By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Kenwood Elementary students on Friday piled into the back of a police cruiser, listened for heartbeats on stethoscopes, squirted dirty water like that from a leaky landfill, and performed a triathlon of sorts on land.
Career day at the school brought people of a variety of professions into the classrooms. They talked about their roles, and encouraged students to dream about their futures. At the same time, the speakers learned a lot about youngsters’ impressions of their jobs.
When nurse Michele Haas asked the kindergartners in Robyn Lewis’ class about what nurses do, she was flooded with ideas.
“They get babies out,” one child said. That led to another child excitedly saying, “I got a baby out once.”
Another boy volunteered that nurses dissect things. Haas explained that’s not a typical task for a nurse, and the teacher pointed out that the student’s dad was formerly a microbiologist.
Haas said much of her job involves talking and listening.
“I ask a lot of questions. Sometimes I can just listen to them to find out what’s wrong,” she said. Coming from a profession accustomed to chaos, the nurse was not distracted by the boy with his shirt pulled up over his head.
Haas asked the students to tell her the most important task for a nurse. There were several guesses, but none of them right, so she told them it’s handwashing.
“I guessed that in my brain,” one little boy said.
“My brother got sick because he didn’t wash his hands,” a little girl said.
The students were thrilled to put on purple hospital gloves – a challenge all its own for kindergartners.
And stethoscopes were passed out so the children could listen for heartbeats.
“I got one of these for Christmas before,” one student said.
They held the stethoscopes to their classmates’ chests, backs and foreheads – with varied success. And at least half a dozen surrounded their teacher, all listening for her heartbeat at once.
In another classroom, students gathered around Bowling Green Police Officer Cory Fairbanks, who tried to clear up the misconception that he spent everyday catching bad guys. Most days, police spend their time helping people, he said.
“We make the streets safe for everyone out there,” Fairbanks assured. “Most of our time is helping people out.”
The officer showed the students his body camera, taking a video of their smiling faces. Then he addressed all the items on his belt – the taser, flashlight, and gun. He passed around his badge, handcuffs and leg shackles.
“I’m going to be a policeman when I grow up,” one student professed.
Others shared their limited knowledge of the policing profession.
“Cops want to help us not get robbed,” a child said.
“When I left school yesterday, I saw someone get pulled over,” said another.
Some shared personal stories.
“My mom got pulled over before, but she got one more chance,” one girl said.
“Criminals take away your mom’s money,” another said.
“Do you put people in jail?” one student asked. “Sometimes we have to,” Fairbanks answered.
The students envisioned some stiff sentences for wrongdoers.
“If they steal money, they have to stay there forever,” one girl said. “If they do something real bad, they have to stay in prison their whole life,” another chimed in.
Then a real emergency occurred. “My hand’s stuck,” a boy blurted out about his hand being tangled up in his long sleeve shirt.
Fairbanks talked with the children about when it’s appropriate to call 911. Yes, if it’s a fire or car wreck. No, if you just want to ask what time it is, or to get help with a plumbing leak – which has happened, the officer said.
“You have to call Mario,” from the SuperMario video game, one student suggested.
Next Fairbanks took the students out to see his cruiser – relieved that the fire division wasn’t at the career day with an even cooler fire truck.
The children were allowed to sit in the driver’s seat and pile into the hard back seat of the cruiser.
“These seats are uncomfortable,” one child noted.
“They’re not made to be comfortable,” the officer said.
“They’re all infatuated with the back seat until they are teenagers,” Fairbanks said with a grin.
Down the hall, second graders were learning about being an environmental specialist from Kristin Tillison, of the Ohio EPA.
Despite the students’ theory that she spent her days “burning a bunch of trash,” Tillison explained that her job is to protect the land, water and air.
In the past, trash was commonly burned, but not so anymore, she said. And landfills used to be just holes in the ground, but that has changed.
Tillison talked about her role of inspecting landfills and making sure they aren’t leaking. She invited students to view a landfill model, complete with squirt hoses showing dirty water that might come from contaminated groundwater near leaking landfills.
She talked about the hazards of gas leaking from landfills getting into basements at nearby homes.
“It could cause a big boom,” she said.
Tillison talked about items being kept out of landfills. Old tires get new life as backstops or rubber mulch for playgrounds. Leaves are composted to make fertilizer for gardens. And she handed out pencils made from recycled newspaper.
In addition to four years of college, the students said a landfill inspector needs one particular skill.
“You have to be able to smell disgusting stuff,” one boy said.
And in a different classroom, the students were learning about being fitness instructors from Karyn Smith and Julia Adams, from the BGSU Student Recreation Center. Smith and Adams talked about the importance of staying active. They talked about rock and wall climbing, showing carabiner straps strong enough to hold an elephant.
They talked about all forms of exercise – from basketball and bicycling, to baseball and doing burpees.
When the students’ attention seemed to wane, Smith and Adams got the kids on their feet – running in place, jumping, swinging their arms in swimming strokes, and bicycling leg lifts.
“Exercise is so good for your brain too. It gets your blood circulating,” Smith told the kids.
When they had completed their classroom triathlon, the students and instructors performed celebratory dances.
“Let me see your best dance moves,” Smith encouraged.
Adams and Smith reminded the students that they should get at least one hour of exercise a day – and that it’s important to find activities they enjoy.
As the students left the room, one had a lingering question… “Is your mom still in charge or you?” To which the women said not anymore.
Other Career Day presenters at Kenwood talked about their jobs as graphic designer, doctor, photographer, interior designer, wastewater treatment specialist, architect and reporter.
The day was organized by Carrie Reynolds, a third grade teacher at Kenwood.
“I just wanted the students to learn about different careers – something they may want to do someday,” Reynolds said. “They are so excited.”
