St. Regis School Counselor Tyler Cheeseman explained the reasoning was behind their health fair last week.

“As school counselors, we are required to do outreach and I have a passion for emergency medicine. I’m the pediatric person with the ambulance because of my background with education and kids, so I tried to combine them. Besides, it’s National EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week, and the last week of school, so this would be fun for the kids to rotate through and learn about jobs and careers while having a little fun with the presentations.” 

This is the second year Cheeseman has organized the event and had help from Jordann Murphy who has a MOU with the school to offer therapy on site since the school lost Alta Care which was the school-based therapy, which is where Cheeseman began her St. Regis School career.

There were a couple of last-minute cancellations from vendors, but the classes stretched throughout the school and two were set up on the playground, even with drizzly weather.  

Russ Cleveland with the St. Regis Fire Department was explaining to the students the order of dressing into firefighting gear as quickly as possible with several doing so and then running 25 yards and back. Superior Ambulance Service invited students inside to see what working in cramped conditions felt like while keeping patients alive on the way to Emergency Rooms. They saw the equipment that is kept internal and how to communicate with the hospital during transport.

Cheeseman also called the event a salute to our first responders in the county and that this introduction could ease tension or worries, if or when, the students see them again in actual emergency situations.

Sarah Buchanan with the Mineral Community Hospital Lab demonstrated the breakdown of red blood cells and explained the blood type technique used for individual blood type classification. The Mineral County Local Advisory Council had Stephanie Quick and Shirley Iwata talking with the older kids on alternatives for entertainment, especially with summer here, versus unhealthy choices and poor decision making. 

Quick said the subject was, "Why there is a stigma around mental health and how to stay resilient." Plus, activities in the community kids can do that do not involve alcohol or drugs which are positive for mental health. 

During lunch, Quick and Iwata were revamping the message for the younger students they’d be talking with in the afternoon.  Tobacco prevention was a module that Janet Smith with the Mineral County Health Department was teaching. Anna Schreck discussed substance abuse as she covers all three schools in the county through the Western Montana Mental Health Center. Superior Elementary School Counselor Carissa Kuhl touched on her personalized curriculum Kuhl Dynamics. Tall Pines Chiropractic has a bi-monthly practice in St. Regis and was on hand discussing common ailments.

Cheeseman is involved in several community events as an organizer so her network of contacts and internal checklist of what needs to be done rolls into auto pilot this time of year. Cheeseman and her family are involved with the Memorial Day Weekend Flea Market and she handles the annual Trail Rail Run slated for Saturday, June 21.  Registration is available at www.trailrailrun.com.

    Buffy Cheeseman and Jennifer Cheeseman were flippin’ burgers and hotdogs in the drizzle for lunch that was served to students, staff, first responders, presenters and parents at the St. Regis Health Fair. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    How many kids can fit into one of the Superior Area Ambulances was tested as students felt what tight working conditions were like when caring for injured patients enroute to emergency rooms. What medicines, equipment and communication they have when going over 60mph and seconds count. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    Stephanie Quick and Shirley Iwata were the Mineral County Local Advisory Council representatives talking with students on making well thought choices rather than knee jerk impulse decisions as there are consequences to what is said and done. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)