Athens school district’s Meredith Dykes named Georgia school nurse of the year

Dykes (r) with CCSD Director of Nursing Amy Roark

The Clarke County School District has announced that veteran school nurse Meredith Dykes has been named the state’s School Nurse of the Year by the Georgia Association of School Nurses.

Dykes had been nominated by her CCSD nursing colleagues. She was presented with the award earlier this month at the GASN annual conference on Jekyll Island. She was among several nominees from across the state and was selected by an outside panel of judges from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Kennesaw State University, and the Georgia Nurses Association.

Dykes, who is part of a team of more than 30 nurses and clinic assistants serving the school district, has been a nurse for over 20 years and a CCSD school nurse for the last 8.5 years. In addition to her nursing degree, she also holds a master’s degree in public health.

Dykes serves the H.T. Edwards campus, which includes Classic City High School, the Early Learning Center West location, and the Athens Community Career Academy.

She can often be seen zipping around the campus between buildings on her scooter as she works tirelessly to support the health and wellness of CCSD students.

Dykes excels at connecting students and families with community resources and initiating programs to help promote student success. This past school year, she spearheaded an effort to bring free vision clinics to students through a district partnership with Prevent Blindness Georgia. This collaboration, which began in the spring, has already allowed many students to have access to high-quality vision care and optometrist exams that may not have otherwise been possible for them due to barriers such as cost, lack of insurance, or transportation availability. Every student who is recommended for eyeglasses at the clinics is fitted for them and receives two free pairs.

“Nurse Dykes is a true asset to our School Nursing Team,” said Amy Roark, CCSD’s Director of School Nursing. “She is well deserving of this statewide honor and recognition.”