By Lori McKay - The Weekly News
Staying Alive is the theme for a unique 'lesson' at Seaside Elementary School in Eastern Passage.
On Monday, the school's gymnasium was filled with Grade 5 students learning the skill of CPR.
This is the fifth year for the initiative, and according to principal Peggy Deschambault, the class benefits the entire community.
"If you count about 175 students, give or take a few, every year for five years, we have almost 900 children in our community who have had exposure on how to respond in a variety of situations that are potentially dangerous. I think that's quite something," said Deschambault.
Grade 6 student Laura Carpenter took the class last year and said it made an impression.
"The person who taught us was serious, but really funny, so it made us remember it," said Carpenter. "They taught us a lot of different things, including how to talk to a person with 911. I'll always remember to be calm, because if you're talking fast, they won't know how to help."
During the class, the song Staying Alive played in the background, a reminder of the importance of the skills they were learning.
Brett Williams, also a Grade 6 student, said it was a great experience overall.
"I learned a lot. I feel that if I ever had a problem with my family, or with one of my friends, I'd be able to help them," said Williams.
Deschambault said the teachers decided to look into the course because as kids get closer to their teenage years, they are often given more responsibilities.
"We want them to know how to prevent injury, that's the big one, and then how to act in case there is an injury, how to summon for help and how to give help until help arrives," said Deschambault.
The students learn how to respond to a variety of situations, from cuts and burns to choking and broken bones.
The class is taught by a professional who works with search and rescue and is certified with Red Cross.
The students learn with an actar 911 CPR dummy.
Some funding for the initiative is provided by the Southeastern Community Health Board.
The students are also taught how to protect themselves in the woods.
"If we're lost, we're taught to hug a tree," said Carpenter. "I found a survival kit at the dollar store recently and thought about what we learned last year about being prepared in the woods, and I bought it."
lmckay@hfxnews.ca
