Dear Parents and Guardians, 

In accordance with Connecticut law, vision, hearing, and scoliosis screenings will be conducted in the Plainville Community Schools throughout the school year. The purpose of these screenings is to identify children with potential abnormalities that may affect learning ability, growth and school adjustment.

In addition to health screenings, the District may also conduct brief screenings about students’ social and emotional well-being using questionnaires or surveys. Parents will be informed in advance of any screening activities and samples of the screening tools will be available to parents for review. Parents who do not want their children screened for social and emotional well-being should notify the school in writing. 

Vision screenings consist of a screening for distance visual acuity with a Snellen chart by a school nurse or with a Spot Vision Screener by a school nurse or a Lions Club staff member who has been trained in its use. Vision screenings are conducted annually for each student in kindergarten, and grades three to five, inclusive. Vision screenings are also mandated as part of school health assessments prior to school enrollment, in grade 6 or 7, and again in grade 9 or 10. 
Hearing screenings consist of a screening with an audiometer. Hearing screenings are required annually for each student in kindergarten and grades one and three to five, inclusive. Hearing screenings are also mandated as part of school health assessments prior to school enrollment, in grade 6 or 7, and again, in grades 9 or 10. 

Additionally, females in grade 5 and 7 and males in grade 8 will be screened for postural abnormalities. Postural screenings are also mandated as part of school health assessments required in grade 6 or 7, and again in grade 9 or 10. “Scoliosis is a condition that causes the bones of the spine to twist or rotate so that instead of a straight line down the middle of the back, the spine looks more like the letter "C" or "S." Scoliosis curves most commonly occur in the upper and middle back (thoracic spine). They can also develop in the lower back, and occasionally, will occur in both the upper and lower parts of the spine. There are several different types of scoliosis that affect children and adolescents. Scoliosis is rarely painful—small curves often go unnoticed by children and their parents, and are first detected during a school screening or at a regular check-up with the pediatrician” (The Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America and the Scoliosis Research Society, 2015) 

Additional students or grades, not mandated by Connecticut law, may be screened at the discretion of the school nurse or district. If you do not want your child to be screened, please notify your child’s school in writing. Parents and/or Guardians will be notified in writing if their child does not pass a screening.