HENRY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Susan Burton
Communications Director
Paris, TN - “Why do we health screen students?” asks Coordinated School Health Director, Stephanie Winders during the March advisory board meeting update. The board met to go over the health screen results and to determine goals for next year’s program. “If we can make a difference in one child’s life, it’s worth it. We’re here to remove barriers to learning,” adds Winders.
Families give written permission for their students to be screened for hearing, vision, and blood pressure at the beginning of each school year. After the screens are completed, students and families are mailed the results and if needed, referred to other agencies which have then alerted families to minor and major health barriers to student learning, such as blood pressure monitoring and diet changes, the need for glasses, the need for tubes in ears, and in extreme cases, surgeries.
“We hope the community and families see us as partners in health. Sometimes families are unaware of vision or hearing problems until a child comes to school. We have helped families and students by referring them to seek treatment from audiologists, optometrists, and their local pediatricians based on findings from our screens,” says Henry County School System Nurse Alicia Shelton.
The Tennessee Coordinated School Health program focuses on eight components for keeping students and staff healthy. Winders and her staff promote physical and health education, health and nutrition services, healthy school environment, family and community involvement, counseling, psychological, and social services for students, as well as health promotion for staff.
If you have suggestions for goals that might increase healthy lifestyles for students, contact Winders at winderss@henryk12.net and give her feedback on how schools can partner with families and agencies to promote and provide healthy strategies for PK-12 students.
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Photo: The CSH advisory board met at the Henry County School System Transportation building Tuesday to discuss health screen results. Alicia Shelton, HCSS Nurse, tells the board the number of referrals made and the outcomes of the referrals. (No student names are used in the report.) From left to right, Darlene Russell, Family Resource Center Director; Shelton; Tiffany Latta, Henry County Nutrition Supervisor; Dale Mathis, HCSS Social Skills Coordinator; Lynne Green, E. W. Grove School Counselor, and CSH Director Stephanie Winders.