IN BRIEF
Rooted in Nature BY CHRISTINA MIMMS
T
he state of Florida serves as a classroom unto itself. With climate change, red tide, the potential for tropical storms and hurricanes, plus hundreds of types of plants and trees, the campus of Palmer Trinity in Miami presents myriad opportunities for student discovery. Students in Robert Moore’s scientific inquiry class often meet outdoors to study their surroundings. “This class is a great way to talk about what South Florida offers in an academic elective,” Moore says. Recently, his 7th and 8th graders worked to label more than 70 species of trees on the 60-acre Palmer Trinity campus. The project continued a collaboration between Dr. Leo Llinas, the school’s director of environmental stewardship, Moore, and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in nearby Coral Gables to locate, map, and describe the different species. Those findings were collected and published in the book, The Trees of Palmer Trinity School. Last fall, Moore’s students linked the descriptions in the book to quick response (QR) codes, creating Google docs with a picture of each tree species, a short description, and a map link. They printed the QR codes on birchwood signs using the laser printer in the school’s Innovation Station. The students sanded, lacquered,
and sealed the signs before attaching them to posts with a red pin on top, similar to a Google map pin. The signs were installed in January. Visitors can scan the QR codes with their smartphones to access online details about the trees. Sixth graders at Palmer Trinity were among the first to explore the new markers in a class scavenger hunt and the admission office is primed to include the area on tours. “We want kids to appreciate the outdoors and the unique species of trees on our campus,” Moore says. “We hope more students will enjoy having classes outdoors and be more environmentally conscious.”
Students Turn Trauma Specialists in Hospital Immersion Activity
BY PATRICK KELLY, CONSTITUENT ENGAGEMENT OFFICER, TAMPA PREPARATORY SCHOOL, TAMPA, FL
H
ospital visits are far from exciting for most, but students in Tampa Preparatory School’s Medical Explorers Club in Tampa, FL, might argue otherwise. Last December, 27 students from the club were immersed in the fast-paced world of first responders and trauma specialists as medical professionals at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) guided them through a mock emergency. The exercise began with TGH’s Aeromed Flight Crew arriving on the scene of an “accident” involving a bicyclist. As they treated the patient, they explained the process and medical procedure to students. Students then gathered in smaller groups to practice elements of the emergency response that were demonstrated, such as securing the patient to a stretcher and intubation. Trauma Performance Improvement Coordinator Brooke Bull, one of the TGH staff members guiding students, was happy to field tons of questions from the aspiring medical professionals. “I can see a lot of interest here, which just makes me excited,” she said. After a successful response and helicopter transport, students reunited with the patient in the hospital’s trauma bay. TGH staff again acted out the appropriate next steps, explaining details to students who then worked through the procedures in small groups.
Students also suited up in full scrubs to get a sneak peek of the emergency operating facilities, practiced CPR compressions, and got an up-close look at TGH’s emergency response helicopter. Upper School Director Carl Carlson gave credit to the students in the Medical Explorers Club for their initiative and enthusiasm in organizing the day. “We let the kids try to own this as much as we can,” he said, noting the club’s success. Designed specifically for Tampa Prep students, the Medical Immersion Day of Learning was the first time TGH has hosted high school students in such a context, with plans to continue the event in the future. SPR ING 2 0 1 9 │ SA I S.ORG
5