Medical Screenings without parental notification (public school)

[Tsuga]

I don't have a problem with a school doing these screens, but just because no data goes to the state at your school doesn't mean a hacker can't gain access, doesn't negate a parent's right to control their child's medical info/treatment/screening, doesn't mean data doesn't go to the government in other states, and doesn't mean an "educational partner" the parent would rather not share with can't get the info. 

 

I guess I just wonder... with all the information they have, of all things, you are worried about BMI and eye tests?

 

They just need the social, the birthdate, and the mother's maiden name for a guess (hint: if it's different than the father's and the kids', it's the mothers--voila, you know whose maiden names you have). It's all in there. That's how you get a bank account.

 

But you're worried about a hacker getting an eye test result?

 

I worry about identity theft a little bit. I worry about my child being bullied. I worry about some idiot parent volunteer posting some fool video to the Internet and it going viral (though technically they aren't supposed to do this, you can't count on people).

 

The idea that some guy in Novosibirsk has my daughter's ear screening is really the least of my worries.

 

I get the worry about hacking, but that ship has sailed.

[Aiden]

I am not bothered by the screenings being done.

 

I am bothered by the screenings being done *without parental notification* and *without some kind of opt-in/out mechanism*.

 

I had the screenings done as a child. The vision and hearing screenings didn't bother me a bit. I was uncomfortable with the spine exam because I had to take my shirt off. My parents knew I'd rather have that done somewhere other than at school, so they opted me out of that one and had a doctor do it at my next regular checkup. Parents should have the choice of whether to allow those screenings to be done at school or elsewhere. You can't always tell from looking which child is sensitive to different things, anxious about different things, etc., and even for those whom you know have problems--such as nonverbal children being given a standard vision test, as a pp noted--mass screenings at school often don't differentiate. Parents need to be able to opt their kids out.

[IfIOnly]

No, I wouldn't be concerned but also wouldn't put much stock in the tests. I had a few vision tests via public school and passed but didn't find out I REALLY needed glasses (astigmatism) until I was getting my driver's liscence at 19 and didn't pass the vision test. I was so overwhelmed after getting classes after so long going without because everything was so much brighter and clearer. Going to big stores was overwhelming at first.

[Jasperstone]

Since when did a hearing, vision and scoliosis screening involve a photo?

 

And as far as privacy goes, photos are taken at schools all the time. Have you heard of yearbooks?

I already addressed that, and I was corrected earlier on.

 

Also year shots don't zoom into the iris last time I looked- if that would have been a part of screening, which it's not, I understand.

 

It's not part of our schooling program, where I live, so excuse my ignorance.

 

I still think a simple note to help prepare a child is something that should be done. I would be annoyed if my child had any medical testing done without notice.

[MEmama]

No. My son is another one who desperately needed glasses, but we had no idea until the idea of a vision check just happened to come up at a well visit. It's kind of amazing the stuff we can miss.

 

Why would I need to be notified if the school took care of it? I think it's great they still do these checks. They've been doing them forever (and those fluoride treatments that turned teeth red if you had plaque?). Goodness knows the schools make many decisions without our "consent". This would be one of the least concerning ones to me. ;)

[creekland]

Everyone's answering the question about if the screenings are ok. Only a couple people actually answered the op's question..."without notification" is key.

 

 

I answered for both.  I have no idea if we were notified or not.  I don't remember being notified, but we may have been and I just didn't store that info in memory.

 

It doesn't bother me either way and I'm glad public schools do these checks.  My guy certainly benefited from his one year - even with regular annual medical care.

[Pippen]

At one time, I would have said no, because I underwent these screening as a student and they certainly were no big deal.  But now I would be concerned about this because of the computerization and easy availability of medical records to anyone with hacking ability or a computer.  Even the screening results are entered into a computer and shared with whomever the school deems are its "educational partners".  The possibility of my child's medical records being hacked or shared make me not only think notification is appropriate, but that an opt-in consent is necessary, as well.  I look at the lack of notification as an indication of an organization that does not take medical privacy, parental consent, and the possibility of hacking seriously.

 

Basic medical information is in the school's computer system anyway, because it's on the forms parents fill out at the beginning of each year. medical conditions, allergies, medications, etc. There are many medical conditions that the school legitimately does need to know about.

