SAN ANTONIO – Kindergarteners at Menchaca Early Childhood Learning Center are learning how to save lives -- with teddy bears.
The campus nurse said students who attend the South Side center live far from hospitals, and the lesson could keep kids calm in an emergency.
All 300 kindergarteners were singing the baby shark song while practicing CPR movements on a teddy bear, turning a serious conversation into an age appropriate one.
Although a 5 year old may not be able to effectively save someone’s life, Southside ISD nurse Heather Siebert said the lesson could keep a child calm.
“They’re less likely to panic, They’re less likely to start crying. They’re less likely to be scared when EMS does show up,” Siebert said.
The closest hospital or emergency room to the school is at least 15 to 30 minutes away.
Siebert said every minute matters, and any child, no matter age can make that difference in an emergency.
“Any sort of way to help themselves can be the difference between life and death. So, it is really important in this area where our resources are so far, few and far between,” Siebert said.
Students received a teddy bear, a workbook and a first-aid kit, thanks to a Southside Education Foundation grant. The district is looking for future funding to hold the CPR class next school year.