School is a normal activity for children and adolescents. When a child is
in the hospital, it can interrupt the
normal pattern of schooling. Hospital school
can offer a familiar routine. School addresses the healthy part of a child’s
life during their hospital stay and shows that they can expect to return to
normal events. Hospital School also gives children a chance to be creative and
productive, while maintaining a sense of identity and hope. Special attention
is given to those patients whose hospital stay will exceed 10 days, who have
special educational needs, who have chronic illnesses and visit the hospital
frequently, or who have missed school prior to hospitalization.
Goals of Hospital School
Use the hospital stay as a positive event.
Develop an academic plan for all school-age patients, taking into account
their medical condition.
Provide educational activities for all patients, in the classroom or at
bedside.
Set up Homebound Services for those patients who cannot return to school
upon discharge from the hospital.
Make the return back to school as easy as possible for the patient and family.
All school-age patients are offered the opportunity to attend hospital school,
but it is not required.
Staff
Certified teachers, along with a team of volunteers, coordinate the Hospital
School Program within the Child Life and Education Department. In addition to
providing formal schooling, the teachers also provide educational support and
developmental activities to the patients. As members of the patients’
care team, the teachers consult with other professionals involved with the patients’
care. Each teacher is also a current member of the Association for the Education
of Children with Medical Needs.
Programs and Features
The Hospital School Program serves patients from 3 years through twelfth
grade. The program operates five days a week, 12 months a year.
Two classrooms are used for instruction, one for preschool and one for ages
6-18.
Each classroom is complete with the latest in technology, textbooks, computers
and developmental activities.
Parents are encouraged to bring books and schoolwork from their child’s
school. Otherwise, the assignments can be faxed directly to our classroom
from the teacher, counselor or other school staff. Should schoolwork not be
available, appropriate grade-level work will be provided.
Hospital teachers keep the school updated on special needs the patient
may have upon returning to school.
Our teachers maintain records of attendance and progress, which can be
sent to the patient’s school upon request.
Individual bedside tutoring is provided for those patients who cannot attend
the group setting.
School Re-entry
Our teachers assist with back to school reentries when needed. In special cases,
a teacher may visit the patients’ school to speak with school personnel
or the students, to educate them on the returning patient’s diagnosis,
condition, limitations, etc.
Contact Us
Our hospital school teachers look forward to working with your child at Arkansas
Children’s Hospital. The teachers are available Monday through Friday.
If you have any questions about specific educational needs of a patient, please
call 501-364-1412 or 501-364-4449.
School Re-entry