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Date: January 6, 2010
Dear Parent or Guardian:
This letter is to inform you about
the annual Student Growth Screening Program that
will be happening this month at The Belmonte Middle
School.
The school is very interested in
making sure that children are healthy and ready
to learn. The Growth Screening Program will be
part of our efforts, and will take place in December.
All children in grade six (6) will have their
height and weight measured, and also have their
Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated. They will also
have their vision, hearing and posture assessed
at this time.
Every year, schools in Massachusetts
must record the weight and height of a selected
grade of students in their building. This gives
parents and guardians a report on their child's
growth that year. It is important to measure and
monitor children, because if there is any unusual
growth pattern identified, changes could be made
to avoid any significant health issues now or
in the future.
In addition to measuring height
and weight, we use a standard screening tool called
the "Body Mass Index" (BMI) that uses
these measurements to help identify children who
may be at risk for specific health problems.
Your child's screening will be supervised by the
school nurse, and the student's privacy will be
respected at all times. The results of your child's
screening are strictly confidential. The results
will be kept restricted in your child's school
health record and sent to you by mail.
Please feel free to call me at 781-231-5052
with any questions you may have about the Growth
Screening Program.
Sincerely,
Pam Acheson, RN, BSN, NCSN
School Nurse
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