This year, every Dallas ISD physical education teacher will have easy access to their very own first-aid kit.
The idea came after Lisa Whitaker, director of the Health and Physical Education Department, saw a need for extra resources in the classroom.
“I noticed an opportunity to provide student and teacher support during physical education classes,” she said. “My goal was to support teachers during physical education classes and be in direct partnership with campus nursing staff.”
This summer, interns with the Health and Physical Education Department recognized the same need. This inspired the team’s final project: assembling 245 first-aid kits in time for the new school year.
Each kit is made up of instant ice packs, bandaids, disposable gloves, and water-based wipes. The first batch was handed out at professional development class at Skyline High School before school began, and the rest were delivered directly to campuses.
Every elementary, middl
e, and high school will receive a new first-aid kit, Whitaker said.
“They provide a campus-wide approach to supporting students,” she said. “Parents can feel secure that each P.E. classroom is well equipped to assist students when needed in partnership with school nursing staff.”
Whether it’s something small, like a scrape or bruise, or something larger that requires a trip to the nurse’s office, physical education teachers will have the resources necessary to be a first responder when an accident happens.
“A student may fall during physical education activities. A P.E. teacher would immediately be able to provide the instant ice pack to a student while assisting the student to the nurse’s office,” Whitaker said.
Individual teachers and schools don’t need to worry about keeping the first aid kits stocked throughout the year. The Health and Physical Education Department will be refilling each kit as the need arises, Whitaker said.
H
er hope is that the first aid kits will become a staple in each classroom district-wide, and plans to continue the program in future school years.
“First aid kits are here to stay,” she said. “We believe in supporting the whole child as a part of their educational experience. This is one way we are ‘making it happen’ for students.”
