Students at the Bromfield School have suffered “upwards of 25 concussions this year to date,” according to Associate Principal Scott Hoffman. He reported the alarming figure to the School Committee Monday as it was preparing to vote on its new policy on concussions and head injuries.
The document includes a wealth of information on the signs and symptoms of concussion, as well as difficulties that a student may experience in the classroom afterward. The school website will provide a link to a free on-line course, “Concussion in Sports: What You Need to Know.”
Hoffman particularly urged parents to tell the school when a student suffers a head injury somewhere else. It is important for students and parents to understand that this is a serious injury, he told the committee.
Hoffman noted that the new policy involves additional responsibilities for coaches and principals, but also for students and parents. For example, among the guidelines for someone who has a head injury, Hoffman said, are reminders not to watch television, not to text, and above all, not to drive.
State law mandates that schools establish a policy on head injuries for students in grades six through 12. School nurse Colleen Nigzus said that the schools also need to consider a protocol for this issue at the elementary level.
The policy, which was approved unanimously, opens by stating, “Any student who suffers a direct or indirect trauma to the head shall be immediately removed from the activity and shall not return to the activity until cleared by an appropriate health care professional.”
