by Dennis Dalman
Recent eye screenings of all children in grades K-5 at three of Sartell’s schools revealed 8 percent of students tested showed measurements “out of range,” meaning they might have actual or potential sight problems.
The screenings that took place March 11-13 involved 1,600 students at Oak Ridge Early Learning Center, Pine Meadow Primary School and Riverview Intermediate School.
For students with measurements out of range, print-outs with all pertinent data were given to the parents who are encouraged to visit eye-care professional on behalf of their children.
Lions members from Lions District 5M-8 and the Sartell Lions Club partnered with the Sartell-St. Stephen School District to administer the screenings in a program dubbed “KidSight.”
Kidsight is headed by Zachary Dingmann, Riverview principal, who also happens to be a member of the Sartell Lions.
The goal of Kidsight is to catch vision problems before they become learning problems, said Sartell Lions Club President Stu Giffin. The tests were free, no-touch and completely safe. The tests involved holding a shoebox-shaped device in front of children’s eyes, and in just seconds vision problems can be detected.
“The staff members at the schools were terrific – organized and caring and focused,” Giffin told the Newsleaders. “This Lions KidSight program is top-notch. It has a high degree of accuracy, quick, high impact and is free. Literature supports the testing for students when they are young to prevent future vision and learning problems. Most children are not aware they have trouble seeing. One tell-tale sign is when parents and others often see their children squinting. In a time when vision testing isn’t as frequent as it might be, this service project fills a void. The Sartell Lions Club and all Lions Clubs continue to assist their communities.”
Vision has for many decades been a prime focus of Lions International and its clubs worldwide.
The KidSight testing program for students in Sartell involved the following volunteers (left to right): Riverview Intermediate School Principal Zachary Dingmann, who is also a Sartell Lions Club member and chair of its Kidsight program; Lions Club President Stu Giffin, his wife Judy Giffin; Denny Hartman; Jim Muellenbach; his wife Cheryl Muellenbach, Carol Breitkreutz; and Lions District Kidsight Chair Jack Breitkreutz. Not pictured: Lions members Lisa Zapzalka and Mike DeLuca.
