Health Fair caps Catholic Schools Week at Pope Francis High School

Feb. 6, 2019 | Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com

Springfield Fire Department Educator Willie Spears adjusts firefighter’s gear on senior Torin Early.
Reminder Publications photos by Debbie Gardner

SPRINNGFIELD –Senior Torin Early was slowly shrugging his way out of a full rig of firefighter’s equipment when with a smile, Springfield Fire Department Fire Educator Willie Spears stepped in to give him a hand.

“I tell you, Torin, it takes us about 30 seconds to get out of this gear,” Spears joked as he collected the helmet, backpack, jacket and pants.

The Fire Department booth – where student could take turns using an extinguisher to douse a simulated fire or give firefighting gear a try – was one of 19 exhibits that filled the lobby of Pope Francis Preparatory School on the morning of Feb. 1. The event was a health fair for students and faculty, capping off the school’s weeklong celebration of Catholic School’s Week. The fair was the brainchild of Perrault and her sophomore health and wellness class.

“We are mind, body and soul [educators], and this is the body part,” Health Education teacher Leslie Perreault told Reminder Publishing. She said the event – which was very hands on at most exhibitor’s booths – was an opportunity for students to gain insight and experience, “whether it is advice on a health issue, or a career.

“The more information students have, the better,” Perrault emphasized.

Teachers brought students down to engage with the exhibitors during 40-minute class periods between 8 to 10:30 a.m. During that time the 22 students in Perrault’s class acted as ambassadors for the various exhibitors– which ranged from Fire and Health Department displays to dental hygiene information from the Porter & Chester Institute to nutrition tips from the UMass Extension Service and Sodexo Foodservice to the popular impaired driving goggle exercises sponsored by the Driving School at AAA Pioneer Valley and Hampden County District Attorney’s Office’s “Stop the Swerve” drunk driving campaign.

Pope Francis Chief Communications Officer Dianne Regnier said each one of the exhibitors was selected “specifically because of what they could offer the students.”

Sophomore Michael George, who donned the impaired driving glasses to give the

“Stop the Swerve” walk-the-line test a try, said he found the experience ”particularly realistic – it shows you what you might have to do one day if an officer thinks you are under the influence.”

To insure all of the 300-plus members of the student body took full advantage of the event, Regnier said each student was given a card to present to each vendor for a sticker or stamp. Fully completed cards were entered into a raffle for the grand prize of a box of Pope Francis spirit gear, or one of 10 gift cards chosen for teen appeal.

Exhibitor Kathleen Welch, who hosted Mercy Medical Center’s booth emphasizing the importance of hand washing, especially during flu season, said the students were very engaged in her demonstration, which used a fine glitter powder, hand sanitizer and a special light box to illustrate how germs can linger on the skin, even after what seems a good hand cleaning.

“The kids were very energized, and grossed out to see how their hands lit up with the ‘germs’,” Walsh said. “It illustrated the importance of using soap and water [for hand washing] in flu season, or hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds.”

Perrault said the health fair – the first such event in the new school building – seemed to be a success with the students.

“I thought they were engaged. They were talking with the vendors, and they asked questions,” she said.

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