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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-05-06, Page 3ADICI Carnet & Upholster PRIM HURON COUNTY Wednesday, May 6, 2015 • Huron Expositor 3 School board's mental Health Unit health lead visits Seaforth Health Unit issuing student suspension notices Marco Vigliotti Huron Expositor As many as 400 Huron County students could be suspended from school next month for failing to provide proof that they have been vaccinated. Huron County's Health Unit says it plans to start distributing suspension notices on May 8 to students who did not respond to a second notice issued earlier this year warning that their immuni- zations records were not up to date. Families who have received notices are asked to call the county health body at 1-877-837-6143 ext. 2025. If families don't provide proof of immunization or a valid exemption for their child, the student may be suspended effective May 26 for up to 20 school days, the health unit warns. "Parents are busy and kids need to go to school, which is why we work with parents to update records and arrange immunizations," Christina Taylor, the county's public health manager, said in a pre- pared statement. "One phone call is the key to resolving the issue." Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, Ontario stu- dents are required to be vacci- nated against several infectious diseases in order to attend school, including diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella. The health unit says it annu- ally reviews immunization records for students attending school, sending out first notices in January and second warnings in March. Taylor put the estimated num- ber of student records with missing information at 300 to 400 - a figure considerably higher than recent years. She attributes the increase to changes in provincial legislation requiring junior kindergarten stu- dents to be vaccinated against the chicken pox and making the meningococcal and whooping cough vaccines mandatory for most students. "These changes, along with our modified suspension review last year, mean more records than in past years are considered incom- plete," Taylor explained in a subse- quent email message to the Expositor. She said the health unit tries its best to "get students off the suspension list whenever possible," by working with parents or guardians who contact them to "update their child's record or arrange immunizations." "We will work with the princi- pals of the school to contact parents during the month of May," Taylor added. "When the Health Unit, school principals and parents work together to establish a plan to get the stu- dent's record updated we can successfully prevent a suspension." Marco Vigliotti Huron Expositor Schools provide an optimal set- ting to identify students in need of mental health support and can assist in building crucial "pathways to care," says the Avon Maitland District School Board's mental health lead. Addressing an assembled audi- ence of parents and educators in Seaforth last month, Anne Robin- son laid out how the sprawling school district sought to promote positive mental health among stu- dents and planned to work with external care providers to get help to those who need it the most. She also provided a comprehen- sive rundown of the signs and symptoms of several common mental health disorders to help parents and school staff success- fully identify and intervene when necessary. Among the more serious symp- toms highlighted were distorted thinking, acting overly suspicious of others and seeing or hearing things that are not there. Other signs such as worsening grades, increased worrying and dif- ficultly sleeping could also hint at more minor issues or perhaps a physical ailment. Robinson encouraged parents to take their children to a doctor first to ensure the symptoms were not related to a medical concern. "It's easy to recognize when a child has a fever, but a child's men- tal health is different," she told a ScitAPPEit (DAVE SCRAP METAL_ WASHERS•DRYERS•OR ANY SCRAP METAL•FREE PICKUP PHONE DAVE at (519) 525.2671 or (519) 527.0724 Steam Cleaning • High Pressure, Hot Water, Power Washing • Furnace & Duct Cleaning • Structural Drying • Water Damage Restoration • Fire & Smoke Restoration Aker, 524-2440 Locally Owned & Operated www.gavincleaning.com crowd at the AMDSB's education centre in Seaforth Public School on April 15. "It can be difficult to dis- tinguish between 'normal' prob- lems that all children and youth experience from time to time and behaviour that may be indicative of a mental health disorder." The school board's mental health strategy focuses on building on a strong foundation to address prob- lems before they become serious or dangerous, Robinson said. The strategy is built around three objectives: promoting the mental health and wellness of students, preventing the developing of disor- ders and problems and establish- ing a community system of care to deliver intervention for students with mental health issues. In terms of promotion, the board has designed several mental health awareness and literacy programs, such as a mental health curricu- lum, a positive health toolkit, an eating disorders campaign and school -wide positive behaviour supports. Its schools also boats an array of programs and initiatives to support positive mental health, such as a snack program, teacher and peer mentors, daily physical activity and spirit days, Robinson said. Although some may not appear to have direct impacts on improv- ing mental health, she explained that developing a positive mind space was a holistic effort, requir- ing both physical and mental attention. Initiatives such as pyjama day and wear a sports jersey day, how- ever, could actually make some students feel more anxious and potentially isolated, according to some in attendance. A parent at the meeting said her child hated wearing pyjamas around the house let alone at school, while another voiced con- cerns about how some students could feel isolated if their families couldn't afford to purchase a sports jersey. Robinson pointed to these exam- ples to stress the need for parents to speak out on behalf of their chil- dren, explaining that they know them better than their teachers ever will. "If your child does not seem to be behaving (like) his/her normal self, trust your instincts," she said. "You do not need to know what the problem is to get assistance" Robinson also encouraged par- ents to help their children by acknowledging their worries and fear, helping them maintain good physical health and regular rou- tines and model "good ways of handling stress," among other recommendations. As for the external supports available, she pointed to the Huron -Perth Centre, Children's Aid Society and Choices for Change counselling services. Some parents and educators, though, raised concerns about the wait time for the Huron -Perth Cen- tre specifically, but Robinson noted that the school board was offering support in the interim. OFFICE HOURS The Office Hours for The Seaforth Huron Expositor are as follows Mondays - 9am - 5pm Tuesdays - CLOSED Wednesdays - 9am - 5pm Thursdays - 9am - 5pm Fridays - 9am - 5pm Seaforth ikon Expositor 8 Main Street, Seaforth ON PH: 519-527-0240 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com