News and Announcements
HSA STUDENTS EARN FIRST AID AND CPR CERTIFICATION
HSA freshman did more than just learn about health services, they became trained members of the health services community.
During the fall semester, HSA Assistant Principal Maria Vorgias and Athletic Director Cesar Serrano were certified as CPR and First Aid Instructors. They immediately began planning training sessions for all HSA 9th graders.
Over the course of several P.E. classes in February and March, students were guided through instruction on first aid assessment, injuries, medical and environmental emergencies, legal issues and CPR administration. Training manuals and videos were utilized throughout the training. Students also took part in skills testing. For first aid, students were broken in to small groups and each was assigned a particular skill to model for the class - i.e. splinting a broken bone or handling someone suffering from heath exhaustion, to name just a few. Training mannequins enabled students to test their CPR skills on adults, children and infants. At the end of the training sessions, students were required to pass a written test in both areas.
"The kids were really invested in the process and personalized it a lot," said Maria Vorgias, HSA Assistant Principal. "They understood that these kinds of emergencies could effect the people in their lives and it was both empowering and intimidating for them to know that they would be able to help. It made them take it very seriously."
Over 87% of HSA’s first class of students received their certification. The rest will complete their training during the next school year. The certification is valid for two years. Students will be recertified prior to the start of their internships at the end of their junior year.
