ROCK SPRINGS — Sweetwater County School District (SCSD) No. 1 staff spent their professional development day last week gaining valuable skills in school safety.
Last Friday, local emergency personnel provided Stop the Bleed training to the staff members, while Dr. Robin Gillespie from Black Hills State gave a training on self-care and stress management.
“Sweetwater No. 1 prioritizes safety and the importance of working together with our District Nurses, the Rock Springs Police Department, Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, and Rock Springs Fire Department. School safety is a two-part process and focuses on both the physical and emotional safety of staff and students. Friday’s training addressed both areas of school safety,” Superintendent Kelly McGovern told SweetwaterNOW.
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During the Stop the Bleed trainings, staff learned about the ABC’s of bleeding control, which are alert 911, find the bleeding, and compress using either pressure or packing, or a tourniquet. After receiving a verbal lesson on bleeding control, the staff made their way through stations where they got some hands on training on using tourniquets, packing wounds, and applying compact chest patches.
“Stop the Bleed Training is a life skill and not reserved solely for catastrophic events,” McGovern said.
In June, the SCSD No. 1 Board of Trustees approved for the school district to purchase just under 800 Stop the Bleed kits using Title IV grant funds. This helps to ensure each district employee has a kit in case of an emergency.
Dr. Gillespie gave staff recommendations for dealing with the stress that comes with working in education, no matter the role. Some of the suggestions she gave included planning ahead for stress to they can be proactive instead of reactive when dealing with stressful situations or even co-workers.
She also shared ideas for creating a more positive environment for staff, such as school-wide plans for stress relief such as games, potlucks, or random acts of kindness. She encouraged them to make time to “have fun together”. The idea is the happier the staff is, the more that will trickle down to the students.
“Stress management and the importance of taking care of yourself provides our staff with strategies to use with students in their various roles within the District and in everyday life,” McGovern said.
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