[Word Nerd]

Your iris is like fingerprints- unique to the person. So *if* a photo is taken it could be a threat to privacy.

Why would they take photos of my kids' eyes?

[Jasperstone]

Why would they take photos of my kids' eyes?

I highlighted *if* as I wasn't sure what the tests entail etc...

 

I was answering another posters concerns she had with privacy.

[Reefgazer]

I understand data is out there and can't be completely protected. But every little bit of information that is freely out there can be used to build a profile of a person and can be matched to other data. It's not any one piece of info that is valuable, but the picture a boatload of data builds that is valuable. For me, it is about my duty to protect my child's medical and other personal data, so I go to great lengths to limit what is out there and minimize what is available in order to reduce my kids' risk and exposure. By your line of thought, why not just make your SS number purely public; after all, it's out there anyway? But of course, the better question is why the schools feel the need to poke into my children's medical business when I expressly wish that they do not do so, and when I take care of their medical business outside of school.

 

I guess I just wonder... with all the information they have, of all things, you are worried about BMI and eye tests?

 

They just need the social, the birthdate, and the mother's maiden name for a guess (hint: if it's different than the father's and the kids', it's the mothers--voila, you know whose maiden names you have). It's all in there. That's how you get a bank account.

 

But you're worried about a hacker getting an eye test result?

 

I worry about identity theft a little bit. I worry about my child being bullied. I worry about some idiot parent volunteer posting some fool video to the Internet and it going viral (though technically they aren't supposed to do this, you can't count on people).

 

The idea that some guy in Novosibirsk has my daughter's ear screening is really the least of my worries.

 

I get the worry about hacking, but that ship has sailed.

[Reefgazer]

I shared virtually nothing on those forms when I enrolled my child. Only publicly identifiable info like name address, phone, along with the fact they had had a medical exam, and required vaccine dates, etc; minimal info that I needed to get them enrolled. I was only required to submit evidence of a physical once, so even that was out of date within a few years. I would have shared if there was a life threatening illness, but I did go so far as to block out a few other things on the form that I felt were nobody's business; no one questioned or mentioned that.

 

The school only needs to know if I agree they need to know; that's medical privacy.

 

Basic medical information is in the school's computer system anyway, because it's on the forms parents fill out at the beginning of each year. medical conditions, allergies, medications, etc. There are many medical conditions that the school legitimately does need to know about.

[Daria]

Your iris is like fingerprints- unique to the person. So *if* a photo is taken it could be a threat to privacy.

There are no iris photographs taken at school. In our school district if you are 3, or have developmental delays or motor problems that make the nurse think the 3 year old test will work best you stand on a line and they show you pictures of an hand one at a time and you turn your little hand the same direction (e.g. Up or down or left or right). If you are 4 or older without 100% letter recognition you stand on a line with a little card with 4 letters. The project the letters and you point to the one that matches. If you know all your letters it's the old fashioned chart with the E on the top.

 

You get 2 possible results -- you are fine, or you should ask your doctor to check you for real. Sometimes the nurse will verbally tell the teacher a little more, like I've had her tell me about a brand new English speaker "I don't think he understood me, ask the parents if they would like to come try again when they can interpret." Or "He did really poorly. I know you're concerned about his reading and this could explain it. Please make sure the parent knows that the LIONS will test him for free if need be."

[Daria]

I shared virtually nothing on those forms when I enrolled my child. Only publicly identifiable info like name address, phone, along with the fact they had had a medical exam, and required vaccine dates, etc; minimal info that I needed to get them enrolled. I was only required to submit evidence of a physical once, so even that was out of date within a few years. I would have shared if there was a life threatening illness, but I did go so far as to block out a few other things on the form that I felt were nobody's business; no one questioned or mentioned that.

 

The school only needs to know if I agree they need to know; that's medical privacy.

 

 

As a teacher, whether or not a child can see the board from their seat, or handle the print size in the books we read is something I need to know.

