Eye See... Eye Learn
Overview
The ESEL pilot in Hamilton will target all children at their first entry into the school system. The majority will be Junior Kindergarten students. Senior Kindergarten students who did not participate in Junior Kindergarten will also participate in the program.
Glasses Partnership Policy
Each child who participates in the ESEL pilot will be eligible to an industry sponsored pair of glasses. The glasses will be of the best quality available for the prescription using the phoenix material for impact resistance. Lenses will be coated with anti reflection coating, anti scratch coating, oleophobic coating, hydrophobic coating and warranty from manufacturer’s defects on frame and lenses for two years.
If a parent requests a frame that isn’t in the samples provided in the program, they will have to purchase the glasses themselves.
The glasses in the program that are provided complimentary are for a complete pair of frames and lenses. These can not be separated. If a parent purchases a frame and requests lenses through the program, the lenses will not be covered.
School Participation Policy
Superintendent
School boards that agree to partner with the ESEL program will be required to provide an endorsement letter from the superintendent. The letter will be provided either on line or in the parent information package to inform parents that the school board approves of the ESEL program partnering with their school.
Principal
Participating schools will agree to a process of information sharing about the ESEL program within the school system. ESEL materials will be distributed to all elementary school principals in advance of the program launching. Information will be provided via email and the OAO and School Board websites. It will be the responsibility of the principals to disseminate the ESEL program information to the kindergarten teachers who will be running the program in their classrooms.
Kindergarten Teacher
Kindergarten teachers will help promote the program in several ways. They will meet with parents at the beginning of the school year and talk about the importance of vision and learning. They will provide parents with the ESEL Parent Information Package and encourage them to participate in the program.
Participating children will return a completed eye examination report form from the optometrist tofor their school. This form may be included in the child’s school record for the year.
Teachers will also be able to educate their students about eyes by downloading curriculum relevant lesson plans that apply to vision and learning. These resources will be available to download from the OAO/School board website.
Teachers will also keep a record of the students who participate in the program and periodically send out reminder cards to parents who haven’t participated in the program over the course of the school year.
Optometrist Participation Policy
Optometrists who sign onto the program will provide examinations and glasses for the ESEL program. There will be no separation. Children who require glasses must get them at the office where their examination occurred. Children will not be able to see a non ESEL doctor for an examination and then come to an ESEL office to receive glasses.
Optometrists who participate in the program will bill OHIP for the examination. They will also have to use Interim Federal Health and First Nations and Inuit Health Branch to bill for examinations in the absence of OHIP coverage. The procedure to bill these different insurance providers will be provided in the optometrist participation package.
If an optometrist identifies a condition that requires additional treatment that isn’t covered through OHIP, the parent or guardian will be informed of the reason for the suggested treatment and the cost involved so they can make an informed decision. Areas of optometry where this situation could arise might involve low vision aids, binocular vision therapy, visual information processing testing, visual information processing therapy, and contact lens therapy. The optometrist will have to provide the list of all participating ESEL doctors to the parent or guardian so the patient has the right to compare the costs of the recommended therapy at different offices if they choose to do so. The parent would also have the right to refuse the recommended treatment. Download further information.
Parent Participation Policy
Parents who chose to participate in the pilot will need to give consent to allow their children to participate in the ESEL program and have their child’s data recorded as part of the pilot results. Parents will be expected to bring their child to an eye appointment at an ESEL doctor’s optometry office.
When a parent brings their child to the eye examination, they will be provided with an examination report from which they are to return to the child’s teacher. expected to take the exam information that the optometrist completes and return it to the teacher. This report from will provide information and recommendationswill inform the school about any recommendations for the child if they are necessary to help them perform better in the classroom.
