9-R Concussion Protocol
While the district itself offers up a myriad of incredible opportunities for kids in both athletics and activities, often times concussion injuries do not happen at school or within school-sanctioned events. Concussions in children can occur outside of school hours when they are riding a horse, skiing at Purgatory with family, or even a simple spill in their backyard. It is important as staff we learn to recognize the signs of concussion in our students so we are able to support them in their recovery and accommodate their learning at school. This is called the return to learn. Concussions are the only injury that directly affect your ability to learn, including:
- Retaining new information
- Recalling old information
- Processing speed
- Reaction time
- How our eyes works
- How our balance works
Durango School District has worked with Mercy Medical for the past 10 years on supporting the whole child, and we are expanding that work to create a district-wide Concussion Protocol to further support student learning and success. As a school district, we are often the first to see students struggling with symptoms of concussion within the classroom before it is caught elsewhere. We are working to educate our staff on how to identify the signs of concussion in their students and ways we can work together to get those students back on their education path upon full recovery.
If you are concerned your child may have a concussion from an activity that took place off school grounds, please complete this form so the school's concussion management team can follow up with you and your student as needed: