And just like that the kids are back in school! As you know, we are committed to ensuring our kids can thrive out in the community, and one of the most important environments to consider is in school because kids spend so much time there. We have been busy preparing and supporting our patients throughout August so they can start the school year off on the right foot. From our first annual Literacy Month with ‘Celebrity’ Readers to our Back-to-School Bash and school nurse trainings, this season truly showcases the many ways we go above and beyond for our patients.
Literacy Month
For the first time we declared August as Literacy Month in the La Rabida Outpatient Center. Staff and volunteers have been busy passing out books, along with backpacks, school supplies, and more to our patients and their siblings. We even had a visit from The Chicago White Sox’s very own Southpaw to read to patients! We look forward to celebrating Literacy Month here every August!
Back-to-School Bash
Every year we host a Back-to-School Bash for our patients and families to help get them excited for the new school year. What’s really special about this night is that just about everything – from the DJ and food to the event planning – is donated from local Chicagoland business. Families had a chance to celebrate the start of a new school year together with food, face painting, games, and LOTS of dancing. We love to see the smiles on their faces as they get excited for a new school year! Good luck to everyone kicking off the school year!
School Nurse Training
Kids aren’t the only ones who need to be ready for school to start. School nurses need to be ready to care for and support them in their day-to-day lives. To that end, our diabetes team recently presented an accredited course, Diabetes: A Lesson Plan for School Nurses, in partnership with Breakthrough Type 1 (formerly JDRF) to more than 70 school nurses from all over the country. We look to school nurses, teachers, and other personnel as our partners in caring for our patients and are grateful to each and every one of them.
Check out the photo album below to see more photos of all of our back-to-school fun! Thanks to our supporters for making so much of it happen, including the Adler and Kutchins family and these local organizations:
