Scoliosis Screening
The Department of Education along with the Department of Public Health has mandated that scoliosis screening be done on all 6th and 8th graders for the 2021-2022 school year. The schools were given a waiver for this screening last year because of COVID.
The Scoliosis Screening Program helps to identify students who have signs of an abnormal curvature of the spine. This is not a definitive diagnosis but a screening. If abnormalities are found, the student would be referred to a physician for further evaluation. This screening will be performed by the middle high school nurse along with a nurse from the Schley Health Department. The dates have not be determined yet and a form will need to be filled out for each student. On this form there is a section where parents can opt out for this screening but we will need your signature along with the form being returned to the school so we can keep this on file.
Once the Department of Public Health sends out the official certificate of screening form # 4400, these will be sent home with all 6th and 8th graders. These forms must be returned with student and parent information fill out on them. Again, if your child is not supposed to participate in this screening the bottom portion of this form will need to be filled out as well. If the child has this screening done at their local pediatricians office, this form still needs to be filled out by them and returned with the doctor’s signature on it. More information will be coming when we return back to school in 2022. If you have any questions about the scoliosis program, please feel free to contact me. Have a nice holiday season.
Crystal Kilheffer BSN,RN
School Nurse at Schley Middle High School