Student Health

Vision and Hearing Screening

Options For Youth and Opportunities For Learning charter schools are committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students. The school vision and hearing testing program plays a vital role in identifying serious vision and hearing problems that might adversely affect learning.

Vision and hearing screening is conducted at our school sites by certified school staff in accordance with the California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 2952 (c)(1). Vision and hearing screening is mandated in specific grade levels, and will be conducted at your child’s school or other specified school location as mandated by state law in accordance with HEALTH EXAMINATIONS EC 49451; (BP 5141.3). Students may be exempt if the parent notifies the school principal in writing that such appraisal is in conflict with their religious beliefs.

Annual Notice to Parents and Guardians Regarding Synthetic Drugs

Assembly Bill 889 requires that California public school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools annually inform parents/guardians of the dangers associated with using synthetic drugs. Dangers to the health and welfare of students can occur when an individual uses synthetic drugs that are not prescribed by a physician, such as fentanyl.

Fentanyl, an opioid pain reliever that is 50 times as strong as heroin, is now being manufactured illegally by criminal organizations. This “illicit” fentanyl is mixed into street drugs like cocaine and heroin to make them more potent. It is also being pressed into counterfeit (fake) pills that look like prescription medications such as Percocet, Xanax, and Adderall. Youth and adults who purchase these drugs through social media or illegitimate online pharmacies may experience an opioid overdose, which can stop their breathing and lead to death.

Fentanyl is synthetic, that is, it is formed from lab-made chemicals and not from naturally occurring ingredients. This makes the drug cheaper to manufacture and more profitable to sell illegally. Another synthetic drug, xylazine, is increasingly being added alongside illicit fentanyl. Xylazine is a strong veterinary tranquilizer. The combined effect of these two drugs on breathing and the heart can be extremely dangerous and further increases the risk of death.

Naloxone Program

Our schools hold the health and safety of students as their highest priority. The schools have implemented the Naloxone Program, which is updated annually, and have proactively offered training to administrators and staff to recognize an opioid overdose and respond using the opioid antagonist, naloxone. When given right away, naloxone can stop opioids from acting on the brain and restore breathing.

Our school sites are equipped with a naloxone rescue kit that can be used in the unlikely event of an opioid overdose on campus. This kit is kept on campus, mounted in close proximity to the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and epinephrine auto-injectors, which serve similar purposes in treating rare medical emergencies.

Signs of an opioid overdose. Call 911 if you see someone who is:

• Unable to wake up or respond to you
• Breathing slowly or not at all
• Making gurgling, choking, or snoring sounds

We encourage you to discuss this topic with your family in an age-appropriate way. If you believe your child is struggling with substance use, please reach out to the school counselor or administration. For more information, please contact your school’s front desk.