The new statewide requirement to train students in basic First Aid and CPR certification is being taken to an entirely new level in the Berkshire Local Schools thanks to the initiative of health and physical education teacher Heather Giel.
First Aid and CPR Certification
The new statewide requirement to train students in basic First Aid and CPR certification is being taken to an entirely new level in the Berkshire Local Schools thanks to the initiative of health and physical education teacher Heather Giel. Her intent is to add a new layer of training and formally certify all students in grades seven through 12, a classification that lasts for two years.
This week in the district, students in the specified grades will begin the certification process with the help of partners at University Hospitals who will be onsite three days this week to provide their training and assistance. Specifically, students were instructed on how to perform basic first aid and CPR on adults and infants, in addition to how to aid when someone is choking or experiencing other life-threatening conditions. From here, students will be recertified every two years to maintain their status of being fully equipped and prepared with this most important set of future-ready skills.
SRO Begins in District
Deputy Brian Haller has become the district’s new, official school resource officer (SRO) beginning the week of Nov. 26. He will serve all three buildings throughout the Berkshire Schools, with a permanent office at the junior and senior high school.
The purpose of having a SRO is multifold, including the additional safety and security presence in all buildings, serving as a positive role model for students and providing supplemental programming on a wide range of topics such as crime prevention, drug and alcohol awareness and Internet safety. Haller intends to visit each of the three school buildings in the district on a routine, weekly basis. He is excited about this new role, particularly since he has served in similar capacities in other nearby school districts and is eager to jumpstart Berkshire’s program.
Deputy Haller has 23 years of law enforcement experience and is certain to greatly assist the district in adding another layer of security in this new, ever-evolving climate of school district safety. Thank you to the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office for their help in making this addition of Deputy Brian Haller as Berkshire’s new SRO possible.
