Northland Christian School introduces programs to serve student medical needs, learning differences

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A small private school on the north side of Houston has introduced at least two new programs this year that will serve students who need medical attention during the day, as well as those with learning differences.

Northland Christian School, located near FM 1960 and Veterans Memorial, serves students from pre-school to 12th grade. They have only 520 students.

Olga Nelson is starting her first year at the private school serving as a nurse. Nelson has worked for decades in Houston-area public schools in the same role.

While school nurses may seem like a standard employee, the 13 Investigates team found that dozens of school campuses in our area are without one.

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In her role, Nelson will administer medication to students, including those with chronic conditions, and come up with action plans for those who suffer from medical conditions, such as asthma attacks or seizures. She will also conduct trainings with teachers on how to handle those episodes.

"I remember a parent that her son had epilepsy, and I explained to her what I did in order to keep that student safe, happy, and being able to enjoy his class because I was there to monitor his situation," Nelson explained. "I also do trainings for the teachers, for example, if they do have a student with epilepsy, I teach the teachers what to look for because there are different kinds of epilepsy."

For decades Nelson worked at public schools and said she was limited on what she could say to the students. She is eager for the opportunity at a private school to fully use nursing as the ministry she has always seen it as.

"I couldn't start a conversation with a student that was depressed," Nelson said. "I couldn't pray for them. I couldn't talk to them in a spiritual sense and that would really break my heart because it was something that I could have given them but I couldn't, especially children in public school that are severely depressed and or cutting or doing things like that. It gives me another tool in my toolbox to help them."

Northland is also introducing their Cougar Center for Success for the 2023-24 school year. It will have two functions.

First, THINK Neurology is sponsoring the school's THINK Lab. Students who need accommodations like extra time or extra breaks during tests or a quiet study spot will have a place to go.

Megan Stockton is the director of the Cougar Center for Success. She is also an educational therapist.

Stockton will work one-on-one with students who have learning differences.

"I do think it is pretty discouraging for students, especially when they know that they can succeed, but they're not given the resources to succeed," Stockton explained.

She may work with students who have been diagnosed with ADD, ADHD or dyslexia, for example.

One technique she learned through her training with the National Institute for Learning Development is teaching dyslexic student "anchor" words.

"The goal of these anchor words is that when that student is sounding out future words they can look at that letter and sound out their letters and think back to their anchor words and what that letter sounds like," Stockton explained.

Instead of asking the teacher for help, Stockton's goal is to equip the students to become independent learners. Her office is filled with unique tools, like alternate seating options, balls, musical instruments and more, to help students get to that point.

"We had identified families who needed services and they were needing to go to outside services to cater to their students needs and we found a way to cater to their students right here in the school during the school day rather than going after school," Stockton explained.

In the first year of the educational therapy program, Stockton will work with four to five students weekly for either two 80-minute sessions or four 45-minute sessions. The program is a three-to-five year commitment, but she said they will assess the student's progress at the end of every school year. Students as young as third grade can enroll.

There is an extra cost associated with joining.

Northland hopes to expand their educational therapy program in the years to come.

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