On Jan. 2, Jenny Eklund officially took the reins from Sue Veno as the Hildreth Elementary School's nurse.

New school nurse Jenny Eklund takes a break from paper work at her desk. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

The Harvard Press: Tell us a little about yourself.

Eklund: My family recently moved to Hollis N.H. in August when my husband retired from the Air Force and accepted a job in Boston. We have four daughters ranging in age from 15 to 26. Our two youngest daughters attend Hollis Brookline High School. Our older girls are out of college and live in Chicago and Richmond.

We have done quite a bit of moving with the Air Force and have lived in some very interesting locations. We recently spent three years in Alaska and had all kinds of wildlife literally in our back yard. I learned that you should not put pumpkins out at Halloween as they are a delicacy for moose, and they will come right up to your front door to taste them.

Press: Tell us about your nursing background.

Eklund: My nursing career began in the early 80s when I graduated from Georgetown University. I started out as an adult cardiac nurse in Washington, D.C., and then moved home to Philadelphia and worked in a NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] and labor and delivery for a number of years. After my fourth child, I completed a graduate program in school health in Illinois and have worked in schools in Missouri, Virginia, New Mexico, and California and as a pediatric nurse at Elmendorf Air Force Base Hospital in Alaska.

Press: What do you like most about working with children.

Eklund: I love working with children, they keep me laughing.

Press: How has your first week been?

Eklund: The staff, children, and parents have been so warm and welcoming and have made me feel at home. It is my hope that all the families here will feel comfortable coming to me with any concerns or questions. I am certified as a CPR instructor and hope to offer a course for interested parents in the near future.

Press: Do you have any other ideas you want to bring to Hildreth Elementary School?

Eklund: Right now, the most important thing I am doing is learning all these great kids' names. In the future though, I'd like to implement health education in the classrooms. I did that in all my previous schools. For example, during Heart Health Month I would go into the classes and talk to the kids about keeping their hearts healthy.

I'd also love to help the kids start an herb or vegetable garden and hopefully give some of the items they grow to [food service director Paul Correnty] for his cooking. I haven't had his soup yet, but I heard it's delicious!