TOWNSHEND — Starting this fall, Leland & Gray students who need dental care but whose families would otherwise struggle to pay for it can sign up with the school nurse for care at West River Valley Family Dental.
This increased access to health care grew out of six months of planning by the members of L&G's Whole-Child Committee, which includes L&G and Windham Central faculty and staff.
The committee says it is deeply grateful to Dr. Jared Rediske and his staff for serving approximately 15 students each month who otherwise would not have access to dental cleanings and treatment.
Many students from low-income backgrounds are eligible for Dr. Dynasaur, Vermont's children health care program, which supports the initiative.
Dorinne Dorfman, principal of Leland & Gray, says she is committed to filling any shortfalls through donations and grant funds:
“In every school where I've worked, as time went by, I watched students' teeth decay. Getting braces was once a necessary burden; today it's become a privilege for the lucky. The lifelong impact of dental health, from one's appearance to chronic health problems, drove the Whole-Child Committee to meet the need.”
Dorfman said a school team visited Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington to study its student health center, which includes offices for a doctor and dentist.
Dorfman said Mount Anthony's principal, Sue Maguire, was generous in sharing her vision of full-service schools that address all the barriers interfering with student learning.
“With much of the country still in the throes of the recession, public schools from coast to coast are finding ways to provide low-income students [with] health care and other supports that families struggle to give,” Dorfman said.
In addition to dental care, Leland & Gray is copying another program from MAU: a clothing and shoes closet for students. Winter outerwear is of particular need, according to Dorfman and a poll of L&G teachers.
To donate these needed items to students, call Nika Oakes at 802-365-7355 or write noakes@lelandandgray.org. They will be collected and cleaned, and made available discreetly.