[Jasperstone]

There are no iris photographs taken at school. In our school district if you are 3, or have developmental delays or motor problems that make the nurse think the 3 year old test will work best you stand on a line and they show you pictures of an hand one at a time and you turn your little hand the same direction (e.g. Up or down or left or right). If you are 4 or older without 100% letter recognition you stand on a line with a little card with 4 letters. The project the letters and you point to the one that matches. If you know all your letters it's the old fashioned chart with the E on the top.

 

You get 2 possible results -- you are fine, or you should ask your doctor to check you for real. Sometimes the nurse will verbally tell the teacher a little more, like I've had her tell me about a brand new English speaker "I don't think he understood me, ask the parents if they would like to come try again when they can interpret." Or "He did really poorly. I know you're concerned about his reading and this could explain it. Please make sure the parent knows that the LIONS will test him for free if need be."

That's good. Hope it stays that way.

 

I've just come back from having to update my driver's licence, which is now microchipped and the face is digitally marked out etc...

 

Hence, my reaction about photos, lol.

[happypamama]

I'm vaguely not in favor of them overall, in that I think for students who are receiving regular attention (my kids see an eye doctor yearly and also get a basic eye screen at their annual well child checkup too, so they really don't need a third screening), they're mostly a waste of time, and schools have enough wastes of time as it is. I think they should be opt-in or opt-out.

 

I remember having the screenings when I was in school. They would have a handful of us line up to do the eye test one by one. I was alphabetically not first, so I was about third in line. I memorize things ridiculously easily, so by the time two other kids had read out the letters, I had memorized them. I didn't try to; it just happens. So then my test wasn't accurate -- did I read the letters, or did I memorize them? It still happens that way because I schedule myself and the children in pairs; if they have the child go first, I've memorized the lines.

 

I also have a problem with the screenings being done with other students in the room. Whether you fail or pass, that information should be kept private. It's not a matter of it being sensitive information; it's a matter of it being YOUR information. I kept my grades private (lots of bullies who liked to pick on the good students), so I would prefer to keep anything health related private too.

 

I'm absolutely against them without prior notification to the parents.

[creekland]

Basic medical information is in the school's computer system anyway, because it's on the forms parents fill out at the beginning of each year. medical conditions, allergies, medications, etc. There are many medical conditions that the school legitimately does need to know about.

 

As a teacher I get inside information about all the major medical issues of all the students in our school - not just those I have.  I know who has cancer, heart issues, epilepsy, diabetes, various mental disorders, who needs an epi-pen and why, and a few others I'm not thinking about.  There have been a handful of times that having this knowledge has been important in the classroom even though most of the kids know too (just from socializing).

 

Every other teacher also has access to this information.

 

Not once has anyone tried to get any of that info out of me via any method - plain asking or offering me money.

 

I honestly fail to see any concern whatsoever about basic screenings.

 

I'm vaguely not in favor of them overall, ..., they're mostly a waste of time, and schools have enough wastes of time as it is. I think they should be opt-in or opt-out..

 

Schools would waste far more time and money sending out and dealing with opt in/out papers...

[Butter]

Our insurance information is on file at the school. I don't need to be billed for something I didn't agree to.

 

Except the screenings they do at school don't involve billing the parents at all.

 

Everyone's answering the question about if the screenings are ok. Only a couple people actually answered the op's question..."without notification" is key.

 

When I enrolled the kids in public school health screenings was on the paperwork.  I signed saying conducting those was fine.  Because of that I don't see why telling the parents exactly when they will be done is actually necessary.  The parents already consented.  They were already notified they would be done.  You can opt out on the enrollment paperwork.

 

In a perfect world, kids would be taken to vision and hearing screens regularly by their parents.  This is not a perfect world.

 

I helped at the elementary school with vision and hearing screens.  I was herding kids and also noting which kids had been screened.  It was just on paper, no computers involved.  Kids who passed just got a check mark and a note home in their folder stating the screenings had happens and their vision and hearing appear fine at this time.  Kids who didn't, the nurse filled out a piece of paper to go home in their folders stating the results of the vision/hearing screen and urging the parents to take them to the appropriate medical professional for further testing.  That's it.  The results were not even recorded for the school other than to say these kids had been screened.  In the school's records we didn't even mark which kids had "failed" the screenings.  That was information only for their parents (teachers were in there for the screenings and none seemed surprised by the kids who failed the vision screenings - we didn't have any kids fail the hearing screens).

