WOLCOTT – “Keep going. 28 and 29, and 30. Good. Now two breaths. Okay. Back to compressions: 1 and 2 and 3 and…”
School may not have been in session this week for the Orleans Southwest Supervisory District, but on Monday, Nov. 25, the Wolcott Elementary school library was filled with mannequins, equipment, and WonderKids Afterschool staff members who were getting trained in the HeartSaver CPR/AED/First Aid certification course.
courtesy photo
Hannah Cochran, a nationally certified EMT and trainer who works at Wolcott Elementary School as the school’s health professional and also with Hardwick Rescue, led the training for seven staff members from the Wolcott, Hardwick, and Craftsbury afterschool sites.
“It’s important that our staff are trained to handle emergencies, including medical emergencies,” said Virginia Lapierre, WonderKids administrative manager. “We consider it part of the service we provide to the community.”
According to the Vermont Department of Health, Orleans County ranks as the highest county in Vermont in deaths per capita from heart disease, and Caledonia County is the fifth highest. “There is a need for a greater number of people in our rural areas to be able to respond to cardiac emergencies. I’m happy that our staff can add to that number,” stated Lapierre.
Emergency preparedness wasn’t the only training on the schedule this week for the WonderKids staff. On Tuesday, despite the icy rain, staff met at the G.R.A.C.E. building next to Buffalo Mountain Market to practice the crafts and activities that the students would be doing during the winter session of the afterschool program. With activities revolving around cooking, crafting, outdoor exploration, and nature, WonderKids staff practiced some theater games, built indoor forts, and made their own trivia cards.
Executive Director Sarah Mutrux, also led a talk about the feel of a Waldorf program. While not strictly a Waldorf program, WonderKids does draw inspiration from this teaching style. Using natural materials, spending time in nature, and focusing on the process of making art instead of the art product itself, the WonderKids program provides a safe environment for students to successfully explore art and creativity during the afterschool hours.
For more information about this program and an application, go to ruralartsvt.org/wonderarts.
