High School Intern To Create A Safe Haven For Students

By Susan Coney

Jennifer McCarthy, a senior at Western Connecticut State University, is doing an internship in the health department at Newtown High School under the direction of Judy Blanchard, the district health coordinator for the Newtown school district. “I approached Ms Blanchard after I heard her speak to one of my classes at WestConn and asked her if I could do an internship under her. I was so impressed by Ms Blanchard and the passion that she had for the health field, I thought ‘I have to study under her,’” Ms McCarthy said.

Ms McCarthy is a Sandy Hook resident, who previously completed her student teaching in health education at Newtown Middle School last fall under the direction of Gail Seymour. Upon completion of the internship and graduation in May, she will possess the credentials necessary to teach health to prekindergarten through twelfth grade students.

Ms McCarthy, previously a liberal arts major at Rockland Community College in Rockland, N.Y., left college and worked in a health food store when she became uncertain about the career path she wanted to pursue. She found working in the health food store very rewarding.

“I took time off from college and started working in this health food store. I got very interested in diet and nutrition. I really liked helping people who came into the store make healthy choices. I found out that WestConn offered a health education program,” she said. “I am somewhat nontraditional because I am 28 years old and bring a higher maturity level and life experience with me. I know what I want to do with my life,” Ms McCarthy stated.

Which is just what Ms Blanchard liked about her. “I am extremely busy and I didn’t want someone as an intern that I would have to hand hold through the process. Jennifer brings with her the maturity level. She is right out of courses that have provided her with the most up-to-date information in the health field, so I’ve learned from having Jennifer here,” Ms Blanchard said.

Ms Blanchard continued, “Jennifer is my shadow, together we come up with projects; they become her projects. A classroom at the high school became available and Jennifer is going to take the room and make it into a health classroom and resource room.” Typically health is taught at the high school level by five different physical education and health teachers, many of whom are also coaches. There is no established classroom set aside as a health classroom.

Ms McCarthy has set as a goal to create an attractive classroom filled with up-to-date information for students. She also plans to use the large, walk-in closet in the classroom as a small health resource office to which all health teachers would have access.

The classroom, which is a windowless room in the basement level of the building, originally was a dance room. It is completely unadorned except for a wall of mirrors. Ms McCarthy went to the Connecticut Clearinghouse, which is a resource center for health educators in Connecticut, where she was able to gather free, colorful posters and the latest pamphlets with information on teen health issues.

She said that the health education program is crucial at the high school level. All students are required to take 20 individual health classes per year up until their senior year when they are only required to take one substance abuse class.

Ms McCarthy said her goal is to provide the high school students with a safe, comfortable environment where the students will feel as if they can learn and ask questions about vital health and behavior issues. “I want a place where students can come learn in a safe environment. Where they will have the latest information. I want to teach them how to stay away from risky behaviors, anything that could damage their health. I want to help them build a strong foundation in taking care of their body and health. I know that if you are healthy you can excel in everything you want to do. If you are healthy then you can have balance in all areas of your life,” she said.

Both Ms Blanchard and Ms McCarthy stated that they were sometimes frustrated that health class is not given the same level of importance that a science or social studies class is. Both educators feel that health class is a priority, especially at the high school level when students are being exposed to many risky behaviors.

Ms McCarthy will be at the high school for the remainder of the school year. She will be working with curriculum development, observing other teachers, be teaching herself and working on a prevention council. As part of the internship Ms McCarthy has been able to participate in state training bringing new information back to Newtown school district.