October 11, 2012

The Shawnee State University Department of Health Sciences, with the support of a Wellpointe Grant, presented the Fourth Annual Healthy Cubs Preschool Health and Safety Fair in the Frank and Janis Waller Gymnasium at the Rhodes Athletic Center on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Ninety-five preschool aged children from SSU Children's Learning Center, Clay Local School District and Bloom-Vernon School District attended the fair.

The school districts provide transportation for the children and SSU's Department of Security met them in the parking lot to assure safe delivery to the gym.

Screening Stations included Vision and Hearing, Height and Weight with Center for Disease Control Percentile Ranking, Fine Motor Skills, and Gross Motor Skills. The screening information was sent back with the children so it could be shared with their parents.

Educational stations were set up throughout the gymnasium including:

• Germs;
• Hand washing;
• Halloween safety; and
• Dental hygiene.

SSU nursing, dental hygiene, occupational therapy, physical therapy students participated in the event and worked with the children at each station.

The Master of Occupational Therapy students set up screening stations to test children for fine motor and gross motor skills, vision, hearing, height and weight.

"We are thankful the local schools see Healthy Cubs as a fun way for preschoolers to lean about health and safety in a developmentally appropriate format," said Catherine Bailey, DNP, RN, CNE and assistant professor at SSU.

About 125 university students from allied health programs, including nursing, dental hygiene, physical therapy assistant and occupational therapy assistant programs helped with the fair.

"Many of our students expressed appreciation for having the opportunity to practice their discipline specific skills and pediatric communication skills with the preschoolers," Bailey said. "I think the SSU students enjoyed it as much as the children."

Western and Southern Life Insurance Company provided fingerprinting for the children with parental permission. The classroom teacher sent the fingerprint information home with the child at the end of the school day.

"We also included a station where the children could relax, eat a snack, and engage in some creative crayon doodling with the university students," Bailey said.