Last week Sierra Bernia School in Alfaz celebrated its annual Whole School Health Day. All normal classes were suspended so that the students could learn all about Keeping Healthy and what we can do to ensure that we are.
The morning started with a visit from an ambulance crew from the Hospital Levante, who kindly came to school to show the children the ambulance and the many things paramedics can do aboard to save people’s lives until they arrive at the hospital. Amanda and Martín stressed the importance of calling 112 to even the smallest children and how to react in case of accident.
After that the children then learnt how to put people into the recovery position and to carry out CPR, the smallest on their teddies they had brought especially to school for that day, and the older children on the dummies and machines the nurses had brought with them. Although they children did enjoy the Beegees music they used to set the rhythm needed, all of them were surprised at how much force was actually needed to carry out the procedure correctly.
The next activity concerned how to keep healthy by the food we eat. All classes made home-made food from scratch together showing just how easy it actually is to do, ranging from vegetable pasta to green juice, yoghurt and vegetable dips and fruit smoothies.
As food science, chemistry and biology are integral part of any curriculum designed to teach health and wellbeing, all children then had the opportunity to carry out various different scientific experiments with their teachers and visitors to the school. Year 3 and 4 learnt how to test different foods and substances for their acidic and alkaline content, and how they can be neutralised, wheras Year 5 and 6 had the opportunity to dissect various animal organs such as the heart and lungs to understand better how they work and how we need to look after them. Year 5 and 6 also made homemade lava lamps which have been proved to reduce stress and improve well being, as mental health is also an integral part of keeping us healthy.
In Secondary, the students also had the opportunity to dissect the various organs under the watchful guidance of Dr Ning Ding who also gave a detailed explanation of how both organs function. Mrs Fernandez showed the students all the procedures involved with First Aid Training – some students later said they felt confident that they would now know how to react in case of emergency and that they were really glad they had been given the opportunity to learn techniques and procedures which could actually save someone’s life! The students also learnt through practical hands-on experiments how we are actually surrounded by microorganisms and the importance of personal hygiene, and also learnt about dental hygiene and care as Claudia, a local dentist, also came to share her expertise with the students.
After such an intense day full of jam packed activities, the students were then allowed to let off steam and to relax a little by a Zumba and yoga session, proving the theory that not only “Mens sana in corpore sano” is true, but also that “all work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy indeed!”
Let’s hope that all the students gained valuable knowledge and insight from carrying out such worthwhile and important activities!
Sierra Bernia School
British School of Benidorm
www.sierraberniaschool.es