Greeley West had its annual hearing and vision screenings. Around 900 students were tested, making it an all day process. The 900 consisted of all of the incoming freshman, students who are new to the district, and students who are on an IEP.
The state requires certain age levels to do the tests, and freshman just so happen to be the chosen ones in high school.
Freshman Aidan Karnitz stated, “It was pretty easy…it caught me off guard, we did it in middle school too, so it wasn’t new.”
Students were pulled out of class in each block depending on which hallway they were in. The first 25 kids during each of these times got sent to hearing first because those tests typically take longer, while the rest go to the vision test, and then they switch.
The tests are simple, but important. For hearing, they put on headphones and listen for different pitched beeps, and they raise their hands when they hear something. For the vision test, there is a chart with different sized letters that students have to read, and then they get a certain score.
More people recognize it as being a beginning of the year process, but it actually happens multiple times. If stduents have previously failed the test, they are also pulled out of class to be tested until they can pass it. To pass the vision screening, students need to be at the 20/30 level, and the same is for hearing, they need to be at a certain level. These screenings are for the students’ benefit.
School nurse, Ms. Jacquelyn Matthews stated, “If they don’t pass, then we refer them out for and exam with an audiologist for hearing, or with an optometrist to consider getting glasses.”
