GGE Tiger Trot

Friday was our school's fundraiser the Tiger Trot. The kids run laps around the bus loop and get sponsors to donate money for each lap they run. The weeks before they are practicing for this during P.E. classes and of course that makes my job harder, bandaging up all the skinned knees and elbows. I think kids forget how to run, or they just don't run like we used to. It's funny, they would come into the Health Room with a stitch in their side and have no idea what this was. Or they don't know what sore muscle are. One came in short of breath.
me: Do you have asthma?
girl: No
me: What were you doing when you became short of breath?
girl: Running around the track.
me: That's what happens when you run a lot, you start breathing hard. Even I would be short of breath running like that!
Sheesh! I had her sit and rest.

I tell you, they have no idea what it's like, to not have computers and video games to play on and they have to go outside to play and make up games of your own. Okay - jumping off my soapbox.

For me the morning started like any other, breakfast morning duty. Everyone was happy to see me in this years Tiger Trot shirts. They get their T-shirt and water bottles when they get to class.
We have a small bunch at breakfast, maybe 200 at the most on good mornings. Starting a little slow.
I sit at the outer edge and have my "good manners" table. I can keep an eye on everyone. Some days I get a patrol to help out. Mostly to keep the back packs out of the doorway. I imagine they drop their book bags at the door at when they are at home!
Tiffany had to get in the shot, the other one she was in line and you couldn't see her. She's the first one to tell anyone that wants to sit with us that they have to have good manners to be able to sit at the "good manner" table. (Yes, I've taught them well)

When they are done eating they give the extras that were not touched to me. I bring them back to the Health Room for anyone who wants it. If a child didn't have time for breakfast, or didn't get enough at home. I hate to see it go to waste. This morning it started early. I think they were all excited. They didn't take time to eat. Look at how much leftovers today!

It was a beautiful day. I told our principal that she was lucky she put her order in early to guarantee such nice weather.

Staring early at 8:15 AM the classes get ready in the marked spots around the track. The second and third graders go first this year because they have a field trip to the Sarasota Renaissance Fair after they run.

And they're off.

I love it when they stop dead in their tracks to tie their shoes.

Of course a lot of socializing as well.

Standing there with a camera of course I'm going to hear. Miss Lyndsey take our picture.

Several from my "breakfast club". I did get permission from their parents to post them here.

We set up a boo boo area, well equipped. When they all start out running full speed all together, you are bound to get injuries. Here's Nurse Jaime fixing a bumped knee. One of many! Lily was a student nurse that worked with us last year. She wanted to volunteer today. I was able to join her at the start then I had to go inside to man the Health Room. They might need me in there.

Well it was very quiet. Not a creature was stirring. Later I did get to check the diabetics, before they went out to run, then a few kids that were over heated had to lay down to rest. All in all it was a fun day, but I'm glad it's over.

Busy in the Health Room

I just wanted to share a little part of my day. Our job in the Health Room at the beginning of the year is getting all the paperwork for meds that have to be taken at school signed, sealed and delivered. That is a feat in it's self. You try getting all the correct info from doctors and parents! Then we have to get all the Yellow health emergency cards out, signed and back to us. We decided to wait instead of sending them out in last years report card so we won't have as many number changes. Meh, that didn't work, we still get phone number changes even if we got the cards last week (which we did). So now I have a pile of 750 cards that have to be alphabetized and filed in between all the kids that are coming in.

The students started back to school on Aug 24th. The first week was relatively quiet. We had already been prepped at our Summer Health Institute on what we have to do to try and prevent H1N1. So far so good. Most of the tummy aches were due to starting school nerves, I'm used to handling that. Sometimes a little too good, because they like coming back to see me.

This week was another story. I swear they all forgot how to run over the summer (must of been inside on the computer). We have a new P.E. Coach this year so he is sending everyone in to the Health Room. He says he has already gone though his box bandaids and is going to need more gloves. So maybe I could of seen a lot more! (He's doing great filling out the health slips)

Monday is always the worst day in the Health Room. For some reason coming back to school after the weekend is hard. We saw over 50 students, and today wasn't much better. Now this is common later on in the year, so I can hardly wait to see what it's going to be like. At least not much on H1N1, and thank goodness for those magic bags of ice!