CPR Anytime Training – The Big Wild Heart of Alaska: Training Tomorrow’s Heroes!

Steller 8^th grade students joined 8^th grade students across the school district and the nation in November by participating in CPR training and learning the basic skills necessary to save a life.  This is the second year 8^th grade students at Steller Secondary have participated in the program made possible through grant funding, the American Heart Association, the Anchorage Fire Department, and the Loren Marshall Foundation.

The mission of the program is to increase the number of bystanders in Alaska who are able and willing to perform lifesaving CPR in an emergency, as early bystander CPR more than DOUBLES survival rates.  The American Heart Association found that CPR Anytime trainees “tend to have better overall performance” than those who were trained in a traditional 2 hour CPR course.  One of the amazing things about this program is that each and every student received a training kit, which included the training video and an inflatable CPR manikin (a $60 value!!! for FREE!!!).  CPR Anytime focuses on “PUSH HARD, PUSH FAST” and no long has an emphasis on coordinating breathing with chest compressions; although, training on when to provide rescue breathing is still covered.

Students were expected to go home and share what they learned with adult family or friends (training as many people as possible) then return the training log with a parent/guardian signature.  The idea being, that one person can train several others.  Furthermore, nearly 80% of cardiac arrest occurs in the home and is witnessed by a family member.  By training families, we hope to reduce the 325,000 deaths that occur each year due to cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac arrest.

Student’s were offered extra credit in Health (either semester class) and were eligible to be entered into a drawing for an Ipod Nano/touch, movie tickets, and an Itunes gift card.  Unfortunately, only 15 students returned the log (YIKES!!!).  It is very important for students to still return this log so the data related to number of people trained can be supplied back to the American Heart Association and this program can continue to be apart of the 8^th grade Health/PE curriculum.  Click here to download the CPR Training Log.

The day of training went well and all students were very receptive to the training, participated well, and seemed to truly enjoy the afternoon.  Please take some time to talk with your student about the CPR anytime training and review the 20 minute DVD with them, even if you have CPR training yourself, it is a good review for them and you.  Student’s will still be eligible for the Health 8 extra credit if the form is returned before December 16^th, 2010.

Food Donations

A great big THANK YOU to all the families who have donated food items so far this school year.  It is greatly appreciated by the many Steller students who come in needing a blood sugar pick-me-up or forget to bring a lunch.

Nurse Wendy

The State of Alaska now has a bedbug web page with many useful links, including for bedbugs in schools at: http://www.epi.alaska.gov/id/dod/bedbugs/default.htm

November News

Daylight hours are decreasing and soon our students will be walking to and from school in the dark. It is always a good time to remind your children about safety. Each year in ASD there are a handful of students who report being approached by strangers. Oftentimes, these strangers have good intentions. They may be offering a ride in sub-zero weather, helping with a heavy backpack or just trying to strike up a conversation. Although these instances are intended to be friendly, they aren’t realizing how dangerous the situation could become.

Safety is a top priority for our students. Children should be told, and told often, that they should never accept rides or assistance from strangers. Please talk to your child about stranger danger, safe places to wait for rides from school and other information specific to your situation.

Also, make sure your children know what to do if they get scared. They should immediately run away from the situation, find a safe place and tell a trusted adult. This information should also be reported to the school principal. We will notify authorities and, if necessary, our School Resource Officers will follow up and work to ensure our students are safe before, during and after school.

For more information about student safety, log on to www.asdk12.org/parents/safety.

November 2010

Cold Weather

The snow is here and winter is in full swing for us here in Alaska.  With  all this snow comes freezing temperatures which put at us risk for cold weather injuries and related woes.  Education regarding prevention, identification, and treatment of frostbite and hypothermia are important for all of us trying to stay warm while living in Alaska.

Frostbite occurs when skin and underlying tissue freezes. This occurs when you are exposed to freezing temperatures.  Frostbite worsens progressively; initially, the affected area feels cold, turns white, stiffens, then becomes tingly or stings.  As it continues to worsen, the tissues harden and may change from white to blue or grey.  Eventually, the area numbs and the feeling of cold and pain go away.  Areas affected most commonly are your extremities (fingers/hands/toes/feet) and the face (nose/cheeks/ears).

Hypothermia occurs when your body temperature falls below normal as a result of exposure to cold or freezing temperatures.  Hypothermia worsens progressively; initially, you may begin to shiver and have difficulty performing fine motor tasks such as zipping your coat or tying a shoe.  As hypothermia worsens, you experience slurred speech, weakness, disorientation, and become tired.  Eventually, your pulse slows and your body becomes stiff.

Treatment for frostbite or hypothermia involves immediate medical attention by a health care provider.  One should get out of the cold, change into warm dry clothing, and hydrate with warm water.  Re-warming should be done slowly if possible via skin-to-skin contact, warm blankets, or a luke-warm water bath.  Do not rub frostbitten skin as this can damage the tissues.  The re-warming process is painful and tissues may swell.  Remember, frostbite and hypothermia are life-threatening conditions and require medical attention as soon as possible.

Prevention is key.  Remember to plan ahead, dress in layers, and wear cold weather accessories such as a hat, gloves, scarf, and warm socks.  Go inside and warm up periodically, stay hydrated, and eat snacks to keep your energy up.  Avoid tobacco and alcohol.  Tobacco decreases circulation while alcohol impairs judgment and interferes with temperature regulation.

Cold Weather Vehicle Tips for You and Your Driving Teen:

• Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle (blanket, flashlight, flares, jumper cables, extra winter clothes, a shovel, etc).
• Plug in your vehicle and let it warm up in temperatures below 20 degrees F.
• Be careful pumping gas.  Gasoline on the skin lowers skin temperature as it evaporates putting you at risk for frostbite.
• Slow down and drive for the road conditions & weather.

Wishing you warm thoughts until the temperature rises!

How to avoid that sleepy feeling on Turkey Day…

• Use a smaller plate to avoiding overloading your extra-large plate and therefore your stomach.
• Eat moderate portions of your favorite foods.
• Drink water during the meal and eat slowly.
• Stop eating when you feel full; you can enjoy the leftovers for several days.
• Take a walk after dinner to help with the digestive process.

Follow these tips and have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING…gobble, gobble!

Nurse Wendy