Mike Gannon Declares October 5-11 Child Health Week



Mike Gannon Declares October 5-11 Child Health Week
Cannon County Executive Mike Gannon has declared October 5-11 Child Health Week in Cannon County. Pictured left to right are Julie Gannon with Busy Kids Day Care, Marion Campbell with REACH After School Program, Katie McMinn with Cannon County Health Department, Mike Gannon, County Executive, Connie Foster, Director of Coordinated School Health, Dr. Regina Merriman, Director of Cannon County and Head Start Pre-K, and Erin Nichols, with TNCEP.

Providers of children’s services across Tennessee are using the week of October 5-11 to promote good health habits that will help children lead long and healthy lives. Governor Phil Bredesen’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination is spotlighting ways that children and families can eat healthy and be active. For additional information see http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/gov/child-health/.

More children in our state and country are overweight than ever before. Tennessee ranks fifth in the country for teenagers who are obese. Overweight or obese children are more likely to grow up to be overweight adults, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.

You can help your children have long, healthy lives by teaching them to eat healthy foods and get plenty of physical activity. You can also help by being a good role model to your children. By making healthy eating choices and being active you not only help your children, you help yourself be a healthier parent.

Beginning this week, Cannon County students in grades K, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9 are asked to participate in an annual health screening at their school. When a health concern is identified early through regular screening, steps can be taken to access needed health care in hopes that health and academic issues do not develop into serious problems.

During the screening process students’ dignity and privacy are respected, and results are shared on a need to know basis only.

For example, if a child is identified with a vision or hearing problem, the teacher will be alerted since these issues directly relate to student performance in the classroom. If a referral is necessary, a letter is sent home to the parents recommending the child be seen by a healthcare provider for further assessment. Otherwise, all individual screening results remain confidential.

From that point on, state and local offices of CSH look at school-wide or district-wide results only as they evaluate health initiatives.

For more information regarding student health screenings in Cannon County Schools, please feel free to contact the Office of Coordinated School Health at 563-5752 ext. 245 or connie.foster@ccstn.com