With every new school year, the state mandates screening for middle school students. 

· 6th and 8th grade - scoliosis only

· 7th grade - vision only

If a student does not pass the first vision screening, a second screening is done by the school nurse. Second screenings for scoliosis are performed by the Forsyth County Health Department here at school. You will be notified if your child is referred for further evaluation after the second screening (either vision or scoliosis) with a letter sent home to parents through the mail.

Many children may have already been screened for scoliosis during their yearly physical or are already under a doctor’s care for the treatment of scoliosis. If this is the case for your child, and you do not wish to have your child screened, it is imperative that you sign and return a refusal form to your school nurse. The only way for your child to be excused from scoliosis screening is by signing the electronic refusal form or providing the paper refusal form to the nurse. Below you will find information on scoliosis screening and a link to the paper refusal form. It is preferred that you sign the refusal form online in Parent Portal. You can find it by going to the Documents tab and selecting the Scoliosis Refusal form.

Our school will conduct a Scoliosis Screening during connection classes to find children with suspected curvature of the spine. In Georgia, scoliosis screenings are required by law in at least two grades – sixth, seventh or eighth; we will be screening all sixth and eighth grade students this year.

Scoliosis screening is a simple, painless process that only takes about 30 seconds. Girls and boys will take off their shirts for the screening; girls and boys will be screened separately. To make the scoliosis screening process go smoothly, we ask parents to discuss with their child how the process will work. Please advise them to wear only one layer of clothing on the day of the screening. Multiple layers of clothing delay the screening process. Since it is necessary for us to view your child’s spine, we will need them to remove their shirt. If applicable, please encourage your student to wear a bra, sports bra, camisole, undershirt, or bathing suit top under their shirt. A person trained to recognize scoliosis observes the child’s spine - first with the child in a standing position and then with the child bending forward and away from the screener. If the child’s back, shoulders, or hips seem uneven, the screener will recommend further follow-up to determine if scoliosis is present. The Forsyth County Health Department will be on hand the same day to conduct a second screening on any student with a positive first screen. You will receive a Parent Notification and Referral Form by mail if your child needs to be seen by a doctor for further evaluation for scoliosis.

Scoliosis Refusal Form