case, it doesn't cost thousands of dollars and 2 weeks before a visit. It's immediate and free.

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Bloxmakesgames2019
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so confused. I thought all this stuff was normal this is hurting my head

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Jyri Hakola
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also here in Finland as a part of the public healthcare system. Annual Health inspections, Vaccinations that are part of the national vaccination plan etc

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Horror Hero13
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but the Nurse for my middle school was only there in the middle of the day.

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Dave P
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most places require a school over a certain size to have a nurse on staff in case of medical issues.

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Alethia Nyx
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have them in Australia too. Teenagers get into all sorts of trouble, have accidents, get sick, get period pains, or migraines, some have to have daily medication/injections. Who else is going to deal with all this?

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RoseTheMad
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

UK schools had "nurses", or at least people who had some medical know how.I think when there's hundreds of kids in a building together you kinda have to have someone like that. My secondary school also had a room with a cozy bed for people who were unwell to lie down and rest in case their parents etc were unable to immediately pick them up. Yes, I once fell asleep in there.

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Addie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they call themselves nurses but really just give you an ice pack no matter what happened

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Sarah
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They have people who pretend to be nurses. Or at least at my school they do. One time I had a headache and she gave me an ice pack. Another time I had a stomachache and she gave me ice again. School nurses really seem to love ice.

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II️ovecatsandogs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, do non-American schools not have school nurses?!?!? That’s crazy! Who’s soposed to give you ice packs then?

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BABY_FOX_ヾ(•ω•)o
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American TV shows with a nurse in the episode be like, Oh you fell and cut you arm and its not even bleeding? You can go home :) IRL, OH YOU CUT YOU ARM IN HALF? YOUR LYING GO BACK TO CLASS * gives ice* literally anybody *;-;* Or Asian moms " hmm? your almost sick?NAH "me" * vomits*

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Colin L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. Mostly ours seemed to keep track of vaccine records.

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Lula!!!!
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is pretty weird now that I think about it! But I'm glad schools have nurses - kids get hurt a LOT. Shout-out to Mrs. Clifford, one of the elementary school nurses!

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Catherine Fraser
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. The nurses do lice checks, administer prescription medications the kids bring from home, handle anaphylactic shock, call parents when a kid is sick, kiss boo boos, and call 911 for broken limbs.

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Evil Little Thing
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes because there are laws about who is allowed to dispense medicines to students. Even ibuprofen or acetaminophen (paracetamol) is illegal to give to a child unless the kid has doctors orders.

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Eva Haarhuis
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Holland we don't have a school nurse. Never missed one now I am thinking of it. Your teacher helps you of you need a bandage. Calls your parents when your sick. Worked perfect when I was a kid, and it works perfect now I'm a parent. So for me it is strange that there is something like a school nurse

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Antonia Schofield
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes but at my school the nurse was only there 2 days a week because she traveled from school to school

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Demetri
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a nurse but she had no authority (no male nurses in my day). She washed cuts and gave band-aids and called the parents if they needed to give up a children's aspirin.

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ArtistinResidence
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, we have nurses at each school but in some schools there may be only one who travels. Believe me kids get sick and a lot of their job is to call parents to come pick up the kids they sent to school sick! Then again there are students who may have physical problems who need treatment throughout the day in our nurses do that. They also do yearly physicals and eye checks as well as hearing checks for the students. Tell me other countries don’t do that?

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Queen fhk
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder where u schooled? We do have school clinic or infamary

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BoredDragon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember getting a tick in first grade. The nurse did nothing, just left my mom to pull it off. *shudders *

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, in my area, it was approximatley 75 minutes' driving to the nearest emergency room by ambulance, soooo.... No school nurse, we had no first aid/emergency care.

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Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Schools mostly have some service or some have a nurse in a special room called the sick bay here for sick or hurt children

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Nightshade1972
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always went to schools that had at least one nurse, but apparently that's not terribly common across the US. Really depends on the size of the city, the size of the district, and the size of the individual school. If you're in a rural area with a small, one-room schoolhouse, it's unlikely there'll be a nurse.

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Elizabeth Tunney
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. Had a contagious disease and it was brushed off as allergies ( I don’t even have allergies!). Had a headache and it was said to be COVID. Throw up in class, and they just gave me a mint and put me back in class.

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Joanne Hudson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the olden days the school nurse gave students a physical once a year. And if you were puking, she took you home.

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Lynn Bradway
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to- now it's not unusual to have one nurse for 4-5 schools.

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Susan Egan
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some do. We have nurse that is shared between all the schools in our town. They do hearing tests and vision tests. Some will do health discussions. Along with bandaids, and fever checks etc.

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Faith Hurst
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most have a health aide with nurses being shared between schools.

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Martha Higgins
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many schools have school nurses and some schools share nurses among several schools.

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elfin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine did. I don't know if it's legally required. If so, it could be a state by state thing.