[Excelsior! Academy]

Meh.  Doesn't bother me in the least, and I tend to be a notify-parents-for-everything type of helicopter parent on most things.  Schools giving a quick read through on an eye chart, hearing tests, and spine test are the least of my worries.  If they started treating my child for scoliosis without my consent or knowledge, I would have a problem.  Alerting me to a problem then letting me, the parent, choose where to get the treatment is a whole 'nother issue.

[Word Nerd]

In some states they are mandated by law. Schools couldn't simply decide to stop doing them.

[luuknam]

I don't mind basic screenings like those with or without notification. I don't remember if I was notified or not, other than Celery's K teacher saying she wasn't sure if he could see the board, and the school nurse not being able to complete a vision exam (nor did the ped the year before or the year before that - it being unclear whether he wasn't answering because he couldn't see or because he just wasn't answering), but that an optometrist can do a vision exam even if the kid isn't very cooperative. So, after an optometrist exam it did turn out he needed glasses.

 

I do think that they should be a little more sensitive about how they do them... the way they did them at your kid's school sounds like they didn't handle it very well. But there are lots of ways schools can handle situations badly... Just because they handled those basic screenings badly doesn't mean that I think that basic screenings are a bad idea or require advance notification, anymore than if they handled spelling tests badly or w/e.

[Valley Girl]

I had vision, hearing, and scoliosis screenings in school. I think they can be helpful, especially for kids who might not otherwise get timely care. However, there is NO excuse for a school today not doing everything it can to communicate with parents about it. People ARE sensitive to overreach--and for good reason. I get robocalls for football games, fundraisers, and drama club presentations as well as multiple reminders to make sure my child eats a good breakfast on standardized test mornings. If a school can do that, they can certainly notify parents about screening and let me know how to opt out if I wish to handle things with my child's own medical team. Snail mail, e-mail, robocalls...it's never been easier to get information to parents. The ones who do care will appreciate it. The ones who don't, won't.

[Kathryn]

I'm fine with them with or without notifying parents when they happen. I'm really not concerned with a hacker finding out that my child might need glasses. I don't think my child will be traumatized for life by a surprise hearing test or by a classmate seeing him fail a vision test. Sometimes uncomfortable things happen. That's part of navigating life. This would be very far down--okay, it doesn't even make the list of things that I need to protect my child from.

[Jean in Newcastle]

That's good. Hope it stays that way.

 

I've just come back from having to update my driver's licence, which is now microchipped and the face is digitally marked out etc...

 

Hence, my reaction about photos, lol.

Why wouldn't it stay that way?  What they do at the schools is a screening.  They don't have fancy medical machines there and they aren't going to cart fancy machines that cost thousands of dollars there either.  The purpose of the tests is to see if there are any glaring problems and to then direct those students to a qualified professional.  It's not like they fit kids with hearing aids or glasses or back braces at school.  BTW - I have no problem if a parent wants to opt out because they already have qualified medical professionals who have screened their kids and more.  I do have a problem if parents say no and then neglect their responsibility to give their kids even a basic check for problems.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

They did those when I was a kid.  It did not bother me then and would not bother me now.  They aren't particularly invasive procedures.  The part you added regarding lack of privacy, no I wouldn't appreciate that. 

[Word Nerd]

Because they are so common and an annual, expected occurrence at PS in my experience, I think the onus is on me as a parent to let the school know if I want to opt my child out of them--just as it would be if I decided to opt out of annual state testing.

[ksr5377]

The screenings wouldn't bother me but announcing the results to the students would.  If there is a concern then I think the parents should be notified privately.  I do think the screenings are important.  It's what caught my sister's lazy eye at a younger age.  

[albeto.]

