Newtown Middle School Staff Brushes Up On CPR

By Susan Coney

Newtown Middle School nurse Barbara Reilly is passionate about keeping kids safe.

In striving to achieve that goal she frequently offers staff and students CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification and recertification courses following the guidelines put forth by the American Red Cross.

Ms Reilly, along with NMS nurse Joyce LaForte, school resource officer Gladys Pisani, and guidance counselor Kate MacKinney, offer seventh and eighth grade students an after-school program called KIC (Kids in Charge), designed to teach life-saving skills.

At the beginning of each school year, between hearing and scoliosis screenings, Ms Reilly targets her efforts on providing life-saving skills to the middle school staff. Such a course was offered last week Wednesday, September 14. Several staff members attended the CPR recertification course.

Jenn Sinal, one of the teachers attending the refresher course, has seen first hand just how crucial immediate first aid care can be when last year, just after she had completed her first CPR training session, she was able to assist in saving one of her own students by using the knowledge she had gained from the course. Ms Sinal had a student who was choking on a piece of candy and her training kicked in to practice when she assisted Nurse Reilly in performing the Heimlich maneuver on the child.

Ms Reilly used this example to remind staff members how important the knowledge of first aid training is, particularly for those who work at a school. “We can’t all be in all places at all times. Precious seconds are very important,” she emphasized.

During the recertification session the staff reviewed basic emergency safety knowledge such as the procedure to check, call, and care. First check the scene to assess the situation and the condition of the person needing assistance. Next call 911 and give the exact location of the victim (this is particularly important in a large school setting), and finally administer emergency care depending on what you have found to be the problem.

Ms Reilly reviewed rescue breathing techniques and how to perform them on both an adult and a child. The staff practiced on resuscitation mannequins. Next they were shown how to correctly use the AED (automated external defibrillator) used to assist in cardiac care.

Thanks to PTA funding, AED equipment has been available in all Newtown Schools since last September. Reed Intermediate School and Newtown High School each have two AEDs placed in different locations of the buildings. All other schools have one AED machine.

All of the AEDs placed in the schools are portable units located in clearly marked cabinets in accessible areas of the buildings. All of the units have voice prompts that instruct the caregiver with step-by-step directions in the proper use of the equipment.

Ms Reilly said that the PTA has been extremely helpful in providing the area schools with proper cardiac resuscitation equipment. “I don’t ever want to have to use the equipment, but it is there if we need it. We have a great PTA. Our school is really pro-active when it comes to such matters,” Ms Reilly emphasized.