Postural Screenings
Throughout the year, The GLCPS Nurses will be conducting Postural Screening. The purpose of this screening is to detect early signs of possible spinal problems in children, grades 5-9. It is not a diagnostic service but a program to identify young people who should have further medical evaluation.If your child has any unusual findings, you will be notified and asked to take your child to a physician for further evaluation. The majority of students exhibit no findings. These screenings will be tacking place over the next couple of weeks. Boys and girls will be screened separately, and in a confidential manner. If you do not want your child to participate in this program please provide the school nurse with a medical note documenting that he/she was screened for scoliosis by his/her physician this school year. Girls are asked to wear a 2 piece bathing suit top, sports bra, regular bra or any other half piece garment with thin straps to conduct the screenings.This type of clothing permits more accurate observation of the back. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us by phone or email.
Vision and Hearing Screening
Vision and hearing issues can impact a child's ability to learn in many ways. Massachusetts General law requires annual vision screenings for students in grade 5, once in grades 6 through 8 and once in grades 9-12.
GLCPS will perform vision and hearing screenings for students in grades 5, 7 and 10.
If your child is receiving treatment for a vision or hearing concern, please provide the health office with current medical documentation of his/her condition.
Parents/guardians will be notified if vision or hearing requires futher evaluation. Included in this notification will be a request for a report from you healthcare provider of their findings so that the nurses are aware of any problems which may interfere with learning and can accommodate any needs that are identified.
Parents/Guardians can choose not to have their child participate in the vision and hearing screenings. Please notify the school nurse in writing each year you wish for your child to opt out.
Body Mass Index Screening
A Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a measure that is used to show a person's "weight for height for age." It is calculated using an individual’s height and weight and is a useful tool in identifying possible health risks, but it does not provide a diagnosis.
According to the state’s BMI screening regulations, schools must collect the heights and weights of students in grades 1,4,7 and 10. BMI data for all children in these grades will be gathered and reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a combined number. No individual student BMI results will be shared.
The school nurse will supervise your child's screening and will make sure your child’s privacy is respected at all times. The results of your child’s height, weight and BMI measurements are strictly confidential. You will be contacted only if the results of your child’s BMI screening are of concern or per your request.
A BMI does not tell the whole story about your child's health status. You may wish to consult with your child's physician as they are in the best position to evaluate your child's overall health. Please feel free to call the school nurse with any question you may have about the BMI screening. Additional information about children’s wellness and fitness is available upon request or you may access the state’s resources at
www.mass/gov/massinmotion/.
Parents and/or legal guardians can OPT OUT of this screening by emailing [email protected].
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment) Screening
This screening focuses on prevention, early detection, risk assessment, brief counseling and referral for assessment in the school setting. Use of a validated screening tool will enable school health teams to detect risk for substance use related problems and brief intervention strategies will help to address these concerns at an early stage in adolescents. More information can be found
here.
These screenings are required by the Massachusetts STEP (Substance Use, Treatment, Education and Prevention) Act which outlines the requirements for public schools in the Commonwealth to engage in substance use screening and education. Legislation can be found
here.
School nurses and counselors at GLCPS will conduct the interview with students in grades 7 and 9 using the CRAFFT tool as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Substance Abuse. Student screening sessions will be brief and conducted confidentially in a private, one-on-one session. For more information please use the links below. If you have any questions or if you would like to opt your student out of SBIRT please email the Nurses at [email protected].