Barfield Elementary to host Community Day
WesternU students and faculty will spend the day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2013 at Pomona’s Barfield Elementary School, 2181 N. San Antonio Ave., learning, playing and growing together with students and their parents, focusing on health and wellness.
“”This is the kickoff event to a relationship that we have fostered for the past two years, to join with the Barfield community in the pursuit of healthy living,”” said Tina Meyer, DrHS, PA-C, Chair, Department of Health Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions at Western University of Health Science.
Using National Public Health Week’s (NPHW) April 1-7, 2013 themes, WesternU will use safety at home and safety at school as key topics for the day.
WesternU faculty will be on hand to discuss family communication and behavioral topics. WesternU students will play basketball and picnic games, lead cheerleading and healthy exercises workshops, and provide family lessons on safety at home and safety at school. WesternU Willed Body Donation Program Director Nina McCoy also will be on hand to discuss her program.
WesternU College of Podiatric Medicine students and faculty, and staff from the Patient Care Center, will provide health screenings. Local community members also will participate. Pomona Unified School District and Cal Poly Pomona will provide home safety and disaster preparedness information and resources, the House of Ruth will be on hand, the City of Pomona’s Youth and Family Master Plan will provide resources, L.A. County Fire will bring a fire engine for kids to explore and learn about, the Pomona Valley Bike Coalition will conduct a bicycle safety course for young riders, and Partners for a Positive Pomona will do art projects with youngsters as part of a drug prevention initiative referred to as “”above the influence.””
Master of Science in Health Sciences second-year student Jayzona Albert said the plan is to mirror the NPHW topics for the Barfield community.
“”The last topic for NPHW is empowering the community,”” she said. “”We are trying to empower (the Barfield) community and get them engaged and wanting them to do something for their health and for the health of their school.””
Meyer said the game plan is to make the program sustainable and to work with the school for long-term health outcomes in the neighborhood.
Barfield Principal Rosario Ambriz said bringing all of these resources to her school is a great opportunity for its approximately 400 students and their parents to learn about being healthier and proactive about living a better lifestyle.
“”I want these resources to be accessible here in this community for our families,”” she said.