I would not be bothered. I would expect them, for all the reasons already given (standard, I recall them in my youth, there's probably some announcement given to all parents in some bundle of paperwork that was overlooked, etc). But I will tell you, one time we went to DEFCON 2 with the school over inappropriate testing. Ds came home from kindergarten telling me about the test he took in the nurse's office. Ds had been having problems, they turned out to be rather significant, and his behavior was, shall we say, "challenging." So when he told me about the nurse giving him a test, I was intrigued. He explained that it was a "thinking test." And now you might imagine I was not just intrigued, but a bit worried. He went on to explain how the nurse told him to think of thinks like Micky Mouse, but he refused (behavior problems, see?). He was thinking of other thing just to see what she would do. So now I'm thinking, omg, the school performed a psychological exam on my child without my permission? If any of you think they know albeto in strike mode, you ain't seen nothing. I was preparing for the possible responses, from calm, articulate, assertive, to Berserker Mode. Meanwhile, thank god, I kept asking ds questions about this "thinking test." Turns out it was a lice check, and the nurse was looking through his hair, not his mind.

 

Aaaaand *BAM* Another thousand gray hairs turned up the next morning. 

[EmseB]

As a teacher I get inside information about all the major medical issues of all the students in our school - not just those I have.  I know who has cancer, heart issues, epilepsy, diabetes, various mental disorders, who needs an epi-pen and why, and a few others I'm not thinking about.  There have been a handful of times that having this knowledge has been important in the classroom even though most of the kids know too (just from socializing).

 

Every other teacher also has access to this information.

 

Not once has anyone tried to get any of that info out of me via any method - plain asking or offering me money.

 

I honestly fail to see any concern whatsoever about basic screenings.

 

 

Schools would waste far more time and money sending out and dealing with opt in/out papers...

 

Wait, you're saying it's a waste of time for schools to give opt-out papers to parents?  As in, it's a waste of the school's resources to tell the parents that their child is going to be medically examined and ask if a parents is okay with it?  You hold this view as a teacher that it's a waste of time to tell parents stuff like this?  This both baffles and concerns me.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

I understand data is out there and can't be completely protected. But every little bit of information that is freely out there can be used to build a profile of a person and can be matched to other data. It's not any one piece of info that is valuable, but the picture a boatload of data builds that is valuable. For me, it is about my duty to protect my child's medical and other personal data, so I go to great lengths to limit what is out there and minimize what is available in order to reduce my kids' risk and exposure. By your line of thought, why not just make your SS number purely public; after all, it's out there anyway? But of course, the better question is why the schools feel the need to poke into my children's medical business when I expressly wish that they do not do so, and when I take care of their medical business outside of school.

 

 

I can assure you that hearing/vision screening results for kids are not of interest to hackers and are not used in building profiles.

[Butter]

The screenings wouldn't bother me but announcing the results to the students would.  If there is a concern then I think the parents should be notified privately.  I do think the screenings are important.  It's what caught my sister's lazy eye at a younger age.  

 

The forms they put in the kids' folders that indicated they failed said something like "we tested your child's vision and hearing today and request that you follow-up with a medical professional concerning your child's vision/hearing results."  That's it.  They weren't indicating what the kid's vision might be because they weren't testing that in depth.  They were simply screening to see if further action is needed.  Since every kid got a note home in their folder (the others just said they were tested today, the end) no one noticed or cared they were different letters.  The kids who failed the vision screen would know since they would hopefully be taken to an optometrist by their parents and they'd be noticed by their friends soon enough when they showed up at school a few weeks later with glasses.  Amusingly, glasses were cool at that school and the kids who didn't need them were pretty jealous of their friends who got glasses!

[Butter]

Wait, you're saying it's a waste of time for schools to give opt-out papers to parents?  As in, it's a waste of the school's resources to tell the parents that their child is going to be medically examined and ask if a parents is okay with it?  You hold this view as a teacher that it's a waste of time to tell parents stuff like this?  This both baffles and concerns me.

 

I think it's more a waste of time because enrollment paperwork already allows for opt-in/out.  Sending an additional opt-in/out home would be a waste of time.  The parents already indicated if they were okay with it.

[EmseB]

I think it's more a waste of time because enrollment paperwork already allows for opt-in/out. Sending an additional opt-in/out home would be a waste of time. The parents already indicated if they were okay with it.

I thought she was saying that paperwork was a waste of time? I'm so confused. I'm not talking about additional forms, I'm talking about opt in our opt out, whether that occurs at enrollment or a different time.