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Jane Alexander
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again, the bigger schools would but the smaller or rural ones may not.

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starhunter64
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah but all there allowed to give you is a band aid and *maybe* a call home if you are bleeding like crazy

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Klaus Hargreeves
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

at my elementary school all they could give you was a frozen plastic baggie filled with water and a paper towel.

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Charles Murray
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The nurses are pretty useless they just give you the magical healing potion-ICE

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Pheebs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the school. Grade school and middle, yes. First high school, kinda. Second high school just a person to call someone to come get you, or write you a pass allowing you to go home. I had to teach the latter how to treat a bee sting. 🙄

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Marilyn Bojanowski
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, idk how much medical training they have to have, but you can go if you need something like a bandaid. I never really went except once or twice plus the required eye exams, so they probably have stuff for kids with more serious medical conditions.

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Emily Smith
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They do have a trained staff person who can treat minor things in case kids get injured or sick while at school. For example, I broke my arm falling off monkey bars in first grade. In my senior year of high school, I cut my finger open in art class with a glass cutting wheel (we were making stained glass pieces). I ended up needing stitches. That class was the last one of the day and when I walked down to the office where the nurse it, I learned she had already gone home for the day! LOL

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beautiful plumage
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

some schools have a nurse and some don't. depends usually on budgeting priorities, how many students, etc. they're usually in charge of student meds, scrapes, cuts, upset bellies, and now covid policy enforcement and planning.

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Scott Lloyd
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

headache ice pack, vomiting ice pack, limb amputated ice pack

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Don't Look
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Schools have to have a nurse. For one thing they get to call the parents. Seriously, that’s their primary thing.

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Citizen Josie
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They do but they actually just put bandaids and call your mom for everything.

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Seth Linn
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the state. South Carolina elementary always had one, Louisiana had a front office person double up and she could t so anything.

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Mimi777
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ours didn’t. I didn’t know anyone else who had one either at their school.

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Blackheart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. Any student with any health issue is entitled to attend public school. This year, nurses are fielding students and staff for coronavirus

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Amy Pattie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Australia has school nurses... what happens when you faint or sew through your finger?

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Jessica Cifelli
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes but generally all a school nurse really does is hand out ice for minor injuries and the occasional cough drop. Also sometimes a student has to take medicine during the day. The nurse would have it. And also if your a girl, the school nurse has emergency feminine products...

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InfectedVoice
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We always had a school nurse, Mrs Martin, and she didn't take anyone's crap.

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Morgan Olson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

no. they have an annoying person that is not a nurse pretend to be a nurse tho. Here is how it goes: Student: Nurse, i just poked my eye out off my head. Nurse: Hi, honey, go sit over there you can grab an ice pack if you want, i will check on you in a moment. 20 minutes later... Student: Nurse, my eye hurts Nurse: Ok, it has been a while, i think you can go back to class. Give me your name and teacher. Student: ...

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I'manoob!
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, but mine didn't do their job right! My elementary school nurse had a real AT👏TI👏TUDE👏 She would question anyone who walked in. Starting with a: "What are you doing here?" and if you tell her you're sick, she'll reply: "Are you really though?" And if you happen to cough : "I can do that too*imitates your cough*" Seriously, the only way you can convince her is if you barf, but it has to be in front of her or else she'll think you're pretending as you claim you did in the bathroom. Like...WTH LADY! She finally retired and got replaced. Good Riddance! I'm now in high school and my nurse is my mom cuz of quarantine, who actually takes care of me ^^P

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Rowena Ravenclaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My school technically does but she's never there. My friend broke her arm and a different teacher had to help her.

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Harløw-Banditø
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah but she usually doesn’t do anything. When I was in elementary school the nurse was an absolute jerk. One kid threw up seven times before she got to go home, another time some kid threw up all day and didn’t get to go home, and once I had a migraine and she wouldn’t give me anything for it. I was ten bitch, you can’t let a little kid sit through that much pain without doing something

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CR Harvey
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Use to. But then the money got cut and the job was shared out to everyone else.

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Imtiredandiwannagotobed
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, but they’re useless, so I just use a tissue for a bloody nose, and any spare paper for something bleeding

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Powercat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In highschool the school nurse called me to her office because she assumed I had a eating disorder because I was thin 🤦‍♀️ Thin-shaming... awesome 😑

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JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Did she actually assume, or did she just ask you? If she asked you, that is certainly appropriate for a school nurse and isn’t “thin shaming”, it’s her job to ask those questions, just sayin’

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#21

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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The Zooble
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be very honest, I'm English and I usually do page count rather than word count

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#25

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So we aren't "distracted". Even rooms with windows usually had the blinds closed.

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#26

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really. We have nearby schools we compete against in sports, but any rivalry is very light-hearted.

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#32

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Candy was usually a very tiny part, if it was there at all. But it was the most exciting part!

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