Student Services
A variety of services are available to students at BMS
including Guidance Counseling, Health Clinic, Resource Officer,
Social Work Services, Special Education and the Student Assistance
Team.
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The BMS Clinic is located by the main entrance next to the office and is staffed by a full-time nurse, Mrs. Hixon, who is available daily 7:30 to 2:15 during the school year. The clinic will close for the summer in June and reopen with the start of school in September. You may contact the school nurse by calling 443-8270 ext. 412.
Medications are not provided by the school. If medications are necessary during school hours, the following requirements must first be met in order for thre school staff to dispense the medication, including over-the-counter medications. A written and signed Authorization to Dispense Medication form must be completed by both the parent and physician before any medication can be administered to the student. These forms are available in the main office and the clinic. Authorization to Dispense Medication Form.
The medication must be brought to school in its original prescription bottle or over-the-counter container with directions and expiration dates clearly visible. The pharmacist will divide the medication into an extra bottle for school use upon request. Substances in plastic bags or envelopes cannot be given and will be thrown out. All medications must be retrieved at the close of school in June. Any unretrieved medication will be thrown out.
Students must be instructed when and how to take their medication at home prior to receiving it at school. With the exception of emergency medications such as Epipens and asthma inhalers, the school discourages students from carrying medication and self-medicating. All other medication must be brought to the clinic or main office to be stored in a locked cabinet.
HEALTH SCREENINGS occur at various grade levels for students grades K-12.
Spinal screening for the early detection of scoliosis or spinal column twisting, occurs in grade 6 for girls, and in grade 8 for both boys and girls. The condition scoliosis, can cause permanent deformity to the back if it is not treated promptly by a doctor. The procedure for screening is simple. Specially trained screeners will look at your child’s back while he/she stands and then bends forward. For this exam, boys and girls will be screened separately and individually during their gym rotation. Girls and boys must wear clothing that permits an unclothed view of the back such as bathing suits or bra/bikini tops for girls. Parents will be notified of the results of the screening only if a follow-up examination is advisable. If you do not want your child screened, then please submit a note stating this and return it to the school nurse or gym teacher during your child’s gym rotation.
Vision and hearing screenings occur in grade 7. Parents will be notified of the results only if a referral is advisable. Below is a partial list of symptoms and complaints which may indicate a vision problem and warrant further evaluation. Contact your doctor or school nurse for more information, and please remind your children to wear their glasses and hearing aids to school every day.
Tilting head or closing one eye to read
Difficulty
keeping place while reading
Holding printed materials in unusual
position
Eyes hurt or blur while reading
Headaches when
reading
Words jump or move when reading
Excessive stumbling,
awkwardness or daydreaming
Excessive blinking
Frequent rubbing
of eyes
Squinting at distant objects
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS:
Before a student may enter any school in the Bath School system, parents must show proof their child has had all the necessary shots required by the State of Maine.
Students must have had:
2 MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
4 POLIO
5 DPT
(Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertusis)
VARICELLA (Chicken Pox)
Parents should check with their family doctor regarding the Hepatitis B immunization series. Please be sure to keep the school updated on all additional immunization dates. Most children are due for a TD (Tetanus and Diphtheria) booster around age 14 or 15.
For those children whose immunization status is incomplete due to religious, philosophical or medical reasons, parents may complete an exemption form to permit attendance. Immunization Exemption Form
PHYSICAL EXAMS are needed for all students entering grades 6 and 9. If you have not already done so please have your physician send a copy of your child’s physical exam to their respective school, BMS or Morse High School. Blank physical exam forms are available in all school clinics. This form is different from the athletic permit which simply requires verification of a recent physical exam, not the details of that exam. Physical Examination Form
SPECIAL NEEDS:
Parents are reminded to contact the school if their child develops a condition that may require special needs so that arrangements may be made promptly. This would include any broken limbs or new illnesses. Updates on pre-existing conditions or medications are also requested.