 

Honestly, as a kid, it would have been nice to know when I was going to be asked to take my shirt off and stand in line with all my female peers to be examined by an adult I've never seen before. Just a heads up the day before would have been greatly appreciated, even if my mom had signed something at enrollment. Maybe I'm just a weirdo with issues, though.

 

I really don't see the downside of notification.

[Butter]

Honestly, as a kid, it would have been nice to know when I was going to be asked to take my shirt off and stand in line with all my female peers to be examined by an adult I've never seen before. Just a heads up the day before would have been greatly appreciated, even if my mom had signed something at enrollment. Maybe I'm just a weirdo with issues, though.

 

That's definitely not how scoliosis screening went when I was in school.  We kept our shirts on and they traced our backbones.  It would have been very traumatizing to show up and have to do it that way.  Yes, a heads up and an explanation would have been good if it had been done that way!

[Joker]

I thought she was saying that paperwork was a waste of time? I'm so confused. I'm not talking about additional forms, I'm talking about opt in our opt out, whether that occurs at enrollment or a different time.

 

Honestly, as a kid, it would have been nice to know when I was going to be asked to take my shirt off and stand in line with all my female peers to be examined by an adult I've never seen before. Just a heads up the day before would have been greatly appreciated, even if my mom had signed something at enrollment. Maybe I'm just a weirdo with issues, though.

 

I really don't see the downside of notification.

I, nor my dds, have ever had to take shirts off at school for scoliosis checks. They wouldn't do it even if told to at school.

[Reefgazer]

I take care of that with eye exams yearly. 

 

That still doesn't satisfy the issue of why parental notification and opt-out are unacceptable.  There was no automatic opt-out offered to me with enrollment at my kids' school; I had to actively seek it out, which is not automatic.  Likewise, the idea that they can't (at minimum) notify parents because it's expensive is ridiculous when they can readily find the money for multiple notifications of PTA meetings, school carnivals and football games.

As a teacher, whether or not a child can see the board from their seat, or handle the print size in the books we read is something I need to know.

 

[rocassie]

While doing the screenings at school would not be a big deal to me, not being informed prior or having the option to opt out would make me very concerned.  Also that the results are shared with the kids and without privacy.  I would think a form sent home to the parents with the results would be the expectation.

[Kathryn]

I, also, never had to take any clothes off for a scoliosis check.

[Word Nerd]

I, also, never had to take any clothes off for a scoliosis check.

Me either.

[EmseB]

How accurate can a scoliosis screening be if they are doing it through a shirt? I mean an undershirt, yeah, but a regular shirt or sweatshirt or sweater? What would be the point? And if you weren't notified and wore a sweater? Haven't other people in the thread mentioned disrobing for the back screening?

 

Anyway, we (all the girls together, no boys) all had to take our shirts off, wait in line, then went behind a screen where the doc/nurse examined us. I can't imagine mine was very accurate because I was trying to keep my front covered the whole time while they were trying to get me to relax. This was in a public school in CA in the suburbs of a major city 20 years ago. I can't imagine it was just our school that did things this way. But, I guess those of you that didn't have to undress point it out to mean that it doesn't happen that way?

 

Even if not taking of shirts, what is the downside of notification?

[creekland]

Wait, you're saying it's a waste of time for schools to give opt-out papers to parents?  As in, it's a waste of the school's resources to tell the parents that their child is going to be medically examined and ask if a parents is okay with it?  You hold this view as a teacher that it's a waste of time to tell parents stuff like this?  This both baffles and concerns me.

 

It can baffle and concern you if you wish, but I'm still entitled to my opinion.  ;)

 

There are no shirts off here for testing.

 

We don't send out robocalls for football games or fundraisers or similar either - only for school delays/closings/emergencies or when state testing time comes around.

 

Each year kids get forms for parents to fill out.  One of those is a form for the nurse detailing what can or can't be given to a student if they go to the nurse's office due to illness.  Another is a form for parents to fill out notifying the nurse of any health issues she (or teachers) should know about and providing doctor + dental numbers in case she needs to call anyone.  There's no pressure on anyone to fill these out any particular way.  If anyone truly was so mortified that their darling is getting their eyesight and hearing checked, I'm sure they could express their opinions on one of those forms and opt out.

