PRINCIPALâS MESSAGE:Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year at the National Academy Foundation School of Baltimore! We are a college and career preparation school starting at grade 6 and going through to grade 12.
Once in the bloodstream lead is distributed to three main compartments: blood, soft tissue (kidney, bone marrow, liver, and brain), and mineralized tissue (bones and teeth). Lead effects children and adults in different ways. Low lead levels in children can cause the following side effects: Nervous system and kidney damage. Learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence. Speech, language, and behavior problems. Poor muscle coordination. Decreased muscle and bone growth. Hearing damage.
Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Babies and young children can also be more highly exposed to lead because they often put their hands and other objects that can have lead from dust or soil on them into their mouths.