Health Screenings
Connecticut General Statute 10-214 mandates that students are screened for potential barriers to education in the schools. The school nurse is responsible for conducting and overseeing these screenings. The Connecticut State Department of Education requires the following screenings:
Vision - Kindergarten, grades 1,3,4,5
Hearing - Kindergarten, grades 1,3,4,5
Scoliosis - Females, grades 5 & 7; males grade 10
Screenings typically occur in October and November but may occur at any time during the school year.
Parents may exempt their children from screenings for religious reasons and must provide the school with a written request, by emailing the school nurse, for exemption from screenings (CGS 10-208). Students who have been screened by their primary care provider and/or are receiving specialist care and show documentation that it has been done, may be excused from school screenings.
Vision Screening - kindergarten, grades 1,3,4,5
The Newtown Lions Club in conjunction with the Newtown VNA work with the Newtown public school nurses to conduct free vision screening for students using the SPOT Vision Screener.
- Screening is done from a distance of three feet; there is no physical contact with students.
- Screening does not involve eye drops.
- Screening is highly accurate in detecting common vision disorders of childhood.
- The information obtained from this vision screening is preliminary only; it does not constitute a complete eye exam or diagnosis of vision problems.
- Parents/guardians are notified of results (normal and abnormal) of SPOT vision screening. If a student misses the scheduled screening day, the make-up screening is conducted using the SNELLEN chart and only abnormal results are communicated to the parent/guardian.
- Abnormal findings warrant a follow up with the student's primary care provider.
The parent agrees not to hold the Lions Club, Newtown VNA, or the school accountable for any errors of commission, omission or any other misdiagnosis.
Hearing Screening - kindergarten, grades 1,3,4,5
The purpose of audiometric screening is to identify students with potential hearing loss and refer for treatment or intervention. Parents/guardians are notified of abnormal findings by the school nurse. Abnormal findings warrant a follow up with the student's primary care provider.
Scoliosis Screening - Females, grades 5 & 7; males grade 10
The purpose of this screening program is early identification of postural abnormalities so that treatment can be initiated. If postural screening was completed during 7th or 10th grade physical exam, students will not be screened.
Parents/guardians are notified of abnormal findings by the school nurse. This does not indicate a diagnosis of scoliosis, only that possible signs of scoliosis have been noted and follow up with a primary care provider is warranted.