 

There's no need at all for a school to do anything more IMO.  Doing so would be a waste of time and funds.

 

There are so few parents who care one iota about these issues (far more on here than IRL at public schools) that it really isn't worth it to try to please everyone - esp when budgets are tight.  Save the paper and ink for school/academic related things!  I'd suggest saving the money on the screenings too, but there are far MORE students who need those due to not getting them elsewhere than parents who are upset that they happen.

[gardenmom5]

Since when did a hearing, vision and scoliosis screening involve a photo?

 

And as far as privacy goes, photos are taken at schools all the time.  Have you heard of yearbooks?  

 

 

at the beginning of every year - there would be paperwork to fill out if you did NOT want any pictures of your child to be used anywhere.  and even then, it could be missed.  parent volunteers would frequently take pix of kids doing stuff.

[Loowit]

I find it interesting how many never had to take off shirts for the scoliosis check.  We did and I remember it was a huge deal to some of the girls in our class.  It was a female doctor who did the exam which I think helped ease some tension.  It was in the locker room and all of us were told to take off our shirts and line up on the bench.  Each girl was called back one at a time to the office area in the locker room to be checked in "private".  It wasn't a huge deal to me other than knowing it was happening so I didn't wear a dress that day, but I remember some girls were very upset about it.

[EmseB]

Each year kids get forms for parents to fill out. One of those is a form for the nurse detailing what can or can't be given to a student if they go to the nurse's office due to illness. Another is a form for parents to fill out notifying the nurse of any health issues she (or teachers) should know about and providing doctor + dental numbers in case she needs to call anyone. There's no pressure on anyone to fill these out any particular way. If anyone truly was so mortified that their darling is getting their eyesight and hearing checked, I'm sure they could express their opinions on one of those forms and opt out.

 

There's no need at all for a school to do anything more IMO. Doing so would be a waste of time and funds.

I thought you were saying the opt in/out was a waste of time. Now I see you are saying it should happen at enrollment instead of, say, the week prior to the exam?

 

Also, why can't the school just at least verbally notify the kids the day before or something? Or a quarter sheet of paper? I still don't understand the downside of notification. We'll send stuff home for parents for picture day because we want the parents to have the option to dress their kids and comb their hair, but not medical screenings?

[EmseB]

I find it interesting how many never had to take off shirts for the scoliosis check. We did and I remember it was a huge deal to some of the girls in our class. It was a female doctor who did the exam which I think helped ease some tension. It was in the locker room and all of us were told to take off our shirts and line up on the bench. Each girl was called back one at a time to the office area in the locker room to be checked in "private". It wasn't a huge deal to me other than knowing it was happening so I didn't wear a dress that day, but I remember some girls were very upset about it.

 

Yes, we're willing to say that these screenings should be done to protect kids whose parents wouldn't do them. But we're not willing to give notification to possibly protect kids who might be sensitive to undressing in front of their peers? I sort of get the nonchalance now that I know some people don't think undressing is a thing. But for various reasons that experience was not cool for me in 5th grade.

 

Sorry to sound like a special snowflake.

[MyThreeSons]

We have insurance and my dds have access to regular health, dental and vision care. We still didn't know one dd had 80/20 vision with her glasses. :huh: She never complained and we didn't notice anything. This was only six months after a regular screening and new glasses. Vision and hearing can change rapidly, especially in growing children/teens, and an extra "cook in the kitchen" isn't a bad idea for schools.

 

When I was in 3rd grade, we had the routine screenings at our elementary school, and my sister, brother, and I all did fine. A couple of months later, we moved across town, and the new school district did the screenings soon after we moved there. My folks were surprised to be notified that both my sister and I needed glasses. It was confirmed by the optometrist. We will never know whether the first school erred, or we both had sudden changes in our vision. 

[gardenmom5]

Everyone's answering the question about if the screenings are ok. Only a couple people actually answered the op's question..."without notification" is key.

 

I, personally, in upper elementary had a horrible experience with a screening because I didn't know it was going to happen. There's no reason not to notify parents and students that the kids are going to be examined.

