The Section of Community Pediatrics works tirelessly to improve and enrich the lives of children in Arkansas. Its motto, “Caring for Children Where They Are,” guides the section’s efforts in and out of the clinic. One of the section’s outstanding programs is the school-based health clinics outreach that provides care to multiple schools in Little Rock.
Thursday, May 17, 2023, was the 6th annual Leadership Day at Chicot Elementary School. Chicot is a “Leader in Me” school. Leader in Me is an evidence-based, comprehensive model that builds leadership and life skills in students, creates a high-trust school culture, and lays the foundation for sustained academic achievement. The program engages students and teaches principles from Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” On Leadership Day, community members come to tour the school and attend a program entirely run by students that showcase the fantastic things happening at Chicot. Two student leaders were assigned to give tours of the health clinic. They rehearsed all last week and did an excellent job yesterday! Both students have been seen in the clinic and especially loved telling the community members about the stickers, prizes, and snacks they get when they visit the ACH clinic.
The 5th-grade puberty talks with Ms. Shaneika (Lewis-Williams, APRN) went great! Shaneika has a special gift for making any space feel safe and comfortable so kids can talk openly about their health, whether in the exam room or a classroom. It was incredible to have our school counselors, nurse, AND Shaneika all working together for our students.
Chico School-Based Health Clinic Manager Jamie Combs
Before the visit, the school’s nurse had the 5th-grade girls and boys write down questions they might have for Shaneika. Both groups had great questions about body changes, puberty age ranges, hygiene, and clarifying questions when they didn’t understand a word or term. The clinic provided hygiene bags with bilingual clinic information and reminders about 11-year-old shots, which also contained soap and deodorant for the boys and period packs with deodorant and pads for the girls.
These efforts provide access to trustworthy information and services vital to students entering a time when they often have more questions than answers.
Way to go, Community Pediatrics!