After a year-and-a-half away, Daneen Sash returned to St. Charles North this year to serve on the school’s nursing staff. Having previously served as a registered nurse at North from 2018 to 2022, Sash returns this year as a certified school nurse after a tenure at Wredling Middle School.
“I left North because I got certified,” recounted Sash. “I went to [University of Illinois Chicago] and got my certification in school nursing, and so then I transferred over to Wredling, and worked there, before I came back here.”
As a certified nurse, Sash’s focus has shifted to more specialized assistance, primarily for students with disabilities.
“Certified nurses work more with special education,” said Sash. “So we work with [Individualized Education Plans] and 504s. We help accommodate and advocate for students with health needs or medical concerns. We also take care of the building as a whole, kind of like management.”
Having always held a desire to help others, Sash credits North as having helped strengthen her passion for nursing, and having driven her preference for school nursing.
“Mrs. Boynton actually asked me to sub within the district,” Sash said. “So that’s how I started into school nursing. Then I moved here to North, and this is where I really started to have the passion and desire to learn more and wanting to be here.”
When serving as a school nurse, Sash feels that ingraining herself in the community of the school is the most important part of the job.
“I really enjoy building relationships with the students and their families,” said Sash. “Being a part of students’ lives, watching them grow and gain independence with their medical needs/well-being, and becoming young adults is very rewarding. I am very excited to be back at NHS, but I miss my mentor, colleague, and friend Amy Boynton [who is retiring this year]. I sure have big shoes to fill!”
