Can You Hear Me Now?

It’s that magical time of year when we find out which students can hear us, which students cannot, and which of our fine cherubs are just choosing to blatantly ignore our verbal requests!

Pennsylvania School Health Law requires that all students in grades K-3 and 7 have a hearing test while on the Penn View campus of Dock Mennonite Academy.

Can you remember this kind of testing in school?  I remember it well and approached it with equal measures of solemnity and terror.  It was really dread of failure.  Striving to excel at every tone, I distinctly remember repeatedly and prematurely raising my hand in anticipation.  Much like those Olympic runners who eliminate themselves from competition because they literally jump the gun. Because most school nurses are nurturing creatures, I was never actually referred to my doctor for these incorrect responses. I do, however, remember more than a few gentle hands clasping my own waving appendage and returning it to its proper position at my side for the next tone.  “I know you are listening closely…just wait for the beep….” Ugh.
 

Waiting patiently for a hearing test.

For many years the screenings on our campus were accomplished by a team of Souderton District nurses.  With carefully planned scheduling, this competent team historically managed to screen roughly 250 students in a period of just 90 minutes. 

If you’ve ever been in the nurse’s office, you can just imagine the scene.  Eight or nine school nurses, each with their own audiometer and a line of several children at each temporary station, awaiting the chance to signal in response to beeps and buzzes.  Extension cords reaching to the stations from every possible outlet.  Wide student eyes, some apprehensive and others chomping at the bit for their time to shine.  

Small arms flapping and beckoning in a rhythmic upper body dance, a veritable gesturing stew-pot!  

Me… a clipboard in hand, my eyes darting around the room yet recurrently returning to the clock…. I’m sweating discreetly and hoping against hope that all of the classes arrive exactly on time lest they throw off the painstakingly arranged timetable.  Not that I’m a control-freak in any way…. It was my job to assign time slots and direct classes in and out of the door while simultaneously watching for the other nurses to signal screen failures and most importantly, to compel little pairs of noisy shuffling shoes and whispering children to immediately cease and desist.  Let’s just say, some children have not yet mastered the art of the whisper.  Their attempts at a delicate murmur come off more like an insistent snake delivering an urgent message via megaphone.  And there is always a toe tapper in the crowd….

While this organized chaos was really amazingly efficient, there were always a handful of students who simply could not manage to listen intently to the delicate sounds delivered because there was so much excitement to witness.  Closing one’s eyes is not easy when there are so many uncommon sights to see!  


The end result was that 20 or 30 distracted friends would need to return to me on a later date for a quieter session. One on one.   

This year, all of our students were tested in a more controlled environment- half by me and the other half by our nurse-helper, Mrs. Debbie Quinn of the Indian Valley Middle School (seen in the photo above).  








It was peaceful and flowed smoothly, thanks to our appointed “husher” and student-shuffler, Mrs. Linda Souder. She kept us all on task.

Hearing tests are serious business as seen below....

But there is celebration with success!

After testing, the nice quiet crew waited patiently in the hallway for the rest of the class to finish.  

Sometimes it's best to hear about it from the experts. 

Lydia knew what was going to happen when her class lined up for testing.  "She's gonna do the 
beep thing!"







               Matthew reports that the sounds 
               got "higher and higher!"






Riley knew exactly what to do.  "When the sound stops, I am going to put my hand down."  

None of this was new for seventh grader Drew.  "You just have to listen to the sounds.  I've done this before at the doctor's office too." 

Chloe thought the sounds were pretty loud!

The students were cooperative and attentive to the task at hand.






In fact, several students in grade levels not tested this year were a little disappointed not to have a chance to wear the headphones!

Sometimes cold symptoms and fall allergies interfere with results. A few of the students will have the chance to return again in November for one more screening before referral to their doctor. 

So for all of the Dock Mennonite Academy parents out there, rest assured.  If you think your child is having hearing issues when it is time to take out the trash or do some other thrilling household chore, there is always a way to be certain those young ears are functioning.  Email or phone the nurse's office for confirmation if you are having doubts!

Can you hear me now?  Yes, in fact, we CAN.  

Photo Credits Kathy Gordon; Student Quote Credits Alissa Messina