 

my school district routinely sends out information in the back-to-school packet of papers at the beginning of the year.  I consider that as parents have been notified screenings will be done - specific schools don't have a date at that time.  the fact it is done every year in elementary school - one can assume screenings will occur.

 

if a parent has a problem with it - they should talk to the school nurse at the beginning of the year.

[EmseB]

my school district routinely sends out information in the back-to-school packet of papers at the beginning of the year.  I consider that as parents have been notified screenings will be done - specific schools don't have a date at that time.  the fact it is done every year in elementary school - one can assume screenings will occur.

 

if a parent has a problem with it - they should talk to the school nurse at the beginning of the year.

 

I thought people were saying the parent didn't need to be notified, not that the parent had opted in/out at the beginning of the year.  I mean, the OP specifically asked about doing these without notification, not that the parents were notified at enrollment or any other time.  I guess I was confused by the question?

 

As a separate issue, I would have wanted to know when I was a kid, at least a day before.  I, as a 10 year old person, would have liked to know what was going to happen as non-invasive as it (mostly) was.  I know I sound like I have issues, but it just seems like a prudent thing to do for young people who are getting a medical exam.

[creekland]

I thought you were saying the opt in/out was a waste of time. Now I see you are saying it should happen at enrollment instead of, say, the week prior to the exam?

 

Also, why can't the school just at least verbally notify the kids the day before or something? Or a quarter sheet of paper? I still don't understand the downside of notification. We'll send stuff home for parents for picture day because we want the parents to have the option to dress their kids and comb their hair, but not medical screenings?

 

I can't speak for other schools, of course, but at the elementary school my guys attended, they were informed by their teacher a couple days in advance.  It was never a case of "surprise!"  The only paper that came home was after the test letting us know the results.

 

By 5th grade - intermediate/middle school - kids are changing for gym class in the locker rooms.  The screenings are certainly no more "invasive" than changing for gym class IMO.

 

Kids who are in special ed get far more prep from their teachers.  Even kids who are borderline or on the spectrum, but are in regular classrooms get extra notification when schedules are going to change for any reason.  It's just not always - or often - notice sent home.

 

I'm in high school and the only times I'll surprise my students is when I opt for a pop quiz.  Those aren't even total surprises as I've warned them if they aren't taking my warm up questions or what we're doing seriously, that "triggers" my brain to choose things like that.   :coolgleamA:

[gardenmom5]

I thought people were saying the parent didn't need to be notified, not that the parent had opted in/out at the beginning of the year.  I mean, the OP specifically asked about doing these without notification, not that the parents were notified at enrollment or any other time.  I guess I was confused by the question?

 

As a separate issue, I would have wanted to know when I was a kid, at least a day before.  I, as a 10 year old person, would have liked to know what was going to happen as non-invasive as it (mostly) was.  I know I sound like I have issues, but it just seems like a prudent thing to do for young people who are getting a medical exam.

 

I don't think anyone said the parents didn't need to be notified. just that we didn't expect a 'special and specific' notification. there was notice, mixed in with many other things.  and most things are opt/out.  (except things like field trips - which require specific parental permission.)

 

there are alot of papers that come home.  at one time, I had four kids in ps - and that was a LOT of paperwork, from as many as three different schools.  I appreciated when they started combining things so I didn't have a huge stack of papers that were going to the recycle bin.

 

kids were almost always told if something was coming. if the class had a weekly schedule - it would be on that too.

 

[MercyA]

I find it interesting how many never had to take off shirts for the scoliosis check.  We did and I remember it was a huge deal to some of the girls in our class.  It was a female doctor who did the exam which I think helped ease some tension.  It was in the locker room and all of us were told to take off our shirts and line up on the bench.  Each girl was called back one at a time to the office area in the locker room to be checked in "private".  It wasn't a huge deal to me other than knowing it was happening so I didn't wear a dress that day, but I remember some girls were very upset about it.

 

We also had to remove our shirts for the scoliosis check. I distinctly remember my mom being perturbed about that when she received the notice. She actually took me out to buy my first bra to wear during the exam. (I think this would have been in fifth grade.) I was an anxious child, but I don't remember any screenings bothering me. Any excuse to get out of class was a good one.  :001_smile: