FALL RIVER — The Diocese of Fall River Catholic Schools Office recently announced that, effective November 1, Anna Manny, RN, NCSN, is the Diocesan School Nurse Manager who will support the 19 Catholic schools from Attleboro to Cape Cod on a part-time basis, in addition to maintaining her role as the school nurse at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford. While all Catholic schools have had nurse coverage prior to Covid-19, the continued challenges posed by the pandemic raises the need for a highly qualified and experienced school nurse to oversee the 25 nurses who work at the individual school level.
“Navigating the ever changing requirements of Covid has been challenging for school nurses,” said Daniel S. Roy, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Fall River. “Anna’s front line expertise and understanding of school nursing will be a great benefit to ensuring all school nurses follow consistent guidelines. Moreover, her ability to interpret medical data and its application to the school setting will help ensure the safety of our students, faculty and families. With a depth of knowledge and skills from her experience as a school nurse, Anna is a welcome addition to our team.”
Cristina Vivieros-Serra, principal of St. James St. John School, stated that “Anna has been a blessing to SJ-SJ as she led this entire school through the early confusion of the pandemic to where we are today. Anna’s leadership and commitment to Catholic education are two of her best qualities, which are evident through her close relationships with students and families. Everyone at SJ-SJ loves Nurse Anna!”
Manny added, “I am so eager to work collaboratively with all Catholic school leaders, diocesan school nurses, and school district liaisons to provide consultation through the complexities of Covid-19 and other health policies and procedures. Working with the students and staff at St. James-St. John School is a joy and I am blessed to be able to expand my role to include mentoring the nurses from all of the other Catholic schools.”
Manny is a registered nurse fluent in Portuguese and has been the school nurse at St. James-St. John School for 14 years and with the Diocese of Fall River for a total of 18 years. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from UMass Dartmouth and is a nationally certified school nurse through the National Board for Certification of School Nurses.
For more information about the Catholic Schools Alliance, please go to www.catholicschoolsalliance.org/did-you-know/.
The Catholic Schools Alliance comprises administrators, teachers, staff, parents and clergy joined in partnership to educate the children of the Diocese of Fall River in Catholic faith and values. Our schools have a demanding educational culture that helps students from across the academic spectrum reach their God-given potential.
