Checkup for children

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- The Bradley County Schools' Coordinated School Health program aims to catch small physical problems before they become academic ones.

More than 400 Ocoee Middle School sixth-graders got basic health screenings Thursday to check their vision, hearing, blood pressure, height and weight.

"If a child isn't well physically, they usually don't do well in class," said June McDonald, the health program's assistant director.

"We want our students to live healthy lives, and we want to continue to push that forward,'' said Bradley County Schools Director Johnny McDaniel.

Andrea Lockerby, program coordinator, said students in kindergarten and grades, second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth will be tested. About 4,000 students will be screened during the year, she said.

"If a student fails, for example, a hearing screening, the school nurse will re-screen that student," she said. "If that student fails again, the nurse will contact the parent with that information."

Tabitha Bryant, a registered nurse and Ocoee Middle School nurse, said many of the referrals she makes from the screenings are for vision. Catching the problems early, she said, helps keep the students on course for the school year.

Bradley Coordinated School Health relies on volunteers, including local college nursing students. On Thursday, students from Southern Adventist University were assisting with the middle-school screenings.

Some Bradley County commissioners, several county school board members, state Sen. DeWayne Bunch, R-Cleveland, and state Rep. Kevin Brooks, R-Knoxville, toured the school Thursday. Some of the adults also took part in the screenings.