GUIDELINES OF WHEN TO KEEP A CHILD HOME:
COLDS - If your child is sneezing and/or coughing excessively, they belong at home. Oftentimes children will feel well when they get up, but will become exhausted and not feel well by mid morning due to excessive coughing or the stress of their illness. It’s important to allow your child the extra rest they need to get well. Instruct your child on the proper use of tissues for coughing, sneezing and nose blowing. Children should also be instructed on good handwashing techniques, as more colds are spread by contaminated hands than by infected droplets in the air.
FEVER - Temperature should be normal for 24 hours before sending a child to school. If your child has a fever in the evening, they should not come to school the next morning as fever may occur again in the afternoon.
VOMITTNG - If your child vomits during the night, do not send him/her to school the next day. He/ she should rest and be put on a liquid or soft diet.
DIARRHEA - Loose stools may have many causes. Children should not come to school until bowel movements have normal consistency. If diarrhea persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, consult your physician.
EARACHES - Hearing is an important sense for learning. Earaches should never be ignored. Keep your child home and contact the doctor. If you see ear discharge, with or without pain, call your doctor in case of a ruptured eardrum.
STREP THROAT - A child with strep throat who has been on antibiotics for 24 hours may return to school.
CHICKEN POX - is contagious from about one day before the rash breaks out to the time when all the “blisters” have crusted over ( approximately 7 days). Children may not return to school until the contagious period has passed.
LICE, SCABIES, IMPETIGO, PINWORMS, CONJUNCTIVITIS(PINK-EYE) must be properly treated and non-contagious before the child returns to school. In the case of lice, all nits (eggs) must be removed from the hair.
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Purpose
Provision of professional social work services to BMS students and their families
Consultation to staff and administrators
Caseload
The social worker is a member of the Special Education Team. Social work service is prioritized as follows:
Special education students with social work in their IEP
Special education and non-special education students who need crisis intervention
Non-special education students who need individual or group counseling
Scope of Services
Individual and group counseling to deal with issues such as peer relationships, family dynamics and social skills
Crisis intervention and assessments for possible abuse/neglect, potential for violence and suicidal ideation
Psychosocial assessments for Pupil Evaluation Team meetings and other staff in need of a comprehensive evaluation of a student
Home visits in order to facilitate communication between home and school
Coordination of services between school and outside agencies
Participation on a multi-disciplinary Student Assistance Team for review of non-special education cases
Coordination of suspension reentry interviews with students and parents
Member of a multi-disciplinary crisis management team as needed
Referrals to Social Work may come from staff, parents and students themselves. The social worker is a full-time staff person at BMS and can be reached by calling 443-8270 x420.
The Special Education Services Program provides intensive instruction to those students with an identified disability. Services range from classroom modifications in the mainstream class to small group instruction in the Resource Room. The appropriate level of service is determined at the identified students' Pupil Evaluation Team meetings. Small group instruction is designed to parallel the mainstream classroom as much as possible. Students receiving fifty percent or more of their instruction from Special Services are normally served through the Transition Services Program. Students requiring intensive behavior-based instruction are served through the Intensive Services Program.
Speech/Language, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy services are provided on an as-needed basis. Social Work Services are provided to students who benefit from learning and practicing effective social skills in a nurturing environment.
The Student Assistance Team meets biweekly to help find ways for students to become more successful at BAth Middle School. Students are referred to the team by teachers because of academic and/or behavioral concerns. The team uses the combined expertise of the multidisciplinary members to recommend interventions in the school and in the community. Parents are notified of their child's referral to the team and are engaged in the process.
Mr. Hamilton is the school counselor for Bath Middle School. The school counselor is a resource available to students, parents, teachers and others who participate in a student’s educational process.
The school counselor supports the school’s mission and the students’ learning process by promoting academic achievement, career planning and personal/social development. These services are delivered as part of the classroom guidance curriculum, in small groups and/or on an individual basis. While at BMS, students will be provided opportunities to increase their awareness and practice the following skills: communication, coping, time management, leadership and decision making, to name a few. As a result, our goal is for each student to increase his/her self-esteem and learn how to become his/her own self advocate while in middle school and beyond.
Students and parents may schedule an appointment directly with the school counselor or with the guidance secretary, Mrs. King.